Tag Archives: John Whitmire

Whitmire’s approach to HISD

Posted on January 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on brand, I’ll say that. Mayor John Whitmire met Monday with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath to reaffirm his support for Houston ISD’s appointed leadership, signaling a new approach from City Hall toward the state’s stewardship of the district … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics, School days | Tagged Board of Managers, Election 2023, HISD, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, Mike Miles, Mike Morath, New Education System, Robert Sanborn, schools, Sylvester Turner, Texas Education Agency | Comments Off

We return once again to the subject of a garbage fee

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this is the time it happens. Maybe not. Who can say? For many residents, Houston’s unreliable garbage collection is a familiar issue — and it’s one that even the city’s newly elected mayor apparently must confront. In his inaugural … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, fees, Houston, John Whitmire, recycling, solid waste, Solid Waste Management Department, Sylvester Turner | 1 Comment

Chris Hollins begins his term as Controller

Posted on January 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of potential for action here. Houston Controller Chris Hollins knows that following Tuesday’s inaugural celebration comes the hard work. But the 37-year-old former Harris County Clerk says he is up to the task. “The people of Houston put (me) … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Annise Parker, budget, Chris Brown, Chris Hollins, Election 2023, Election 2027, HFD, Houston, Houston City Controller, HPD, John Whitmire, Mayor, Sylvester Turner | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: 2023 Controller’s runoff

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Mayoral runoff The City Controller runoff also wasn’t particularly close, as Chris Hollins bested many (many, many, many) time candidate Orlando Sanchez by 17 points. There are some interesting things to point out here though, so let’s get to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Bill Frazer, Chris Brown, Chris Hollins, Election 2013, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Harris County, Houston, Houston City Controller, John Whitmire, Orlando Sanchez, precinct analysis, Ronald Green, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee | 1 Comment

Mayor Whitmire orders negotiations with the firefighters

Posted on January 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

New regime, new directions. In a major step toward reconciliation with the firefighters union, Mayor John Whitmire has asked the city attorney to drop an appeal that former Mayor Sylvester Turner’s administration filed just days before the change in city … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged budget, collective bargaining agreement, Election 2023, HFD, Houston, HPFFA, John Whitmire, lawsuit, Marty Lancton, Mayor, mediation, Supreme Court, Sylvester Turner | 1 Comment

Precinct analysis: 2023 Mayoral runoff

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

You might want to hide your children’s eyes, these numbers are quite ugly if you were a Sheila Jackson Lee supporter: Dist Whitmire J Lee ======================= A 12,578 3,807 B 2,625 11,199 C 29,030 8,769 D 5,012 14,150 E 20,469 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Annise Parker, Bill King, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Gene Locke, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, precinct analysis, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner | 3 Comments

On solving the crimes

Posted on January 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a nice profile of Precinct One Deputy Constable Joe Bowden, who is good at his job. His specialty is solving bike thefts, and I want to highlight this bit that shows him in action, and then share some … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Alan Rosen, bicycles, Constable, DPS, Election 2023, Harris County, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, Mayor, Troy Finner | 15 Comments

Mayor Whitmire inaugurated

Posted on January 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Congratulations and best wishes to the new Mayor. Former state Sen. John Whitmire was sworn in as Houston’s 63rd mayor just after midnight Monday in a private ceremony with family and friends at City Hall. Judge Victor Trevino III conducted … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor | 1 Comment

Whitmire officially resigns from the Senate

Posted on December 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let the election-palooza to replace him begin! Mayor-elect John Whitmire has submitted his resignation from the Texas Senate days before he will take over the state’s largest city. Whitmire, the Senate’s longest tenured member, served for 50 years under seven … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Democratic primary, Election 2015, Election 2016, Election 2023, Election 2024, HD139, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, SD15, Senate, special election, Sylvester Turner, Texas, The Lege | Comments Off

It’s a matter of trust

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This is a long story that recaps what incoming Mayor John Whitmire promised to do as Mayor, with a bit of analysis about how and when he might try to do them. It’s a good review for anyone who slept … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Election 2023, Greg Abbott, Houston, John Whitmire, local control, Mayor, Texas, The Lege, videos | 11 Comments

A crime threefer

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Houston on pace to post 20% decline in homicides in 2023 Houston’s homicide rate is down 20% compared to the year before, outpacing a historic decline in killings nationwide. The city logged 339 homicides thorough Dec. 18, down from 425 … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged Annise Parker, cameras, Council on Criminal Justice, FBI, guns, Houston, HPD, John Whitmire, murder, Sylvester Turner, The Lege, Troy Finner | 11 Comments

City ordered to negotiate a contract with the firefighters

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A day of reckoning is arriving. The city of Houston and the firefighters union are sparring over who bears responsibility for their years-long legal battle, following a judge’s request for them to start renegotiating the firefighters’ contracts within the next … Continue reading →

Get ready for the SD15 special election

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

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 Democratic primary, Election 2015, Election 2022, Election 2023, Election 2024, HD139, HD147, Houston, Jarvis Johnson, John Whitmire, Karthik Soora, Mayor, Molly Cook, runoff, SD15, Senate, special election, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton | 1 Comment

