Monthly Archives: November 2018

How many recounts might there be?

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

More than one, is my guess. On Wednesday, Dallas state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Republican, tweeted that he was “honored and grateful” voters had decided to send him back to the Texas Legislature for another term in office. But his … Continue reading →

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MLB Hall of Fame Today’s Game ballot for 2018

Posted on November 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Time now for a far less stressful election season. The Today’s Game Era ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame was revealed Monday, comprised of a combination of 10 players, managers and an owner who will receive consideration to … Continue reading →

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Initial reactions: Harris County

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s start with the obvious. Harris County Democrats rode a surge in voter turnout to a decisive victory on Tuesday, unseating several countywide Republican officials, including longtime County Judge Ed Emmett, and sweeping all 59 judicial races. Emmett, who courted … Continue reading →

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The CD23 race isn’t quite over yet

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I believe it is highly unlikely that the outcome in CD23 will change from the current close win for Rep. Will Hurd, but we are not done counting the votes just yet. The Texas congressional race between incumbent Republican Will … Continue reading →

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Metro’s post-Culberson future

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You might not be aware of this, but famously anti-Metro Congressman John Culberson lost his bid for re-election on Tuesday. What might that mean for Metro? In one of the more stunning defeats of incumbent Republicans on Tuesday night, Lizzie … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of November 5

Posted on November 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance thanks everyone who worked to get out the vote in this election as it brings you this week’s roundup.

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Initial reactions: Statewide

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to do a few of these “Initial reaction” posts about Tuesday’s elections as I try to make sense of all that happened. Here we go. Let me start with a number. Two numbers, actually: 4,017,851 and 48.26%. The … Continue reading →

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Stockman gets ten years

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Fitting. Former Congressman Steve Stockman, a Tea Party stalwart who represented East Texas during two non-consecutive terms, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison on Wednesday for his role in a wide-ranging scheme that included a spy operation aimed … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

We’ll have to wait a little longer for the inevitable Prop B lawsuit

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still coming, just not, like, today. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday said he would delay a City Council vote to hire a law firm to represent the city in possible litigation over Proposition B, the ballot item passed by … Continue reading →

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Second trimester lawsuit appeal heard at the Fifth Circuit

Posted on November 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Elections or no elections, the world keeps spinning. The federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals heard arguments Monday morning about whether Texas should be able to ban doctors from performing the most common second-trimester abortion procedure, called dilation and evacuation. … Continue reading →

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From the “I may have spoken too soon” department

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

First, Will Hurd was declared the winner in CD23. But there were still a few precincts out, some in deep red Medina County and others in El Paso County. Hurd started the evening with a 6K early vote lead, but … Continue reading →

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Omnibus election report

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s after midnight, I’ve mostly posted stuff on my long-dormant Twitter account (@kuff), and I will have many, many thoughts in the coming days. For now, a brief recap. – As you know, neither Beto nor any other Dem won … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over late start times at several precincts

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

This crap should not happen. After several polling locations in Harris County failed to open on time this morning, the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Texas Organizing Project are suing the county in hopes of extending Election Day voting … Continue reading →

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Today is election day

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s what we’ve been waiting for, for what seems like forever. From the inbox: Tuesday, November 6, 2018 is Election Day. Voting locations will be open from 7 am to 7 pm. Voters may visit www.HarrisVotes.com, the County Clerk’s election … Continue reading →

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Our poor old voting machines

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

They really do need to be retired. A national spotlight fell on Texas’ voting equipment last week after some voters complained that their votes on electronic voting machines had changed. State election officials chalked it up to user error. Critics … Continue reading →

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An under the radar pickup opportunity

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an open seat in the SBOE. Suzanne Smith says she has tried to run a nonpartisan campaign in her low-profile bid for a place on the State Board of Education. But she stands to benefit from the current contentious … Continue reading →

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Two possible straws in the wind

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton seems a little nervous. Less than 36 hours before Election Day, the race for attorney general is showing signs of competition that have been absent in just about every other statewide contest. Republican incumbent Ken Paxton, who was … Continue reading →

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The trend in mail ballots

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Wanted to take a closer look at the not-in-person aspect of early voting: Year Mailed Returned Return% Dem % ========================================= 2008 76,187 68,612 90.06% 36.60% 2010 69,991 55,560 79.38% 30.82% 2012 92,290 76,085 82.44% 41.79% 2014 89,073 71,994 80.83% 48.94% … Continue reading →

