Tag Archives: Pasadena

The continuing problems of At Large-only school boards

Posted on March 30, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Houston Landing take a look at the big picture. In Katy and several Houston-area districts, school boards have employed an election system — known as “at-large districts” — that has contributed to most trustees living in wealthier neighborhoods, a Houston … Continue reading →

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The ITC fire five years later

Posted on March 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We learned some things from this. The Intercontinental Terminals Co. fire that broke out March 17, 2019, did not just lead to a massive black plume of smoke lingering for days over east Harris County, before spreading 20 miles to … Continue reading →

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LULAC files that lawsuit to end Houston City Council At Large districts

Posted on December 6, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. The League of United Latin American Citizens on Monday filed its long-anticipated lawsuit against the city of Houston, seeking to get rid of at-large City Council seats that it says leave Hispanic residents with insufficient representation at City Hall. … Continue reading →

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It’s not a teacher shortage yet

Posted on August 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

But you can see one on the horizon. School districts across the Houston region are trying to fill thousands of teacher vacancies before most will be welcoming students back to classrooms in the coming weeks. A review of about 18 area school districts’ job … Continue reading →

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Chron story on the proposed new City Council map

Posted on July 11, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Remember, you heard it here first. Houston’s proposed City Council maps for 2023 elections make only minor changes to district boundaries near Rice University, Freedmen’s Town and parts of downtown. Overall, less than 3% of Houston’s 2.3 million residents will … Continue reading →

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Spring Branch ISD lawsuit

Posted on August 23, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

I’m late to this, but better late than never/ A former candidate for the Spring Branch ISD school board has filed a lawsuit alleging the district’s election policies are in violation of national laws against voting discrimination. In her complaint, … Continue reading →

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Bus service in new places

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good first step, which I hope begets a second step. Harris County has extended bus service to Channelview, Cloverleaf and Sheldon, using $3.8 million in Hurricane Harvey disaster recovery money to jump-start the new routes. Service started … Continue reading →

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May 4 election results

Posted on May 5, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

The hottest race was in San Antonio. With more than 81 percent of the precincts counted, Mayor Ron Nirenberg took a nearly 3-point lead against Councilman Greg Brockhouse, but it likely won’t be enough to avoid a runoff to determine … Continue reading →

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Today is May Election Day

Posted on May 4, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Kicks Off First Election With Countywide Polling Place Program Houston, TX– Saturday, May 4, 2019, is Election Day for approximately 708,000 eligible voters in Harris County.  This election is the first since being approved for a … Continue reading →

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Early voting for the May elections has begun

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Early Voting for the May 4, 2019 Joint Election starts Monday, April 22 and ends on Tuesday, April 30. During that period, Harris County voters may vote at any of the 25 Early Voting locations designated throughout … Continue reading →

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Interview with Steve Halvorson

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

It’s April in an odd-numbered year, and that means that a number of cities and school districts around Texas are gearing up for their elections, which take place in May. Houston does not have such elections – ours will be … Continue reading →

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The 2019 elections

Posted on January 15, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t forgotten that there are some big elections on tap for us this year, have we? Let’s go a quick rundown. May elections Election campaigns are already in progress in the cities that have May elections, which includes big … Continue reading →

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Checking in on Pasadena

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

How’s it going over there? A year into his four-year term, [Pasadena Mayor Jeff] Wagner says he is focused on unifying a city whose ethnic and socioeconomic inequities were displayed before a national audience during the 2016 trial over a … Continue reading →

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Looking ahead to 2019

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, yes, I know. We’ve barely begun the 2018 cycle. Who in their right mind is thinking about 2019? I plead guilty to political insanity, but the beginning of the year is always the best time to look forward, and … Continue reading →

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Filing news: The “What’s up with Lupe Valdez?” edition

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

On Wednesday, we were told that Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez had resigned her post in preparation for an announcement that she would be filing to run for Governor. Later that day, the story changed – she had not resigned, … Continue reading →

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Pasadena City Council approves settlement in redistricting case

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s over. The Pasadena City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a $1.1 million settlement agreement of a lawsuit challenging a city voting plan that a federal judge found diluted Latino voting influence. Councilman Cody Ray Wheeler said that after … Continue reading →

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Pasadena will settle voting rights case

