Author Archives: Charles Kuffner

Judicial Q&A: Judge James Horwitz

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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California redistricting map upheld

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good news for Democrats. A federal court Wednesday ruled against a Republican challenge to California’s redistricting plan, rejecting the GOP claim that the state had engaged in illegal racial gerrymandering when drawing up its new congressional map. The three-judge panel denied the GOP’s motion to … Continue reading →

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That’s a lot of ballot challenges

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this. Tarrant County Republican Chairman Tim Davis wants seven Democratic judicial candidates running in the March 3 primary election removed from the ballot, saying their candidate filings had several errors. Davis formally challenged the ballot applications and … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 12

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance mourns the murder of Renee Nicole Good and urges everyone to join in the fight against fascism as it brings you this week’s roundup. Off the Kuff published interviews with CD09 candidates Terry Virts and Leticia … Continue reading →

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Interview with Theresa Courts

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in CD38 is a first-time candidate, Theresa Courts. Courts is a school counselor who was a teacher for seven years before getting her Master’s in Education and becoming a school counselor. The youngest child of a single mother, … Continue reading →

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DNC threatens to sue over surrendered voter files

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see. Democrats warned 10 states Friday that they may have violated federal election law after entering into an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to share sensitive voter data. In response, Harmeet Dhillon, head of the DOJ’s … Continue reading →

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Falkenberg says what we all know about Mike Miles

Posted on January 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

He’s a terrible leader, and as a result the changes he’s implemented will probably not last beyond his tenure. Something clicked as I listened to former Louisiana state schools superintendent John White talk about how he built support for his … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Julia Maldonado

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Slightly better but still bad

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

That’s how one would describe the latest UT/Texas Politics Project poll numbers for Donald Trump and Texas Republicans. The dominant political narrative for much of the past year has been that Democrats are sitting pretty heading into the 2026 midterms, … Continue reading →

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Dems call on Paxton to investigate Grok

Posted on January 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

That’s what I’m talking about. Texas House Democrats on Monday dared Attorney General Ken Paxton to take on Elon Musk. Led by Rep. Mihaela Plesa of Dallas, more than 40 Democrats demanded an inquiry into allegations that Musk’s social media … Continue reading →

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Interview with Melissa McDonough

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We move now to CD38, the new district from the 2021 redistricting cycle. I will have three interviews with candidates for CD38 this week, starting with the candidate who was the Democratic nominee in 2024, Melissa McDonough. McDonough is a … Continue reading →

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SOS hands over voter roll to Trump DOJ

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Surrender time. Texas officials have turned over the state’s voter roll to the U.S. Justice Department, according to a spokesperson for the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, complying with the Trump administration’s demands for access to data on millions of … Continue reading →

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Is there an Astrodome decision coming soon?

Posted on January 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe. But probably not. The fate of the Astrodome — a beloved Houston landmark that’s sat largely unused for more than 20 years — could soon be decided. Commissioners are expected to discuss options for the 1 million square-foot building at … Continue reading →

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Weekend link dump for January 11

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

“But it ought to be pretty plain to people that when a new administration comes to Washington, it is not the ordinary and appropriate thing to start filling your own pockets, your friends’ pockets, your political allies’ pockets with public … Continue reading →

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The Republican non-turnout problem

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Simon Rosenberg flags something of interest, about how MAGA voters are unhappy with the way things are going. Of course this represents an extraordinary betrayal of what the flim-flam confidence man promised the American people when he ran last year. … Continue reading →

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Will Carla Wyatt be removed from office?

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, but too soon to say. It’s too early to consider removing Harris County Treasurer Carla Wyatt from office or reducing her duties following her arrest, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said Thursday. The embattled treasurer was arrested and charged with … Continue reading →

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The restaurants are going through it

Posted on January 11, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Support your favorite places, they may be more fragile than you think. In a time when people are grappling with their own economic pressures and chasing the latest food trends on social media, it’s easy to overlook the hardships felt by restaurants. But … Continue reading →

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Dallas and Williamson forced to abandon voting centers for Primary Day

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. In an about-face, Dallas County Republicans last week decided against hand-counting ballots in Texas’ March primary, saying they weren’t able to line up enough workers, among other hurdles. That leaves just two … Continue reading →

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San Antonio to install rainbow sidewalks

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t have rainbow crosswalks, so this will have to do. The City of San Antonio has started preparing the sidewalks on N. Main Avenue to be painted in rainbow colors. The decision comes after the city was forced to remove … Continue reading →

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Who wants to take a “luxury commuter van” ride?

