Category Archives: Election 2011

Interview with Jack Christie

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in At Large #5 is a familiar face, that of Jack Christie, who is on his third run for this office. Christie came very close to winning in 2009, ultimately falling by 1500 votes in the runoff. He … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Jolanda Jones

Posted on September 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our last look at a Council race is the most interesting race involving an incumbent, as once again CM Jolanda Jones faces some tough competition in At Large #5. If you follow Houston politics at all you are surely familiar … Continue reading →

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Interview with Amy Price

Posted on September 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Also running in At Large #4 is Amy Price, who is running under the auspices of the Green Party. Price is a violin teacher and professional musician who has performed with such bands as Gordian Knot, The Buddhacrush, and Orange … Continue reading →

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Interview with Louis Molnar

Posted on September 21, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Moving over to At Large #4, one of the candidates hoping to unseat CM Bradford is Louis Molnar. Molnar is a small business owner and realtor who also teaches law, ethics, and urban planning at the Spencer School of Real … Continue reading →

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Interview with Don Cook

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Also running in At Large #1 is Don Cook, who does not currently have a website. Cook ran for this office in 2009 as a member of the Progressive Coalition. He was also the Green Party candidate for Harris County … Continue reading →

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Interview with Scott Boates

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This week I will run interviews with some candidates who are challenging Council incumbents, some of whom entered their races more recently in the cycle. I will finish the Council races with At Large #5 next week, then the Mayor … Continue reading →

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My overview of the 2011 election

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Note: I was asked to write a guest post at BOR to summarize the 2011 Houston elections. I figure if I’m going to put all that effort into something, I may as well use it here, too. It’s mostly familiar … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kristi Thibaut

Posted on September 14, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We conclude our tour of the At Large #2 field with Kristi Thibaut, who was the State Representative for HD133 from 2009 to 2011. Thibaut has worked for Continental Airlines and as a fundraiser for non-profits such as the American … Continue reading →

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Interview with Bolivar Fraga

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up for At Large #2 is Bolivar “Bo” Fraga, who is the son of former City Council member Felix Fraga. Fraga is a graduate of the Air Force Academy who spent more than six years on active duty, including … Continue reading →

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Another overview of the candidates

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has another overview of the lineup for City Council and Mayor. This time, as far as I can tell, the slate they provide matches exactly the candidates listed on the City Secretary’s page. It also has a bit … Continue reading →

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Interview with David Robinson

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We continue our tour of At Large #2 with David Robinson, who is an architect and neighborhood activist. Robinson has served on the Houston Planning Commission and is currently an Advisory Board Member on the Hermann Park Conservancy. He is … Continue reading →

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Can Ban opponents get their vote

Posted on September 11, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Impressive. [New Braunfels] City Council, confronted Wednesday by a petition challenging a controversial new law, called for a Nov. 8 election to let voters decide whether disposable containers will be banned from local rivers. The “Can the Ban” coalition gathered … Continue reading →

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Lineup update

Posted on September 9, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron story that ran in yesterday’s news is now updated online to reflect the fact that CM Melissa Noriega does have two opponents, Brad Batteau and Chris Carmona. I emailed reporter Chris Moran yesterday to ask about that discrepancy, … Continue reading →

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Interview with Eric Dick

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in At Large #2 is Eric Dick, who is an attorney that runs his own firm after having spent time in the Attorney General and District Attorney’s offices. You’ve probably seen his campaign signs around the city; they’ve … Continue reading →

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Your 2011 electoral lineup

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

There are many candidates running for office this year. Some of them have a better rationale for running than others, but thankfully for them that’s not a requirement. A flurry of late filings to run for city office Wednesday filled … Continue reading →

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League of Women Voters candidate debates

Posted on September 8, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund will hold a series of debates for candidates running for Council and Mayor, starting this evening. From their press release: The League of Women Voters of Houston Education Fund is pleased … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jenifer Rene Pool

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We now turn our attention to the last open seat for this year, At Large #2, where a diverse group of candidates are vying to succeed CM Sue Lovell. First up is Jenifer Rene Pool, a community activist and business … Continue reading →

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Filing deadline today

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Today is the last day to file for the November 2011 election, which means that today is the day we separate the contenders from the pretenders and see which perennials will bloom on the ballot. There are no surprises so … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Al Hoang

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

CM Al Hoang is serving his first term in District F. He was born in South Vietnam and emigrated to the US in 1975. An attorney by trade, Hoang is the first Vietnamese-American to serve on Council, and serves as … Continue reading →

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How many votes will it take?

