Tag Archives: Mayor

Endorsement watch: Chron goes for Whitmire

Posted on October 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron endorses John Whitmire for Mayor. Close your eyes for a moment and ask yourself: in this city of immigrants who start companies and win World Series, of silvery skyscrapers and moonshot cancer fighters, of astronauts who train for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

What early voting looked like in 2015 and 2019

Posted on October 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow we start voting – well, technically, tomorrow we start voting in person. People have already been sending in mail ballots, as we’ll see when the Day One EV totals are posted. I will of course report on this as … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Past interviews with Mayoral candidates

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last week, I have decided to wait until the runoff to do Mayoral candidate interviews. The size of the field and the limited amount of time I had available to try to schedule probably seven interviews with … Continue reading →

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On filing financial disclosure reports

Posted on October 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Campaign finance reports aren’t the only filings that city candidates can screw up. About a quarter of the candidates running for city council seats and mayor have not provided financial disclosures to the City Secretary due in September. Twenty-three out … Continue reading →

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Lee and Garcia push the city to Do Something about Whitmire’s campaign finances

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what happens. Two rival candidates have asked the city of Houston to block state Sen. John Whitmire from using $2.7 million in proceeds from stock sales to underwrite his campaign for mayor. Already dominating in the fundraising race, … Continue reading →

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30 day 2023 campaign finance reports – Houston Mayor

Posted on October 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We are now less than a month out from Election Day, and that means it’s time for 30 day campaign finance reports, which give a decent picture of where campaigns are now, and may be the best way of understanding … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

UH-Hobby Center poll: Whitmire 34, Jackson Lee 31

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Same pollster as before, nearly the same result. There has been almost no movement in Houston’s mayoral race over the last three months, with state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee still firmly entrenched atop the crowded … Continue reading →

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What some Mayoral candidates said to some Republicans

Posted on October 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few thoughts about this. Houston mayoral candidates took aim at “feel-good” public safety initiatives such as gun buybacks and proposed plans to boost the city budget at a Friday forum organized by United Republicans of Harris County. … Continue reading →

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And now we have a hue and cry about Whitmire’s campaign treasury

Posted on October 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I’m surprised it took this long, to be honest. U.S. Rep Sheila Jackson Lee and former Metro Chair Gilbert Garcia have requested the city attorney to investigate alleged campaign contribution limit violations by State Sen. John Whitmire, hinting at a … Continue reading →

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The young activists of today

Posted on October 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Keep track of these names, or better yet get to know them. Olivia Julianna typed “#johnnyboywhitmire” into TikTok’s search bar. To her delight, her five videos critiquing Texas state senator and Houston mayoral hopeful John Whitmire had garnered a combined … Continue reading →

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The Chron talks to some Mayoral candidates

Posted on September 24, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

You can find a bunch of Mayoral Q&As with the Chron editorial board here on this Mayoral Candidate Questions page. All of them also include a brief video of the chat, with the following Mayoral candidates so far: John Whitmire … Continue reading →

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City runoff election will be December 9

Posted on September 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Slightly reducing the overall intrigue factor of the season. The runoffs for Houston’s City Hall elections will be held Dec. 9, the secretary of state’s office confirmed on Tuesday. Houston voters will head to the polls Nov. 7 to elect … Continue reading →

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Once again with the residency question

Posted on September 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Every election, without fail. Robin Williams, a police officer in Missouri City, was 16 months into her long-shot bid to become Houston’s next mayor when city officials made a discovery that threatened to suddenly end her campaign: She did not … Continue reading →

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All candidates should support repealing the revenue cap

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Long overdue to get rid of the stupid thing. The Gulf Coast AFL-CIO released a platform for City Hall on Saturday that calls for eliminating Houston’s property tax revenue cap and avoiding worker layoffs. The union has endorsed state Sen. … Continue reading →

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The Fort Worth bitcoin mining experience

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Wild. A year ago, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker joked the city was now “cowtown and cryptocurrency” after plugging in donated bitcoin mining machines. That news generated millions of web impressions across the world, a nominal amount of money and … Continue reading →

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Buzbee to run for District G

Posted on August 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

When will he have the time for this? Tony Buzbee, the high-profile lead lawyer defending impeached Attorney General Ken Paxton, filed to run for Houston City Council on Monday. With hours until the filing deadline, Buzbee livestreamed himself filing to … Continue reading →

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Who votes in Houston elections?

