Tag Archives: Election 2022

Paxton lawsuit to nullify marijuana ordinances tossed

Good. A state district judge in Travis County has dismissed a lawsuit by Texas Attorney General Paxton that sought to nullify voter-approved ordinances in Austin and a few other cities that effectively decriminalize possessing small amounts of marijuana. In a … Continue reading

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Another statewide improvement effort

Let a thousand flowers bloom, I say. A team of Democratic strategists unveiled a new group Thursday that aims to turn Texas blue by building up the party’s campaign infrastructure over multiple elections — offering a more practical outlet, in … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A look at recent trends in early, mail, and Election Day voting

I’ve noted before how I completely overestimated Election Day voting totals in the November/December 2023 and March 2024 races, based on recent past data from similar elections. I’ve tentatively concluded that even for races where a lot of Election Day … Continue reading

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Judge Hidalgo will run again in 2026

In case you were wondering. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday she plans to seek a third term in office in 2026. Hidalgo told the Chronicle during a live virtual event that she is “really excited” to run for … Continue reading

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Whiny loser election redo set for next May

Pending appeal, of course. One of Harris County’s 2022 judicial races could be back on the ballot in May 2025 after a visiting judge from Bexar County ordered a redo earlier this month. Voters are set to go back to … Continue reading

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We’re just not allowed to have close elections anymore

That’s my takeaway from this. A judge’s decision to order a new election in a close Harris County race from 2022 is putting election officials statewide on notice: Any type of error — large or small — has the potential … Continue reading

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Judge throws out contested Pierce/Jones election

I was at an event on Wednesday night so I didn’t see this until later in the evening. I didn’t have the best night’s sleep that night, I’ll tell you. A visiting judge from Bexar County on Wednesday ordered a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2022, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is this an opportunity for cooperative cost savings?

Reading through this story about how Harris County is spending the public safety portion of its 2022 bond funds, I have a question. New Harris County law enforcement facilities are one step closer to breaking ground after Commissioners Court earlier … Continue reading

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Some further special election stuff

We begin with this from the inbox. The Harris County Clerk’s Office posted the unofficial May 4 Uniform and Special Elections results on the Harris Votes website early Sunday morning, with 56,612 ballots cast in total. About 2% of Harris … Continue reading

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The SD15 effect on the HCAD elections

We have had two elections going on these past weeks. I’ve done my best to bring attention to the three HCAD elections, but they have gone on alongside the special election in SD15. While the stakes in that one are … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Former Mayor Parker “considering” a run for County Judge in 2026

The next election is always closer than you think. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker has been talking to friends and supporters in recent months about making another run for elected office. Parker, a Democrat who led City Hall from 2010 … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

RNC scales down Hispanic outreach efforts

Fine by me. A Hispanic outreach center that the National Republican Committee opened on San Antonio’s Southeast Side in 2021 is among numerous minority outreach offices across the country that have been shuttered for the 2024 election cycle. Democrats say … Continue reading

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One more whiny election loser lawsuit

I know, we all thought we were done with these. Nearly five months after Harris County’s November 2022 election results were upheld in court, another unsuccessful Republican judicial candidate laid out a similar set of facts before the same judge … Continue reading

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On the Ogg loss

I have three things to say about this. Kim Ogg’s campaign for a third term as Harris County district attorney suffered a blowout loss in the Democratic primary election on Tuesday. In the final election night tally, challenger Sean Teare … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

There’s only one way forward after this primary

The worst people you know had a very good week last week. It’s likely to get better for them after the runoffs. These headlines capture the essence of it: ‘Disastrous’: A shaken Texas House prepares for rightward shift after record … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Initial thoughts on the 2024 primary

Some opening considerations as we peruse the final unofficial voting data. Before you read my words, go check out Stace, Campos, Reform Austin, and the Texas Signal. Here we go: – Final turnout in Harris County was 176,396 for Dems … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Final 2024 Primary Early Voting totals

Off we go to Primary Day. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 7,735 30,142 37,877 2016 13,034 72,782 85,816 2020 22,785 116,748 139,533 2024 14,661 87,591 102,252 2012 17,734 60,347 78,081 2016 20,780 110,365 131,145 2020 22,801 82,108 104,909 2024 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Ten: Down to the wire

