Tag Archives: Congress

Redistricting roundup

Posted on July 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

While we wait for maps, we can ponder whether or not there will be a quorum break. As Republicans in Texas move full steam ahead with a plan to redraw the state’s congressional districts, Democrats are privately mulling their options, … Continue reading →

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So is there a map yet or not?

Posted on July 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hard to believe Republicans are flying blind on this. While the Republican redistricting effort is underway in Texas, the fight is on nationally. So, too, is the wait, as political observers – and anxious politicians – hold on for the … Continue reading →

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Still no maps

Posted on July 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s weird. Not unexpected – the Republicans have always loved some secrecy in the redistricting process – but weird. The Texas House’s redistricting committee visited Houston on Saturday to hear out local residents’ concerns on the state Legislature’s plans to … Continue reading →

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Lawsuit filed over Trump tariffs

Posted on July 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. A conservative legal group is suing the Trump administration in Texas over the president’s tariffs on Chinese imports, alleging that they were unilaterally imposed through an “unlawful” use of an obscure emergency executive power. The 24-page complaint filed Thursday by the New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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Redistricting hearings

Posted on July 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Attend or watch if you can. The state House has scheduled redistricting hearings in Austin, Houston and Arlington, signaling a fast start to the Republican-backed effort to redraw the boundary lines for Texas congressional districts in the special legislative session that started Monday. … Continue reading →

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Is Abbott now pro-THC banning?

Posted on July 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Kinda, yeah. Gov. Greg Abbott said Tuesday that he supports banning intoxicating hemp products, appearing to walk back his calls last month for lawmakers to regulate the state’s burgeoning THC industry like it does for alcohol. In interviews with media … Continue reading →

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July 2025 campaign finance reports – Senate and Congress

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

PREVOIUSLY: Harris County Back in April I just took a look at who had already started raising money for CD18. There wasn’t much else to report so I thought I’d wait till the July report to see what was going … Continue reading →

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There’s a map

Posted on July 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

The special session gavels in tomorrow and there’s a new proposed Congressional map, but before we get to that let’s look at the lay of the land going into the session. On Monday, state lawmakers held a call with U.S. … Continue reading →

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Hands Off Our Districts protest tomorrow

Posted on July 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Dear Democrats, friends and neighbors, We’re asking everyone who believes in fair representation to join us this Saturday at 10:00 AM for the Day of Protest, “Hands Off Our Districts.” In solidarity with community leaders, elected officials, and precinct chairs across Harris County, … Continue reading →

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Re-redistricting watch: El Paso in focus

Posted on July 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a big surprise. President Donald Trump’s request that Texas Republicans seek to create five new congressional seats for the GOP in an upcoming special legislation could involve redrawing boundaries in El Paso, a website focused on Congress says. Diluting … Continue reading →

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Opening look at the re-redistricting effort

Posted on July 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re coming for our districts. More than one million Houstonians could have new congressional representation as early as next year under Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to redraw the state’s political maps. Abbott has ordered the Texas Legislature into a special … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit keeps SB4 block in place

Posted on July 9, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A bit of good news. A Texas law that would deputize state and local police to question and arrest people they suspect of being in the country illegally was blocked once again. The law would also authorize local judges to … Continue reading →

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California threatens retaliatory re-redistricting

Posted on July 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a thing they could do. House Democratic leadership, rank-and-file members and aides to at least one blue state governor have been meeting to decide how to retaliate if Texas Republicans follow through on the White House’s push to reshape … Continue reading →

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Twenty-nine candidates for CD18

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

So far. That’s what I learned from this story. George Foreman IV, the son of the legendary Houston boxer, is running for Congress. Foreman said he will run as an independent in the crowded race to replace the late U.S. … Continue reading →

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Flock responds

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Reporting gets results. Or at least a response. The CEO for Flock cameras has pushed back on recent reporting, including a Chronicle investigation, about the surveillance technology used by Houston police, saying it’s up to local law enforcement to decide … Continue reading →

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Abbott vetoes THC bill and calls special session

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Waited till the last minute because he’s such a drama queen. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday vetoed a contentious state ban on THC products and shortly after called a special legislative session asking lawmakers to instead strictly regulate the substance. … Continue reading →

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No one knows what Greg Abbott will do, special session edition

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll probably know something by the end of the day today, but beyond that who knows. Gov. Greg Abbott seemed to get everything he wanted out of the Texas Legislature this year. “Without a doubt, this is the best session … Continue reading →

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The other redistricting matter

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story from the Fort Worth Report on the redistricting trial going on in El Paso, with a focus on the effect in Tarrant County. Federal judges in El Paso are reviewing a lawsuit that alleges Texas redistricting architects … Continue reading →

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Republicans not saying anything about the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A mostly no news update. Texas Republicans were evasive Thursday about a request from the White House to redistrict the state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after exiting a meeting in Washington to discuss the proposal. President Donald Trump’s … Continue reading →

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More on the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Votebeat addresses a few questions. How do Texans in Congress feel about the proposal? On Capitol Hill, members of the Texas GOP delegation huddled Monday night to discuss the prospect of reshaping their districts. Most of the 25-member group expressed … Continue reading →

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Texas Congressional Republicans considering a new map for 2026

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? President Trump’s political team is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year’s midterm elections to try to save the party’s endangered majority, according to people … Continue reading →

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Rep. Jolanda Jones announces for CD18

Posted on June 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. State Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, on Monday jumped into the race for the congressional seat left open by the death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, the former Houston mayor. “The simple fact is no one will fight … Continue reading →

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Long-awaited Texas redistricting trial begins

Posted on May 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Been waiting a long time for this one. Questions over whether Latinos had their voting power diminished in the Dallas area will be a focus of a federal trial in El Paso that begins Wednesday. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, … Continue reading →

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Of course cuts to Medicaid would hurt Texas

Posted on May 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They will hurt millions of people around the country, and hospitals and more as well. Texas hospitals are facing a freeze in billions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding under a budget proposal introduced by House Republican leaders Sunday night. … Continue reading →

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Another CD18 contender

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From The Downballot Zoe Cadore, who works as a lobbyist for an energy company, became the latest Democrat to enter the special election for Texas’ 18th District on Tuesday. Cadore, a former congressional staffer who was Miss Houston in 2013, is competing with several … Continue reading →

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April 2025 campaign finance reports – Congress

Posted on April 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Well, just CD18, really. I said when I posted the January 2025 reports that I was going to wait on the Congressional reports until July because there wasn’t going to be anything of interest to report on. And then Rep. … Continue reading →

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Abbott finally calls CD18 election

Posted on April 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s for November. Gov. Greg Abbott has set Nov. 4 as the special election date to fill the congressional seat left vacant by former Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death — a timeline that leaves the solidly Democratic seat vacant for at … Continue reading →

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Malik appointed to HCDE Board

Posted on April 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Silky Joshi Malik has been unanimously appointed to Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Board of Trustees. Malik will fulfill the remainder of the term for Position 7, At-Large, which expires in December 2026. The seat was previously … Continue reading →

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Abbott finally says something about CD18

Posted on April 6, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

And of course it’s stupid and insulting. Gov. Greg Abbott has blamed his delay in calling an election to replace U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner on election issues in Harris County, he recently told Austin’s KXAN. Abbott has faced criticism for the past month for failing … Continue reading →

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Another lawsuit threatened for CD18

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

File away, I say. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said Wednesday that House Democrats will “very likely” sue if Texas Gov. Greg Abbott continues to hold off on calling a special election for the Houston-area seat of the late Congressman Sylvester … Continue reading →

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Menefee threatens to sue to get CD18 election called

Posted on April 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hope it doesn’t have to come to that, but there’s no reason to trust Greg Abbott. Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee on Monday demanded that Gov. Greg Abbott call a special election to fill the region’s open congressional seat, even going … Continue reading →

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Some plaintiffs drop out of redistricting litigation

Posted on March 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Unfortunate but not unexpected. Two months before a scheduled trial, a coalition of voting rights groups is withdrawing from a long-running challenge to the political maps Texas drew after the 2020 U.S. census, which the groups said diluted the voting power of … Continue reading →

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Commissioners Court keeps Menefee for now

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Seems reasonable. Harris County Commissioners have opted to keep Christian Menefee as the county attorney until Gov. Greg Abbott calls an election to fill the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s seat in Congress. Menefee has served as county attorney for more than four years, … Continue reading →

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Yeah, we won’t get the CD18 election until November

Posted on March 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the conclusion to draw from this Trib story. Three weeks after U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner’s death and just over a month before the state’s next uniform election, Gov. Greg Abbott has not yet called a special election to fill … Continue reading →

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