Posted on August 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The short answer is old people. When Houston residents head to the ballot box this November to elect a new mayor and city government, fewer people may actually show up than in Seattle, a city with a third of our … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie enters the Mayor’s race

Posted on August 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Former At-Large Councilmember Jack Christie launched a campaign for Houston mayor on Wednesday, making a late entry into an increasingly crowded race to lead the city for the next four years. Christie, a Republican, launched a website … Continue reading →

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On bringing DPS troopers to Houston

Posted on August 10, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have some questions. Call in the troopers. That’s one of state Sen. John Whitmire’s plans for reducing crime in Houston, which voters consistently have rated as one of their top concerns. A similar partnership with the Texas Department of … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment, Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

July 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston, part 5

Posted on August 2, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Previously: Congress SD15 City of Houston, part 1 Harris County City of Houston, part 2 City of Houston, part 3 City of Houston, part 4 January finance reports for city of Houston candidates are here. This is at long last … Continue reading →

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More criticism of HISD’s library policies

Posted on August 1, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This isn’t going away. Prominent Houston political and faith leaders on Monday denounced Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to convert some libraries into discipline centers, adding to the growing chorus of critics opposing the change. Members of Congress, Houston … Continue reading →

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The Trib on the “political dominoes” of the Mayor’s race

Posted on July 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of what’s in here is stuff we already know. I want to focus on this bit from later on: “I think both Whitmire and Jackson Lee are kind of institutions in town, so the fact that there could … Continue reading →

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Mayor Turner criticizes HISD’s library removals

Posted on July 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Mayor Sylvester Turner on Wednesday blasted Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to close dozens of school libraries and turn them into discipline rooms, alleging it was targeted at “selected communities.” In an impassioned speech at City Council, … Continue reading →

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UH-Hobby Center poll: Whitmire 34, Jackson Lee 32

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I have plenty to say about this. State Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee would be neck-and-neck for first place if the Houston mayor’s race were held today, but Whitmire would sprint ahead in a potential runoff, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

A different kind of campaign finance violation

Posted on July 23, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The July reporting period sure has been eventful. Mayoral hopefuls state Sen. John Whitmire and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee have accepted campaign donations from city contractors during prohibited periods, breaking a Houston ordinance designed to limit donors’ influence at … Continue reading →

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July 2023 campaign finance reports: City of Houston, part 1

Posted on July 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The July finance reports for the City of Houston in an election year is when you first get a real feel for who’s actually running for what, and which of them has a campaign that might be worth watching. The … Continue reading →

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July 2023 campaign finance reports – State races

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

At this point, the only state race I’m watching is SD15. This is partly because of the Mayor’s race connection, partly because there are two active challengers to the possibly outgoing/possibly staying incumbent, and partly because I don’t have enough … Continue reading →

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The non-filers

Posted on July 17, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I of course have some thoughts about this. Nearly a quarter of candidates running for Houston City Hall positions still have not reported how much money they raised and spent for their campaigns last year, missing the January deadline by six months. About … Continue reading →

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An early peek at Mayoral fundraising so far

Posted on July 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Campaign finance reports are officially due Monday, and there are some in the system now. Candidates are free to say how they’ve done before their reports get posted, and the Chron asked some of the Mayoral candidates what we should … Continue reading →

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Jack Christie?

Posted on July 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, I dunno. Former At-Large City Councilmember Jack Christie is considering a run for mayor, and attorney Tony Buzbee said he has not ruled out a run despite taking on Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment defense. Christie, a Republican who also served as Spring Branch ISD … Continue reading →

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Is ShotSpotter working?

Posted on July 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

This story would suggest the answer is No. Houston city leaders deployed the gunshot surveillance system ShotSpotter to strengthen police responses in neighborhoods where gunfire too often rings out. But three years into its deployment, crime statistics show the technology hasn’t made a … Continue reading →

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Edwards drops out of Mayor’s race, to run for CD18

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Another shakeup. Former Houston city council member Amanda Edwards announced Monday she would withdraw from the mayoral race to instead vie for the Texas congressional seat currently held by Sheila Jackson Lee, who previously announced her intention to run for … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Endorsement watch: Hidalgo for SJL

Posted on June 16, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t usually pay much attention to “elected official endorses candidate” news, mostly because most of the time it makes little difference, but in this Mayor’s race I’m more interested than usual, so I will note this for the record. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2023 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

City passes Mayor Turner’s final budget

Posted on June 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Get ready, whoever is up next. Houston city staff will see pay raises, money will go toward sidewalk repairs and residents won’t have to maintain their own drainage ditches anymore. All are part of the $6.2 billion budget that passed through Houston … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments