Category Archives: Election 2016

Judicial Q&A: Candance White

Posted on October 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I ran a series of judicial Q&As for Democratic candidates in contested primaries earlier this year. I am now doing the same for the candidates who were unopposed in March, which includes most of the sitting incumbent judges. As … Continue reading →

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Interview with Anne Sung

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One of the more interesting races on the ballot this year is the special election to fill the remainder of outgoing HISD Trustee Harvin Moore’s term. There are four candidates running for this seat, and I will have interviews with … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of HD23

Posted on October 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We go to Galveston for one of the few interesting Legislative races in the area. A former Democratic state legislator is trying to recapture the Texas House District 23 seat from the first Republican to hold the office since Reconstruction. … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judge Robert Schaffer

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I ran a series of judicial Q&As for Democratic candidates in contested primaries earlier this year. I am now doing the same for the candidates who were unopposed in March, which includes most of the sitting incumbent judges. As … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of HD134

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at that perpetual swing district, HD134 Artful redistricting has squeezed the general election suspense from nearly all of Harris County’s legislative races, rendering most districts solidly red or blue. Democrat Ben Rose is hoping to prove his … Continue reading →

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Interview with Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Two-term Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan is currently the only countywide Democrat, though we hope he’ll have some company after November. An Army veteran and former City Council member, Ryan served under former County Attorney Mike Driscoll and maintains an … Continue reading →

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Republicans remain concerned about their turnout in Texas

Posted on October 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Exhibit A: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is stepping up his travel for state Republicans amid concerns about GOP turnout in November. Cruz is set to attend a trio of events next week in North Texas aimed at getting out … Continue reading →

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Flipping Fort Bend

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

FiveThirtyEight projects a national insight down to the local level. In August, Nate Cohn of The New York Times put it well when he wrote: “The simple way to think about Mr. Trump’s strength is in terms of education among … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of Commissioners Court Precinct 3 race

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Lower profile, and less competitive, but still worth paying attention to. Steve Radack has built close to five dozen parks and spent millions of dollars expanding road and trail networks in 28 years as Harris County commissioner for Precinct 3. … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: More courts

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has a bunch of judicial race endorsements to make, beginning with the First and 14th Courts of Appeals. 1st Court of Appeals, Chief Justice: Sherry Radack Both Republican incumbent Sherry Radack and challenger Jim Peacock strongly agree that … Continue reading →

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Three State Rep race overviews

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In the order of their publication, beginning with HD149: For more than a decade in Texas House District 149 – where Harris and Fort Bend counties meet – a growing, ethnically diverse voting population has done something rare for the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: More State Reps

Posted on October 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Part 2: State Representative, District 135: Jesse A. Ybanez Consider this an endorsement against Gary Elkins. The Republican incumbent has been in office for 22 years, and his greatest claim to fame is a consistent self-serving advocacy for payday lenders … Continue reading →

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Statewide registrations top 15 million

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not too shabby. Texas has a record-breaking 15 million people registered to vote ahead of the November election, the Secretary of State’s office announced Thursday. Texas has 15,015,700 voters registered according to a preliminary estimate — over 777,000 more than … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Back to the State House, part 1

Posted on October 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron ventures outside Houston to make some Legislative endorsements. State Representative, District 13: Cecil R. Webster As an engineer who worked in weapons testing and procurement, retired Col. Cecil R. Webster knows his way around a firearm. But decades … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Herb Ritchie

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I ran a series of judicial Q&As for Democratic candidates in contested primaries earlier this year. I am now doing the same for the candidates who were unopposed in March, which includes most of the sitting incumbent judges. As … Continue reading →

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Record registration numbers for Harris County

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. As registration closed, Harris County’s voter roster had grown by more than 6 percent since 2014, the steepest increase in 16 years. More than 323,890 new names have been added, bringing the county voter roll to more than 2.2 … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jay Aiyer

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

On Monday, I published an interview with David Thompson, the general counsel for the HISD Board of Trustees, about the forthcoming recapture referendum. Thompson, who said in the interview that he would vote against the referendum, joins a long list … Continue reading →

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The Trump dilemma

Posted on October 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’d almost feel pity for them, if they hadn’t brought this on themselves. Leading GOP elected officials — including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn — condemned the words but continued … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judge Maria T. Jackson

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I ran a series of judicial Q&As for Democratic candidates in contested primaries earlier this year. I am now doing the same for the candidates who were unopposed in March, which includes most of the sitting incumbent judges. As … Continue reading →

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Overview of the Harris County Sheriff race

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron takes a good look at the race for Sheriff. Policing Texas’ most populous county is just one item on a laundry list of challenges facing Harris County’s next sheriff. Voters next month will choose between the appointed Republican … Continue reading →

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HEB confirms interest in Heights location

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As rumored. Residents have seen and heard speculation and rumors for months, wondering what the fate would be regarding H-E-B’s potential Heights move. Well wait no more. After the rumor mill ran wild following the No-Dry Vote petition spearheaded by … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Thompson

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

You’re probably aware of the HISD referendum on the ballot this fall, which authorizes the Board of Trustees to pay $162 million to the state of Texas to comply with recapture, a/k/a Robin Hood laws. There’s a lot of opposition … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: In case you didn’t hear us the first time

Posted on October 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its opposition to the HISD recapture referendum. Statewide property taxes are unconstitutional in Texas, but don’t tell that to the legislators in Austin. For decades, the Legislature has been shifting its obligation to fund public education to … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of judicial races

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In case anyone is paying attention to them. As Harris County goes, so go most of its judicial races. That truism appears to be good news for Democrats seeking to scoop up more district court benches in November, when two … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: First, reform the office

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has almost as much to say about the office of Constable as it does about the candidates for Constable that they prefer. Harris County needs to bring these law enforcement fiefdoms in line: Update precincts to equalize populations, … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: CCA

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes its recommendations for the Court of Criminal Appeals. Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 2: Lawrence “Larry” Meyers Accusing someone of having “the feels” seems more at home in a teenager’s Facebook argument than in a dissenting … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of Harris County Tax Assessor race

Posted on October 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s deja vu all over again. Republican Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Mike Sullivan once again faces a challenge from Democrat Ann Harris Bennett, a rematch from four years ago for an office that oversees billions of dollars in property tax … Continue reading →

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Registration versus turnout

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey throws a bit of cold water on the surge in voter registrations. Turnout isn’t nearly as volatile as registration. Over the past 10 presidential elections in Texas, the percentage of Texas adults registered to vote has gone as … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the County Attorney race

Posted on October 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the one with the one Democratic incumbent running for re-election. Vince Ryan calls himself the Doberman pinscher of Harris County. The Democrat county attorney campaigned in 2012 as a government watchdog. He cannot point to any “dramatic” instances he … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Justice Dori Contreras Garza

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: I ran a series of judicial Q&As for Democratic candidates in contested primaries earlier this year. I am now doing the same for the candidates who were unopposed in March, which includes most of the sitting incumbent judges. As … Continue reading →

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Lots of absentee ballots in Harris County this year

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart announced today that over 90,000 ballots have been mailed to voters who requested to vote by mail in the November 8, 2016 General and Special Elections. The number of ballots mailed is … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of SBOE races

Posted on October 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There are a few races of interest, though the usual bet is that nothing unusual will happen. Dakota Carter, a Democrat and underdog in District 6, said he got “fired up” to run for the board because he is tired … Continue reading →

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Chron overview of the DA race

Posted on October 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s the most interesting local race on the ballot. Two years ago, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson bested Democratic challenger Kim Ogg in a tussle focusing on substantive policy reform. Both touting impressive criminal justice resumes and spoke optimistically … Continue reading →

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Interview with Fort Bend County Commissioner Richard Morrison

Posted on October 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Bend County Commissioner Richard Morrison is an old friend. He’s the first candidate I ever interviewed, on an old-fashioned tape recorder way back in 2003 as he was gearing up to challenge then-Rep. Tom DeLay in CD22. He fell … Continue reading →

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