Category Archives: Election 2026

A brief reminder about Ken Paxton

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not forget that the main thing about Ken Paxton is that he will always wield the power he has to hurt people he doesn’t like. In March 2023, we became two of the first women to sue Texas over its abortion bans. … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton, voting scofflaw

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Absolutely brilliant. Two weeks before this year’s primary elections, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the creation of a tip line for the public to report people or groups suspected of voter fraud. “Free and fair elections are a cornerstone … Continue reading →

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Countersuit filed in Fort Bend County Judge dispute

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s go. Just hours after interim County Judge Daniel Wong sued County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson on Monday, Smith-Lawson responded with a legal action seeking to remove Wong from office. The fight has played out in news conferences, contentious Commissioners Court … Continue reading →

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When will the Collier lawsuit be heard?

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This was the most recent update I found, about a week after the stories about the lawsuit being filed. Collier filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s ballot access laws. He argues they violate the constitutional rights of independent candidates … Continue reading →

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Interim County Judge Wong sues to stay in office

Posted on July 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

One way or another, this needs to be decided by a judge. Fort Bend’s battle over who is legally running county government is now headed to court. Fort Bend interim County Judge Daniel Wong filed suit Monday against County Attorney … Continue reading →

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More weasel words on data centers from Abbott

Posted on July 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

He really is trying to find the guy that did this. Gov. Greg Abbott called for blocking new data center development in rural parts of the state during a campaign stop in East Texas on Tuesday. “We must prohibit them … Continue reading →

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Abbott names Schatzline as senior adviser on election policy

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever the hell that means. State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, resigned from the Texas House Thursday to take a new position as Gov. Greg Abbott’s senior adviser on election policy. Schatzline, who was among the most hardline conservative members … Continue reading →

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Abbott appoints Huffines as acting Comptroller

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your periodic reminder that it could always be worse. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed Don Huffines, a former Republican state senator, to be comptroller of public accounts for the rest of the year, after the agency’s acting head, … Continue reading →

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Comptroller Hancock to resign

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Bye bye. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock will step down from his post as Texas’ chief financial officer at the end of July, according to a resignation letter he submitted to Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday. Hancock’s departure notice, first reported by … Continue reading →

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Siena/NYT: Talarico 47, Paxton 47

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Another pollster heard from. The Democratic Party has a serious chance to win a Senate seat in Texas for the first time in a generation, as James Talarico, a Democratic state legislator, begins the summer locked in a tied race … Continue reading →

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Benjamin Flores update

Posted on June 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news. Benjamin Flores, the Democratic nominee for Texas land commissioner, said Friday that he is in remission, two weeks after his campaign revealed he had been diagnosed with leukemia. Flores provided the update on his health while addressing … Continue reading →

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The public ed angle

Posted on June 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Gina Hinojosa is finding some new supporters with a tried and true issue. Gina Hinojosa’s recent campaign swing felt more like a public vent session than a conventional political tour. A teacher at her Richardson stop detailed his frustrations with … Continue reading →

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How temporary was that appointment?

Posted on June 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Probably for a court to decide. Fort Bend interim County Judge Daniel Wong said Thursday he will remain in office despite the county attorney’s conclusion that he no longer has the legal authority to serve. Wong rejected calls to step … Continue reading →

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Surely the TDP convention will have better vibes than the Republican one

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is not a high bar to clear. After a contentious primary, Texas Democrats will host their state convention in Corpus Christi this week and look to rally the party behind their ticket ahead of what they hope will be … Continue reading →

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UT/Texas Politics Project: Paxton 43, Talarico 42

Posted on June 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is the first post-runoff poll from an outfit that had also polled before the GOP Senate candidate was known. Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico are neck and neck in the race for U.S. Senate, according to a new … Continue reading →

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The data center tango

Posted on June 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Did not expect this collab, but I’m here for it. The Democrat running for Texas agriculture commissioner won a boost from an unexpected source last week: The Republican he’s trying to replace. Sid Miller, the outgoing commissioner, appeared at a … Continue reading →

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What Swing Left is up to

Posted on June 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Swing Left has launched a new program in battleground House districts across the country that relies on time-intensive, person-to-person conversations with Republicans in hopes of building relationships that eventually persuade them to back Democratic candidates. Its leaders are … Continue reading →

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Do the people who deal with the Railroad Commission care who’s on it?