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Nancy Sims has a lament about the upcoming city elections. What disturbs me most is the complete lack of interest I’m seeing and hearing from my friends, co-workers, students and people I encounter daily. Everyone wants to complain about the … Continue reading →

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The 70 Percent Solution

Posted on September 4, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Where have I heard this before? November’s election really is about 2013, said lawyer, lobbyist and blogger Robert Miller. He speculates that the mayor needs to win big against low-profile opponents in November to discourage stronger candidates from running against … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kathy Blueford Daniels

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Wrapping up my weeklong tour of District B is Kathy Blueford Daniels, who is a retired postal worker and lifelong resident of the district. She is also the founder of BLACMoM (Black, Latino, Asian, and Caucasian Mourners of Murder), which … Continue reading →

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Texas Watchdog followup on HCC reports

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

So after I published those HCC Trustee campaign finance reports, I got an email from Jennifer Peebles of Texas Watchdog, who asked me if I had redacted the files to hide the mailing addresses of the trustees and their donors. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Alvin Byrd

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

District B candidate Alvin Byrd is the Constituent Services Director for current Council Member Jarvis Johnson. He is a Navy veteran who has worked at numerous community organizations and was the first president of the Greater Fifth Ward Superneighborhood Council. … Continue reading →

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Interview with Bryan Smart

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

District B candidate Bryan Smart is, at age 24, the youngest candidate I’ve interviewed since I started doing this regularly in 2006. Smart is a graduate of Howard University, where he was the Executive President of the Howard University Student … Continue reading →

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Interview with Phillip Paul Bryant

Posted on August 30, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in District B is Philip Paul Bryant, whose bio lists him as a Community Organizer, Television Talk show Host, and Businessman, among other things. Bryant is the son of Bishop Prince Earl Williams Bryant, Sr., who is the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jerry Davis

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

For this week, I have five interviews with candidates from District B, which like District C is open this year. First up is Jerry Davis, founder of the nonprofit organization Making It Better and co-owner along with his brothers of … Continue reading →

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At long last, HCC campaign finance statements

Posted on August 29, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, I had sent an Open Records request to the HCC General Counsel to get copies of July campaign finance reports for all HCC Trustees and candidates. I sent that in on August 10, and the reply I … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker campaign finance data

Posted on August 26, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

As you know, in my analyses of the campaign finance reports for July, I skipped over Mayor Parker’s report because it was just too damn big for me to plow through. Well, Sue Davis of the Mayor’s campaign heard my … Continue reading →

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A closer look at finance reports: Contributions, donations, and memberships

Posted on August 25, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

When you give money to a political candidate, you’re not just paying for their overhead and campaign-related expenses. You’re also helping to support the causes and candidates that they support. This last post in my series on campaign finance reports … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mike Laster

Posted on August 24, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Our third and final candidate in District J is Mike Laster. Laster is an attorney and neighborhood activist who has also been active in Democratic politics. He ran in 2009 for District F, losing in the runoff to Council Member … Continue reading →

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Interview with Criselda Romero

Posted on August 23, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in District J is Criselda Romero. Romero grew up in what is now District J, graduating from Sharpstown High School. She is on leave from her job in Council Member Ed Gonzalez’s office, where she has worked as … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rodrigo Cañedo

Posted on August 22, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We move now into District J, the other of the two new Council districts. Drawn to be a Latino opportunity district, it has in fact attracted two Latino candidates, one of whom is Rodrigo Cañedo. Cañedo is a small business … Continue reading →

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Interview with Brian Cweren

Posted on August 19, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our tour of District C with the candidate who ran for Council here before it was reconfigured. Brian Cweren was a candidate in C the last time it was open, back in 2005, finishing fifth but only … Continue reading →

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