Category Archives: Election 2024

Judicial Q&A: Judge Mike Engelhart

Posted on January 10, 2024 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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A tale of living at the office

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I am oddly fascinated by this. A Republican candidate for Texas Senate who is backed by top state leaders is fighting a multifront legal battle against primary opponents who want to remove him from the ballot over residency questions. The … Continue reading →

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Interview with Michelle Bonton

Posted on January 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We continue in SD15 with Michelle Bonton, who describes herself as an educator, social entrepreneur, speaker, writer, and advocate. She was the founder and executive director of the Rhodes School for the Performing Arts, executive director at the non-profit Harris … Continue reading →

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Interview with Karthik Soora

Posted on January 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All right, it’s January 2024 and that means it’s primary season. Which in turn means it’s interview season, and I’ve got a lot of those to bring you. You may be aware that my Senate district SD15 is now vacant … Continue reading →

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Judicial Q&A: Velda Faulkner

Posted on January 8, 2024 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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Judicial Q&A: Justice Richard Hightower

Posted on January 4, 2024 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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Judicial Q&A: Allison Jackson Mathis

Posted on January 2, 2024 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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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 →

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A brief update on the Democratic Senate primary

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Just a couple of thoughts. If money is any indication, the crowded contest to challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz next year is Democrat Colin Allred’s to lose. The congressman from Dallas has set campaign fundraising records and outpaced his closest … Continue reading →

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Gillespie County to hand count primary ballots

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Some lessons need to be learned the hard way. When Gillespie County Republicans conduct their primary in March, they will count votes in an ill-advised way: by hand, using scores of volunteers, without any machines. Even if they can pull … Continue reading →

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Paxton versus the CCA

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

He’s on a revenge tour. Attorney General Ken Paxton is turning up the heat in the Republican primary for Texas’ highest criminal court, where three judges are up for reelection. Paxton has long made clear he would be going after … Continue reading →

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Where are we going to count the primary votes?

Posted on December 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m a little puzzled by this. With the March primaries around the corner, Harris County still does not have a confirmed location to run its election operations. Two of the county’s regular sites – NRG Arena and George R. Brown … Continue reading →

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One key takeaway from the SCOTx ruling in the Kate Cox case

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m sure you’re as mad about the Kate Cox case as I am. The thing you need to know is there is very much something you can do about it. Like, right now. When a majority of Texans want the … Continue reading →

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The Ogg admonishment

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This happened last night. District Attorney Kim Ogg was reprimanded on Tuesday night by the Harris County Democratic Party, which passed a resolution calling for her admonishment. By a vote of 129 to 61, precinct chairs approved the resolution accusing … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , | 17 Comments

More filing deadline news and notes

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to use the Erik Manning Spreadsheet, the Patrick Svitek spreadsheet, and the Secretary of State webpage to put together some notes and observations about the 2024 filing deadline and primary lineups. Note that some of this may still … Continue reading →

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SJL files for re-election

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We have our answer. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee will run for reelection in Texas’ 18th Congressional District, shaking up a Democratic primary that’s been in limbo since her resounding defeat in the race for Houston mayor on Saturday. Harris … Continue reading →

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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 →

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So now what for SJL?

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At least one big question about what comes next for Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee after losing the Mayoral runoff should be settled today. Following her decisive defeat in Saturday’s mayoral runoff, U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee now has less than … Continue reading →

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Candidate Agwan sued by former staffer for sexual harassment

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. A former campaign worker has sued a progressive Democratic challenger to Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher, accusing him of making unwanted sexual advances toward her after she complained about another staffer sexually harassing female campaign workers. The lawsuit accuses Pervez … Continue reading →

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Rhonda Hart for CD14

Posted on December 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I wish her very well. Rhonda Hart, who lost her daughter in the 2018 mass shooting at Santa Fe High School, is launching a bid for Congress. Hart, a Democrat, plans to run against incumbent U.S. Rep. Randy Weber, a … Continue reading →

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Candidate filing update

Posted on November 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still more than two weeks to go until the filing deadline for the 2024 primaries, so there are still a lot of people who haven’t filed or haven’t made their surprise announcement that they’re not filing yet. So if … Continue reading →

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Time for another chat about voter registration and turnout

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

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

Posted on November 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

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 →

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I have basically no idea who’s running for office right now

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Candidate data, where are you? Next year’s primary campaigns are starting to take shape after numerous candidates filed for office on Saturday, the first day to sign up for a spot on the March 2024 ballot. Voters will weigh in … Continue reading →

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Rep. Pat Fallon has a whirlwind 48 hours

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this on Monday, which was a little weird and meant at the time that three Republicans from Texas were leaving Congress after this term. U.S. Rep. Pat Fallon, R-Sherman, is quitting Congress and running for his old … Continue reading →

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Rep. Michael Burgess not running for re-election

Posted on November 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

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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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 →

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State Rep. Craig Goldman to run for CD12

Posted on November 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

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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Rep. Kay Granger to retire

Posted on November 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

From Monday evening. U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth, won’t run for reelection, five well-placed sources who know the longtime congresswoman’s plans told the Fort Worth Report and KERA News. “I think she’s tired,” said one source. “She’s accomplished so … Continue reading →

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October 2023 campaign finance reports – Congress

Posted on November 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As promised, here are the Congressional reports for Q3 2023. The Q3 Senate reports are here, the July reports for both are here, and the April reports for both are here. Sandeep Srivastava – CD03 John Love – CD06 Lizzie … Continue reading →

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The looming Kerr County election disaster

Posted on October 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have five things to say about this. Responsibility for running elections in Kerr County has shifted among three different people in the past two months. The first two officials bailed on the job after a months-long effort by one … Continue reading →

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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 →

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Ann Harris Bennett not running for re-election

Posted on October 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We will elect a new Tax Assessor-Collector next year. Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector Ann Harris Bennett, a second-term Democrat, announced last week she will not seek re-election in 2024. She will continue to lead Harris County’s voter registration process through … Continue reading →

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October 2023 campaign finance reports – Senate

Posted on October 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As was the case with the July reports, we have a lot more candidates now than we had three months ago, or six months ago in April. In fact, we now have so many people running for Senate, and filing … Continue reading →

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