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno. Houstonians now have a new way to hop between cities, and it comes with Wi-Fi, leather seats, and a guaranteed Buc-ee’s stop. On November 17, mobility startup Shutto launched its luxury van service connecting San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, offering … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Ebony Williams

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Fombonne named County Attorney

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

White smoke emerges from the chamber of Commissioners Court. Jonathan Fombonne, first assistant county attorney to Christian Menefee, was named Harris County attorney Thursday. The appointment came more than nine months after Menefee technically resigned to run for Congressional District … Continue reading →

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So when will Ken Paxton sue Grok?

Posted on January 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This year sure is off to a strong start. We’re now into the first full week of January, and not only are Grok users still able to manipulate the bot into generating inappropriate images of minors, but many of the offending deepfakes … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Jimmie Brown

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Drainage, demolition, what’s the difference?

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all vibes, man. Houston officials on Wednesday authorized an eyebrow-raising deal allowing $30 million to be spent from the city’s stormwater fund to demolish blighted buildings. Council Members Edward Pollard, Sallie Alcorn, Abbie Kamin, Tiffany D. Thomas, Mario Castillo, … Continue reading →

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Dallas County sues to regain lost federal health funds

Posted on January 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Better late than never. Dallas County, buoyed by a recent Harris County court win, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration over the clawback of $70 million in public health funds. Dallas County’s lawsuit, filed in Washington, D.C. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Leticia Gutierrez

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

There are six candidates running in the new CD09 but a couple of them don’t have any online presence, so in the interest of making this easier and more valuable for all of us, I’ve limited myself to two of … Continue reading →

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Texas AFT files lawsuit over C*****e K**k investigations

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Hell yeah. One of Texas’ largest teacher unions wants a federal court to block Education Commissioner Mike Morath and the state education agency from investigating teachers accused of making inappropriate remarks about conservative activist C*****e K**k’s assassination on social media, saying … Continue reading →

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First trial over Uvalde law enforcement response to begin

Posted on January 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

First of two, assuming no plea deals or late-in-the-day dismissals. Former Uvalde schools police Officer Adrian Gonzales was among the first officers to arrive at Robb Elementary in 2022 after a gunman opened fire on students and teachers. Gonzales’ criminal … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Judge Jim Kovach

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

(Note: As I have done in past elections, I am running a series of Q&As for judicial candidates in contested Democratic primaries. This is intended to help introduce the candidates and their experiences to those who plan to vote in … Continue reading →

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Andrew White drops out of Governor’s race, endorses Gina Hinojosa

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Houston businessman Andrew White on Monday dropped his Democratic bid for governor and endorsed state Rep. Gina Hinojosa to take on Gov. Greg Abbott in November. “With the primary just weeks away, the responsible choice is to come … Continue reading →

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Four fewer contested judicial primaries

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Sometimes the fiercest action occurs outside of public view. Four judicial candidates withdrew from their 2026 election bids after incumbent judges and other Democratic opponents filed lawsuits alleging their candidacy filings contained forged signatures and other irregularities. Allison Mathis, a … Continue reading →

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Texas blog roundup for the week of January 5

Posted on January 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Progressive Alliance wishes you a better 2026 than whatever 2025 was as it brings you this week’s roundup. Off the Kuff cheered as Ken Paxton got blocked again from his latest attempt to harass local prosecutors. SocraticGadfly offered … Continue reading →

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Interview with Terry Virts

Posted on January 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s January of an even-numbered year, and that means we are off and running for primaries. Believe it or not, we are six weeks (and one day, thanks to Presidents Day) out from the start of early voting for the … Continue reading →

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