Monthly Archives: October 2008

So the Republicans are offically worried about a Dallas-style sweep of the local elections, especially the judiciary, but they’re doing their best to maintain a stiff upper lip. That fear is reinforced by local Democrats vetting and policing their candidates … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I have to admit, I hadn’t expected there to be much in the way of issues in the race for District Clerk, at least outside of the normal functioning of the office. But today at a press conference, Loren Jackson … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Fresh from the County Clerk’s office: As of 6:51 pm on Oct. 20th 2008, the Harris County Clerk’s early voting statistics showed that 39,201 persons had been processed for voting in Harris County on the first day of early voting … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Republican soap opera in SD17 takes an even more melodramatic turn. Joan Huffman and Austen Furse, Republican rivals for state Senate whose surrogates have engaged in a bitter war of words previously documented on this blog, had a talk … Continue reading → Continue reading →

This is it. Time to vote. Stace was there for last night’s rally at Discovery Green – there will be a similar rally tonight in Austin. Everything you need to know about early voting for Harris County is here (PDF). … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I’ve said before that I’ve been a longtime fan of Rep. Nick Lampson, going back to 1996 when I donated to his campaign to unseat the loony one-term Rep. Steve Stockman. Though I admit that some of his votes this … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As expected, the Chron endorses Pat Lykos for District Attorney. The next chief of the Harris County District Attorney’s office must plunge into a multilevel rehab job. Despite a staff that boasts many superb professionals, former DA Chuck Rosenthal managed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

As we’ve seen in other races, Democratic candidates have been able to keep up with, even surpass, Republican incumbents in fundraising. That’s also true in the State Supreme Court races. According to Texans for Public Justice, the three Republican incumbents … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Here’s a few campaign ads running locally, beneath the fold. A lot of these run on cable in select areas only. See what you think. Continue reading →

For the first time in my life, the Houston Chronicle endorses a Democrat for President. After carefully observing the Democratic and Republican nominees in drawn-out primary struggles as well as in the general campaign, including three debates, the Chronicle strongly … Continue reading → Continue reading →

I was going to write something about the latest outbreak of Republican-on-Republican violence in the SD17 special election, as told by Gary Polland and Robert Miller (see beneath the fold), but frankly I don’t think I can do any better … Continue reading → Continue reading →

There was a debate over the referendum to modify the term limits ordinance in San Antonio last week. Voter turnout has fallen since term limits were enacted in San Antonio, as have the number of individuals who enter City Council … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Just some reminders about upcoming events. Like this: And this. Plan your days accordingly. And for those of you in Dallas, while it’s not an event, the Dallas County Coordinated Campaign has some Meet the Candidate videos for your viewing … Continue reading → Continue reading →

You’re going to hear a lot of exhortations to vote early over the next two weeks. But if you registered to vote near the deadline, you may not be able to, at least right off. The voters will be allowed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Another day, two more good endorsements by the Chron: Joe A. Montemayor for State Representative District 127: Although this northeast Harris County district running from Kingwood to Baytown has been represented for eight terms by Republican incumbent Joe Crabb, the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

The Rasmussen poll for September showed Rick Noriega trailing Sen. John Cornyn by seven points. Now we have confirmation of that from Research 2000, via Kos: Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/14-15. Likely voters. MoE 4% (5/5-7 results) Cornyn (R) … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Remember how crowded the early voting locations were during the primary, and how so many people were reporting wait times of up to two hours to cast their (Democratic) primary ballot? Well, things will be considerably busier starting Monday. An … Continue reading → Continue reading →

With all the time spent by people like me talking about the high-profile races in Harris County, it’s important to remember that there are good candidates doing the hard work of running in races that aren’t considered top tier as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

A little update from the Chron on the three high-profile Congressional races in the area. Houston-area congressmen John Culberson and Nick Lampson are seeing major shifts in financial support for their opponents’ campaigns as the candidates meet the latest deadlines … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Thanks to for reminding me about this. An e-mail circulating throughout Texas and apparently targeting supporters of Democrat Barack Obama falsely warns voters that casting a straight-ticket Democratic ballot won’t register a vote for Obama. Democratic leaders are crying foul. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

A small peek at what’s coming on Sunday night for the early vote rally at Discovery Green: Apparently, YouTube has blocked the sound, but you’ll hear it on Sunday night starting at 7 PM. Guest speakers will include Senate candidate … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Note: This entry is part of a series of written Q&As with judicial candidates who will be on the ballot in Harris County. I am also doing recorded interviews with non-judicial candidates. 1. Who are you, and what are you … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Three more Legislative endorsements from the Chron today. I got two of them right. Dwayne Bohac for Texas House District 138: Republican incumbent Bohac was born and raised in this northwest and west Houston district and has served in the … Continue reading → Continue reading →