Posted on June 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

History suggests the answer is no, not really. But maybe this time will be different. There’s gotta be a line somewhere. Right? After a Republican primary that focused on fighting Sharia law and diversity policies, the general election for a … Continue reading →

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More indie stuff

Posted on June 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

There may be some downballot candidates on your ballot this year. Now that the Republican and Democratic primary runoffs are over, independent candidates are scrambling to qualify for the November ballot in Texas. Instead of paying a filing fee or … Continue reading →

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The unhappy Republicans

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Going to keep thinking about them. Former Southlake Mayor John Huffman is struggling to see a place for himself in a Republican Party that put Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on the November ballot for U.S. Senate. The embattled attorney … Continue reading →

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Judicial nominees selected

Posted on June 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We precinct chairs did the thing on Tuesday. A Harris County public defender who narrowly lost her primary race for a judicial seat will be on the November ballot for a different criminal court following a late Tuesday vote by Democratic … Continue reading →

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Mike Collier sues over independent candidate ballot access law

Posted on June 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I shake my head. Mike Collier, the two-time Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, has filed a lawsuit seeking to overturn Texas’ system for independent candidates to get on the ballot. The federal lawsuit, filed in Austin last week, says that … Continue reading →

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Not how you build a big tent

Posted on June 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, if they want a smaller tent, who am I to stop them? To some extent, Mohamed Hussein knew he was preparing to enter the lion’s den. But he made the decision to attend the Republican Party of Texas Convention … Continue reading →

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Frisco makes the right choice

Posted on June 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I hadn’t been paying attention to this election, but I’m glad I caught the result. Unofficial election results show that Mark Hill has prevailed in the runoff election for Frisco mayor that garnered thousands of dollars in spending and donations. … Continue reading →

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The vibes at the state GOP convention sure seemed rancid

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I know, I’m thinking wishfully. But still. As the Republican Party of Texas Convention began last week, signs of unity appeared everywhere. But by the end of the three-day biennial gathering, it was not clear how strong that … Continue reading →

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Screwworm and CD23

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Funny how these things can intersect. When the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that the nation’s first case of New World screwworm had been detected in Zavala County, it was a code red development for the thousands of … Continue reading →

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Land Commissioner candidate Benjamin Flores diagnosed with leukemia

Posted on June 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I wish him all the best. Benjamin Flores, the Democratic nominee to run Texas’ General Land Office, has been diagnosed with leukemia, his campaign announced Friday. He will remain in the race while he receives treatment at MD Anderson in … Continue reading →

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Corpus Christi and the Governor’s race

Posted on June 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it’s an issue. Most things should be. Corpus Christi’s impending water crisis — and delayed action by city leaders — has become an issue in the race for Texas governor, with Gov. Greg Abbott threatening a state takeover … Continue reading →

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Texas Pulse: Talarico 46, Paxton 46

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

New pollster alert. In an early look at November’s statewide races, State Representative James Talarico (D) is up three points over Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the race for US Senate, while running for re-election Governor Greg Abbott (R) … Continue reading →

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Waiting for the next SOS

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Hoping they’re not terrible. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s unexpected departure only a few months before the November midterm election, which includes one of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races the state has seen in years, has some local election officials and voting … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s defense attorney endorses Talarico

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

More amusing than impactful, but still amusing. One of the lawyers who defended Attorney General Ken Paxton during his three-year-old impeachment trial endorsed Democrat James Talarico Monday in Texas’ U.S. Senate race. Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney who represented Paxton in … Continue reading →

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National Dems to help target Texas House seats

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Keep it up. National Democrats on Wednesday unveiled their most ambitious list of targets in the Texas House in years, adding a dozen districts, on top of three previously announced seats, to their battleground docket for the fall midterms. … Continue reading →

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Of course they’ve lined up behind Bo French

Posted on June 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What did you expect? Gov. Greg Abbott said Bo French would “wreck” Texas oil and gas production as he urged voters to support Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright. Wright’s fellow commissioners, Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian, also endorsed Wright over the hardline French, who … Continue reading →

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Fighting back on multiple fronts

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. The top Democrats on three U.S. House committees are going after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing him of ignoring consumer complaints about the Republican organization WinRed’s online fundraising tactics, while filing a lawsuit against the site’s Democratic … Continue reading →

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