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Texas and Tarrant

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at Beto O’Rourke’s campaign focus on Tarrant County. Fort Worth and its outlying ranches and suburbs are mostly a backwater in Texas politics. Gerrymandered to the hilt, the national parties have mostly ignored this county. But since … Continue reading →

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Another reminder that the judicial elections are important

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: Across the country, many public defender’s offices are overwhelmed with cases. But the public defenders in Harris County’s juvenile division are in an unusual situation: They say that they aren’t getting assigned enough cases. And advocates say … Continue reading →

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Two stories about grassroots GOTV efforts

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Both from the Observer. First, Inside Beto’s Plan to Turn Out Black Voters in Houston: With two days till early voting, Cameron Mayfield, a Beto O’Rourke field organizer, gets busy setting up a makeshift campaign office in a corner of … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for November 4

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

“Not that this is an exhaustive list, but here are 30 simple shared truths I discovered at my 30th reunion of Harvard’s class of 1988.” Having just attended my own 30th reunion (not at Harvard), I endorse this list. Electric … Continue reading →

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Projecting Tuesday turnout

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the statewide view. By the time the polls closed Thursday, 33.7 percent of registered voters in Bexar County had voted, well past the 17.3 percent turnout at the same point in 2014, the last midterm, and close to the … Continue reading →

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The Courts of Appeals

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The other judicial races where Dems have a chance to gain ground. Republicans dominate Texas politics — but their stranglehold is especially noticeable in the courts. Republicans hold all 18 seats on the state’s two high courts. Of the state’s … Continue reading →

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A macro view of the Asian-American vote in 2018

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good article. Minority voter engagement in Texas is often viewed as an effort to get Hispanic and African Americans to the polls. But Asian Americans are now the fastest growing minority group in the country—accounting for an estimated 5 percent … Continue reading →

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Change Research: Cruz 49, O’Rourke 49

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Make of this what you will. In Texas (n=1211), Beto O’Rourke and Ted Cruz are dead even: O’Rourke is at 49%, Cruz is at 49%, and Libertarian Neil Dikeman is at 1%. We’ve polled a lot in Texas the past … Continue reading →

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Early voting, Day 12: Final curtain

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It was apparently a late night with long lines, and the report didn’t arrive by 10 PM, so you’ll have to settle for this. When the polls closed in Harris County Friday, more voters had cast ballots than in any … Continue reading →

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Top to bottom Congressional fundraising prowess

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Standing before a packed crowd at the Austin City Limits Music Festival earlier this month, Julie Oliver delivered an impassioned speech highlighting her support for marijuana legalization and universal health care. “Are … Continue reading →

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Buzbee for Mayor?

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, good grief. Tony Buzbee, a high-wattage trial lawyer, big-time political donor and Texas A&M University System regent, says he is running to be the mayor of Houston in 2019. “The mayor’s race in Houston traditionally has been as boring … Continue reading →

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Two stories on Joseph Kopser in CD21

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Article One, which focuses on Kopser’s background in science. Crowded around a circular wooden table in a loud bar on Sunday night, Joseph Kopser raises his voice in an effort to be heard, as rock music duels with a football … Continue reading →

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Early voting, Day 11: Almost done

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Before we get to the numbers, here’s my new favorite quote of the cycle: “If Ted Cruz had Beto’s campaign manager he’d be leading by 20 points,” said Dan Rogers, the Republican chairman in Potter County, where Cruz drew about … Continue reading →

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Emerson College: Cruz 50, O’Rourke 47

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to quit making predictions about when we’ve seen the last poll for this cycle. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz (R) holds a 3-point lead over his Senate challenger Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) ahead of next week’s midterm elections, … Continue reading →

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A broader look at the statewide judicial races

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: Judicial candidates are subject to strict campaign finance restrictions, making it difficult to get their names out across a state of 28 million. And they must walk a difficult line as they campaign, running as partisans without … Continue reading →

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Seeking a solution for the translators

Posted on November 2, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Glad to see it. Three days after election workers barred translators from asking Korean-American voters if they needed assistance inside a Spring Branch polling place, Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart met with a group of Korean-Americans to find a way … Continue reading →

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