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Excellent news. Pasadena Mayor Jeff Wagner on Friday asked the City Council to settle a voting rights lawsuit that led to national portrayals of the Houston suburb as an example of efforts to suppress Latino voting rights. The proposed settlement … Continue reading →

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Still no word on what Pasadena will do with the redistricting appeal

Posted on August 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re waiting. Because the ruling went against the city, Pasadena is required to pay legal costs to attorneys for that group, the Mexican American Legal Defense Education Fund. In addition, the city’s fees to its legal representatives at Bickerstaff, Heath, … Continue reading →

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Pasadena has a decision to make

Posted on July 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

To continue the redistricting appeal, or to drop it and accept the ruling? One factor to consider is the cost involved. Pasadena has already paid more than $2.5 million to its outside attorneys. But there’s a complication: Under federal law, … Continue reading →

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The broader implications of the Pasadena voting rights lawsuit

Posted on July 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Buried in this Trib story about the ongoing saga of Pasadena’s voting rights lawsuit is this nugget about the state getting involved. The case could reverberate beyond Pasadena’s city limits. Legal experts contend that a decision by the 5th Circuit could guide other … Continue reading →

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May runoff results

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I know I’ve been all about the Pearland and Pasadena runoffs, but this is easily the big story from yesterday. With little more than 75% of precincts reporting, Mayor Ivy Taylor conceded victory to Councilman Ron Nirenberg (D8) just after … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

While I have nothing to vote for tomorrow, there are hot races in Pasadena and Pearland. Changes in Pearland’s demographics have mirrored those in Houston, amplifying the effects of what this election will show, University of Houston political scientist Brandon … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: Moon for Mayor

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron picks their second choice for Mayor of Pasadena. The second-largest city in Harris County could use a good shake-up. That’s why voters should elect John “J.R.” Moon Jr. for mayor in the city’s runoff election. Moon, 58, would … Continue reading →

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May 6 election results

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, the HISD recapture re-referendum passed by a wide margin. The Yes vote was at 85% in early and absentee voting, and it will finish with about 84%; I started writing this at 10 PM, when 437 of … Continue reading →

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Final EV report for the May 6 election

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Before I get to the numbers, here’s a Chron overview of the Pasadena Mayor’s race that mentions the numbers towards the end. “I believe it’s a pivotal time in this city’s history – that it can either draw together and … Continue reading →

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Justice Department will send election monitors to Pasadena

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring the Pasadena city elections as the suburb faces mounting federal scrutiny in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that the city intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics. … Continue reading →

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Trib overview of the Pasadena elections

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. When voters head to the polls here Saturday, their city council and mayoral picks could have repercussions well beyond this working-class Houston suburb. It will be the first election since a federal judge struck down the city’s 2013 … Continue reading →

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Early voting Day Five: Can we make any guesses yet?

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Snyder wonders about the turnout so far in the May elections. When Pasadena last chose a mayor, in 2013, about 7 percent of its registered voters determined who would lead the industrial port city of 150,000. Mayor Johnny Isbell, who … Continue reading →

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Early voting so far

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at the first day of early voting and some area races. Early voting began Monday for local elections next month that will determine who leads increasingly diverse Pasadena, the fate of a major school bond referendum in … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Project LIFT

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Democratic Party has endorsed a slew of progressive candidates enrolled in their Project LIFT (Local Investment in the Future of Texas) program. There were five rounds of endorsements, beginning on March 10: Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Chron for Van Houte and recapture

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your Chronicle endorsements for the May election. First, for Mayor of Pasadena: Of the five candidates who met with the Chronicle editorial board – two declined – only Van Houte was willing to bluntly and accurately diagnose the … Continue reading →

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Early voting for May elections begins tomorrow

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow is the first day of the nine-day early voting period for the May 6 election. I’ve generally not paid a great deal of attention to these May elections, but it’s safe to say that This Time It’s Different, and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Gloria Gallegos

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have one more interview for Pasadena Mayor to bring you. Gloria Gallegos is the Associate Superintendent of Special Programs for the Pasadena Independent School District, having worked her career in education beginning as an elementary school teacher. A native … Continue reading →

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The status of Section 3

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lyle Denniston looks at a key aspect of the voting rights-related lawsuits in Texas. About four years after the Supreme Court took away the government’s strongest authority to protect minority voters’ rights, a backup power under the federal Voting Rights … Continue reading →

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