Here we go, the penultimate day and the day where we really see the uptick in early voting: Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 7,458 23,080 30,538 2016 12,202 53,302 65,504 2020 21,658 82,365 104,023 2024 14,002 65,756 79,758 2012 … Continue reading

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2024 Primary Early Voting, Day Nine: Two more to go

A slight uptick yesterday in early voting, with the two big days to come. Year Mail Early Total ============================== 2012 6,719 19,324 22,752 2016 11,367 45,552 56,919 2020 19,400 66,322 85,722 2024 12,448 55,456 67,904 2012 15,239 39,482 54,721 2016 … Continue reading

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Our one page ballot

Good news. Harris County voters and election workers can look forward to one major improvement in the upcoming March primaries: the county’s lengthy ballot now fits on one piece of paper, rather than two. The change is due to a … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

January 2024 campaign finance reports – Congress

PREVIOUSLY: State offices Harris County offices Senate As noted, we’re still doing the Congressional reports separately until we winnow down the fields. The October 2023 reports are here, the July reports for both Congress and Senate are here, and the … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Paxton sues five cities over marijuana decriminalization ordinances

Seemed likely something like this would happen eventually. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing five cities — Austin, San Marcos, Killeen, Elgin and Denton — to block their ordinances decriminalizing low-level marijuana possession. In 2022, voters in the five … Continue reading

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Someday the 2022 election will end

Today is not that day. Tomorrow doesn’t look so good either. It’s an Election Day mishap that will sound familiar to Harris County residents. Voters in Pennsylvania’s Luzerne County temporarily were unable to cast ballots in the 2022 midterm election … Continue reading

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SCOTx declines to revive oligarch nuisance lawsuit against Beto

Good. The Texas Supreme Court said Friday it would not consider Republican megadonor Kelcy Warren’s defamation lawsuit against former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke after a state appeals court dismissed it earlier this year. The all-GOP court denied Warren’s petition … Continue reading

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Get ready for the SD15 special election

It’s closer than you think. The candidates looking to replace Mayor-elect John Whitmire in the Texas Senate may have to win as many as five elections next year before they ever get to vote on a piece of legislation. Whitmire, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Two Loving County 2022 elections overturned

Wow. State District Judge David Rogers ruled that 10 Loving County voters did not have enough connection to the area to legally vote there. As a result, two local November 2022 elections must be redone because the number of ineligible … Continue reading

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State GOP sues the lawyer who led their sore loser election contest lawsuits

Oh my God, this is hilarious. The Republican Party of Texas is suing a lawyer who helped write the state’s recent election reform law and who they claim duped several former Republican candidates into believing they could prove election fraud … Continue reading

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Time for another chat about voter registration and turnout

Let’s do it. Texas Democrats came away from Beto O’Rourke’s surprisingly narrow 2018 defeat to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz with a simple plan: register to vote the millions of nonvoting Texans that demographics suggest lean Democrat and electoral victories will … Continue reading

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Sure, Jared

The campaign ads will write themselves. Prominent anti-LGBTQ+ attorney and former Harris County GOP chair Jared Woodfill is running for the Texas House and to replace House Speaker Dade Phelan. Woodfill announced his candidacy for House District 138 this week, … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Harris County elections update

No news is good news. By all accounts, Harris County pulled off a smooth local election last week under its newly reconfigured election administration. But officials didn’t have time to revel in it before a judge took them to task … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Rep. Michael Burgess not running for re-election

No great loss. U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, a Dallas-area Republican who has held his post for two decades, will not seek re-election next year, he announced Monday. “It has been the honor of my life to have gone from a … Continue reading

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Whiny loser election lawsuits finally tossed

Good. The results of Harris County’s highly scrutinized November 2022 election were upheld Thursday evening by a judge, who threw out all but one remaining election contest out of 21 related lawsuits. Republican candidate Erin Lunceford filed her suit in … Continue reading

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State Rep. Craig Goldman to run for CD12

Of interest. State Rep. Craig Goldman announced Friday he is running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, a fellow Fort Worth Republican. “My record proves I will be a conservative fighter who will prioritize border security and the American … Continue reading

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November 2023 Final EV totals: Records successfully broken

We had a big last day in early voting on Friday, as you can see below: Year Mail Early Total =============================== 2015 29,859 164,104 193,963 2019 15,304 137,460 152,764 2023 14,925 224,400 239,325 The final EV totals from 2015 are … Continue reading

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment