Tag Archives: Election 2016

Endorsement watch: Still saying No to Reynolds

Posted on May 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron reiterates its opposition to Rep. Ron Reynolds in the HD27 primary runoff. Texas’ Attorney General Ken Paxton has been indicted for securities fraud. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is under criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers for misusing state … Continue reading →

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Precinct 1 Commissioners Court race update

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Three items of interest: 1. There will be a public forum on Sunday, May 22, from 3 to 5 PM at CWA Local 6222- 1730 Jefferson St, Houston, TX 77002, to meet the people who have expressed interest in being … Continue reading →

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Cruz says he will run for re-election in 2018

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, goody. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is officially running for re-election in 2018. Cruz filed paperwork Wednesday afternoon to seek a second term, adding some clarity to his political future just over a week after he ended his presidential … Continue reading →

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By all means, go for Jared

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Keeping it classy. The race for chairman of the Texas Republican Party has spawned charges that the party’s current leader, Tom Mechler, supports a “disgusting homosexual agenda.” A supporter of Jared Woodfill, a Houston lawyer and former chairman of the … Continue reading →

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The Donald is spurring people to register to vote

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Just another data point for your consideration. Registration among Hispanic voters is skyrocketing in a presidential election cycle dominated by Donald Trump and loud GOP cries to close the border. Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Elected … Continue reading →

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Yeah, we’re still talking about the Austin rideshare referendum

Posted on May 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The tech community was as divided as everyone else. Joshua Baer, founder of Capital Factory, the downtown technology incubator, has been a critic of the proposed regulations. He said he believes the vote sent signals that Austin is hostile to … Continue reading →

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Uber and Lyft do what they said they would

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve cut and run. Uber and Lyft made good on their threat to end Austin service Monday, pulling out two days after voters rejected their $9.1 million bid to overturn the city’s rules for ride-hailing companies. Their departure came despite … Continue reading →

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RIP, Carl Whitmarsh

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This was certainly a shock. Carl Whitmarsh used to joke that when he died, there would be as many people ready to dance on his grave as to cry over his death. A towering figure in Harris County Democratic politics, … Continue reading →

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Roundup of runoff candidate interviews and Q&As

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, early voting for the primary runoffs begins in a week. I did my usual series of interviews and judicial Q&As for the primary, but there were a few candidates I didn’t get to for one reason or … Continue reading →

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More on the Austin rideshare referendum

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The fallout continues to fall. Austin voters on Saturday decisively rejected Uber and Lyft’s $8.6 million bid to overturn the city’s rules for ride-hailing apps, bringing a stunning conclusion to the most expensive campaign in city history. The failure of … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry must really need a job

Posted on May 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the most charitable explanation I can think of for this. Former Gov. Rick Perry, who had called Donald Trump a “cancer on conservatism,” is now endorsing the presumptive Republican presidential nominee. Perry, a former candidate who had backed U.S. … Continue reading →

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Austin rideshare referendum goes down

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Boom. Preliminary election day results in Austin show 56 percent of voters against Proposition 1, a ride-hailing ordinance supported by Uber and Lyft. With 76.76 percent reporting, 13,957 have voted against the ordinance and 10,901 have voted for. These numbers … Continue reading →

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Jarvis Johnson wins HD139 special election

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

For whatever it turns out to be worth. Houston voters on Saturday selected Jarvis D. Johnson to fill the remainder of the unexpired term of former District 139 State Representative Sylvester Turner, now mayor of Houston. Johnson, a former Houston … Continue reading →

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Keep an eye on 2018, too

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From Greg Abbott’s campaign Facebook page: And from the greasy lips of Dan Patrick: There are some who say that they could never vote for Donald Trump — in fact, I was one of those people early on in this … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Remember the runoffs

Posted on May 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes their endorsements for the primary runoffs, which will happen on May 24, with early voting from the 16th to the 20th. Let me sum up: Republican Member, Railroad Commissioner: Gary Gates Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place … Continue reading →

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Rideshare robocall lawsuit filed

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to be interesting. Ride-hailing company Uber was hit with a class-action lawsuit on Wednesday over “robo-text messages” the company has been sending Austin customers seeking their support for a controversial referendum on the ballot Saturday. The suit, filed … Continue reading →

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Representation in Richmond

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One of the smaller elections going on right now has some important questions to answer. Every time Tres Davis drives over the cracks in the streets of North Richmond, he remembers why he’s fighting for change. There are few sidewalks … Continue reading →

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Whither Ted?