2023 runoff results: Whitmire and Hollins win

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m writing this at about 11:30 PM, with 169 of 450 voting centers reporting results. One race is very much in the balance, one other could possibly swing. Keep all that in mind. John Whitmire led 65-35 in Harris County … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged At Large #1, At Large #2, At Large #3, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Chris Hollins, Cynthia Reyes-Revilla, District D, District G, District H, Election 2023, Election Day, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, John Whitmire, Julian Ramirez, Letitia Plummer, Mario Castillo, Mary Nan Huffman, Mayor, Melanie Miles, Nick Hellyar, Orlando Sanchez, Richard Cantu, Roy Morales, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tony Buzbee, Travis McGee, Twila Carter, Willie Davis | 13 Comments

Today is Runoff Day 2023

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

You know what to do if you haven’t already. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminds voters that Election Day for the Joint Runoff is tomorrow, Saturday, December 9. There will be 450 vote centers across the county open from 7 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Election 2023, Election Day, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, John Whitmire, Mayor, Sheila Jackson Lee | 2 Comments

The recent history of runoff early voting

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I brought this up in yesterday’s post, so let’s take that look at how much of the runoff vote has been cast early in the last few Mayoral elections. Year Early E-Day Total EV % ======================================= 2003 77,984 138,804 216,788 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, early voting, Election 2003, Election 2009, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, turnout | 3 Comments

2023 final runoff Early Voting totals

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting has ended. Early takes are flowing in. As of Tuesday night, nearly 132,000 votes – 120,155 in-person ballots and 11,732 mail ballots – had been recorded in Harris County, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office. That compares … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, Bill King, early voting, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner, Tony Buzbee, turnout | 5 Comments

Mayor proposes his water bill fix ordinance

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This sure got a lot of late momentum. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is adding water bill reform to his to-do list as he approaches the end of his eight years in office. Turner announced at a Monday news conference nine … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged Amy Peck, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Department of Public Works and Engineering, Election 2023, Houston, Houston City Council, John Whitmire, Mary Nan Huffman, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner, water | 8 Comments

8 Day runoff 2023 campaign finance reports

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The last campaign finance reports for the year are the 8 day reports for the runoff elections. These were mostly filed on Friday, so let’s have a look at them. The 8 Day reports from November for the Mayor’s race … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged At Large #1, At Large #2, At Large #3, At Large #4, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Chris Hollins, Cynthia Reyes-Revilla, District D, District G, District H, Election 2023, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, John Whitmire, Julian Ramirez, Letitia Plummer, Mario Castillo, Mary Nan Huffman, Mayor, Melanie Miles, Nick Hellyar, Orlando Sanchez, Richard Cantu, Roy Morales, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tony Buzbee, Travis McGee, Twila Carter, Willie Davis | 12 Comments

2023 runoff early voting: With two days to go

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I changed up the schedule of posting early voting daily totals because I realized that the EV periods for the three years I’m comparing are all different, which makes the comparisons a little screwy. At this point in all three … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, early voting, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, turnout | 1 Comment

Whitmire and SJL on the HISD mess

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, the Mayor has basically no direct influence on HISD, but it’s an issue people care about and the Mayor can certainly make it a point of focus. So what do our two Mayoral runoff candidates have to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Board of Managers, Election 2023, Harold Dutton, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, Mike Miles, Mike Morath, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas Education Agency, The Lege | 1 Comment

2023 runoff early voting Day Two totals

Posted on November 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s get to it: Year Mail Early Total =============================== 2015 20,233 22,964 43,197 2019 6,024 29,180 35,204 2023 946 28,113 29,059 Again, the early in person totals look normal. The mail, I have no idea. I just now noticed that … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, early voting, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, turnout | 1 Comment

SurveyUSA Mayoral runoff poll: Whitmire 42, SJL 35

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We finally have a second pollster. State Sen. John Whitmire maintains a 7 percentage point lead over U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the Houston mayoral race, with a fifth of likely voters having yet to make up their minds … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Annise Parker, Bill King, Bill White, Chris Hollins, Election 2003, Election 2009, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Gene Locke, Houston, Houston City Controller, John Whitmire, Mayor, Orlando Sanchez, polls, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner, Tony Buzbee | 6 Comments

2023 runoff early voting Day One totals

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting for the 2023 runoff elections is underway. Here’s the news you can use from Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudpseth: As early voting begins for the December 9 Joint Runoff Election, Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth urges voters to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged absentee ballots, early voting, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, turnout | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: 2023 Mayor’s race

Posted on November 27, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The November 2023 election has been officially canvassed and certified, and that means that there’s precinct data available for me to analyze. I’ve been working on it over the weekend, and I will tell you it’s a bit more of … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Bill King, Election 2015, Election 2019, Election 2023, Gilbert Garcia, Houston, Jack Christie, John Whitmire, Lee Kaplan, Mayor, MJ Khan, precinct analysis, Robert Gallegos, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner | 9 Comments

Whitmire and SJL on Prop B and H-GAC

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Houston’s two remaining candidates for mayor appear to have cooled their earlier support of local Proposition B now that it has been approved by voters and the candidates find themselves an election away from becoming the person in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Election 2023, Fair For Houston, HGAC, Houston, I-45, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee | Comments Off

On to the runoff

Posted on November 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Here we go. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is trying to do something no Houston mayor has done in 46 years: flip the result between a general election and a runoff. Jim McConn last achieved the feat in 1977, erasing a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Election 2001, Election 2023, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, turnout | 19 Comments

Filing season for 2024 begins today

Posted on November 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Happy First Day of Candidate Filing to all who celebrate. The Democratic and Republican slates will begin to take shape this weekend once candidates start filing their paperwork to run. Several Harris County officials plan to file for re-election, such … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Amanda Edwards, Ann Harris Bennett, CD18, Christian Menefee, Commissioners Court, Congress, Democratic primary, Desiree Broadnax, District Attorney, Ed Gonzalez, Election 2024, filing deadline, Harris County, Harris County Attorney, Harris County Sheriff, Harris County Tax Assessor, Isaiah Martin, Jarvis Johnson, John Whitmire, Karthik Soora, Kim Ogg, Mike Knox, Molly Cook, primaries, Rodney Ellis, SD15, Sean Teare, Senate, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas, The Lege, Todd Litton, Tom Ramsey | 1 Comment

My initial thoughts on the 2023 election

Posted on November 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Suffice it to say I was off base on turnout. I thought we would be on track to top the turnout of the 2003 Mayor’s race, but in the end we fell short of 2015’s level. I’d have lost quite … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged 2009 interviews, Adrian Garcia, Ben Hall, Bill King, Bill White, Chris Bell, early voting, Election 2003, Election 2005, Election 2007, Election 2011, Election 2013, Election 2015, Election 2017, Election 2019, Election 2021, Election 2023, Harris County, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, runoff, Sheila Jackson Lee, Stephen Costello, Sylvester Turner, turnout | 3 Comments

2023 election results: Houston and Harris County

Posted on November 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to be brief, and will have a longer look at things tomorrow. A bit more than 20% of the E-Day votes had been tallied as of 10 PM, but for the most part I’d say we had a … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged At Large #1, At Large #2, At Large #3, At Large #4, At Large #5, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Chris Hollins, Cynthia Reyes-Revilla, Dani Hernandez, Dave Martin, District D, District G, District H, Election 2023, Fair For Houston, Gilbert Garcia, Harris County, Harris Health System, HISD, HISD Board of Trustees, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, Jack Christie, John Whitmire, Julian Ramirez, Lee Kaplan, Letitia Plummer, Mario Castillo, Mary Nan Huffman, Mayor, Melanie Miles, MJ Khan, Nick Hellyar, Orlando Sanchez, Patricia Allen, Richard Cantu, Robert Gallegos, Roy Morales, runoff, Sallie Alcorn, Sheila Jackson Lee, Tony Buzbee, Twila Carter, Willie Davis | 1 Comment

8 day 2023 campaign finance reports – Houston Mayor

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Election Day is next Tuesday, and candidates have (mostly) now filed their eight day reports, which is the last look we’ll get at how they’re doing campaign finance-wise before the votes are counted. I don’t have the time or the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged campaign finance reports, Chanel Mbala, Derek Broze, Election 2023, fundraising, Gilbert Garcia, Houston, John Whitmire, Lee Kaplan, Mayor, Naoufal Houjami, Robert Gallegos, Sheila Jackson Lee | 3 Comments

Rep. Jarvis Johnson to run for SD15

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The field grows. Rep. Jarvis Johnson, D-Houston, announced Tuesday he will run for Texas Senate to fill the seat currently held by mayoral candidate John Whitmire. “I know the issues affecting our communities. We’ve been neglected by the state. They’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged Democratic primary, Election 2023, Election 2024, filing deadline, Houston, Jarvis Johnson, John Whitmire, Karthik Soora, Mayor, Molly Cook, runoff, SD15, Senate, Sheila Jackson Lee, Texas, Todd Litton | 1 Comment

Endorsement watch: Chron goes for Whitmire

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses John Whitmire for Mayor. Close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself: in this city of immigrants who start companies and win World Series, of silvery skyscrapers and moonshot cancer fighters, of astronauts who train for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Dade Phelan, Dan Patrick, Election 2015, Election 2023, endorsements, Gilbert Garcia, Greg Abbott, HD134, Houston, John Whitmire, Mayor, Sarah Davis, Senate, Sheila Jackson Lee, Sylvester Turner, The Lege | 12 Comments

Past interviews with Mayoral candidates

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last week, I have decided to wait until the runoff to do Mayoral candidate interviews. The size of the field and the limited amount of time I had available to try to schedule probably seven interviews with … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged Election 2009, Election 2010, Election 2012, Election 2013, Election 2015, Election 2022, Election 2023, Gilbert Garcia, Houston, Houston City Controller, Houston City Council, interviews, Jack Christie, John Whitmire, Mayor, Metro, MJ Khan, Robert Gallegos, Sheila Jackson Lee | Comments Off

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