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

he has to go back to the Senate, where nearly everybody hates him. With his concession speech behind him and his multimillion-dollar presidential campaign already winding down, Ted Cruz will soon return to the U.S. Capitol and the job he … Continue reading →

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Early voting ends for HD139 special election

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the final early voting totals from the HD139 special election. The disparity between absentee ballots and in-person votes is pretty amazing, isn’t it? I’m going to guess that the Saturday in-person total will be less than the 200 … Continue reading →

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Austin Uber referendum update

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s still a crapload of money being spent by Uber and Lyft to win this thing. In the last month, Ridesharing Works for Austin – the PAC established by transportation network companies Uber and Lyft – raised $4.9 million and … Continue reading →

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Republican attorneys general file briefs in support of Texas’ voter ID law

Posted on May 4, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Birds of a feather. Fifteen Republican-controlled states are wading into the contentious court fight over Texas’ voter ID law, arguing in a legal brief that similar laws around the country have already been upheld by the courts. […] Ahead of … Continue reading →

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Meyers’ voter ID lawsuit gets appellate hearing

Posted on May 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I hope he gets to keep it going. [Court of Criminal Appeals Justice Lawrence] Meyers filed his state lawsuit in October 2014, while another legal challenge to the state’s voter ID law was pending in federal court in Corpus Christi. … Continue reading →

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SCOTUS declines to intervene in voter ID case for now

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Not what I would have wanted, but not the end of the line. Even as a federal appeals court prepares to review the constitutionality of Texas’ controversial voter ID law, the law will remain in effect, the U.S. Supreme Court … Continue reading →

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GetMe waits in the wings

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

No matter what happens with the rideshare repeal referendum in Austin, there will be at least one vehicle for hire company in the capital city. Early voting is underway in Austin on Proposition 1, where residents will decide which regulations … Continue reading →

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More on the Uber ultimatum

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Initial reaction is not terribly receptive. Ride-hailing giant Uber threatened Wednesday to stop operating in Houston unless city leaders amend local regulations the company said are making it tough for them to recruit drivers. The ultimatum, the latest skirmish in … Continue reading →

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Another FEC complaint filed against Cruz

Posted on April 29, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We’re up to two. The Texas Democrats have filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission alleging presidential contender Sen. Ted Cruz and his associates violated campaign finance laws. The complaint, dated April 22, asserts that Cruz national co-chair, J. … Continue reading →

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Uber says it will leave Houston if it does not change its fingerprinting requirement

Posted on April 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I called it. Uber announced Wednesday that the company plans to cease operations in Houston if the city council does not repeal its existing regulations relating to vehicle-for-hire companies. Houston is one of two cities in the country where Uber … Continue reading →

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Houston Area Survey 2016: Harris County becoming more Democratic

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whoa. A majority of Harris County residents lean Democratic for the first time ever, propelled by plummeting support for Republicans among Latinos, according to a survey released Monday by Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research. The finding, in the … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Against Prop 1

Posted on April 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman urges a vote against the divisive referendum to repeal Austin’s ordinance regulating transit network companies like Uber and Lyft. Voting against Prop. 1 is the best way to ensure that Lyft, Uber and other ride-hailing service drivers, undergo … Continue reading →

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Still debating the Trump effect in Texas

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This time with input from trained professionals. Republicans say it’s just wishful thinking, but Democrats are hoping that Trump’s controversial comments will make some GOP voters stay home in protest and boost the number of Democrats going to the polls … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Why bother?

Posted on April 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Chronicle barely musters a shrug for the special election in HD139. The winner of this election will cast no ballots in the state Legislature – presuming that Gov. Greg Abbott doesn’t call an unexpected special session. At the very … Continue reading →

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Early voting for May 7 elections begins today

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember that special election to fill out Mayor Turner’s unexpired term in HD139? Early voting for it – and for the other elections on the May 7 ballot – begins today. Who knew, right? Here’s the press release from … Continue reading →

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An outside view on Uber in Houston

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman looks at how Austin’s fight with Uber and Lyft over fingerprint requirements compares with other cities in Texas, including Houston. Officials in Houston said they decided early on that their city, despite having almost 2,500 licensed taxis, could … Continue reading →

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Interview with Jerome Moore

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, everyone is focusing on the Presidential race, but here in Harris County there are some races of great local importance. You can order them however you like, but the Sheriff’s race is certainly up there. I had … Continue reading →

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