Tag Archives: Election 2016

Judge from Paxton grand jury hearing has his say

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Time for more popcorn. Once upon a time, Ken Paxton and Chris Oldner were political allies, dinner companions, and perhaps, even friends. Not any more, though. In legal filings and court hearings, Attorney General Ken Paxton’s legal team has taken … Continue reading →

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CM Ed Gonzalez to run for Sheriff

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. City Councilman Ed Gonzalez, an 18-year Houston Police Department veteran, announced Tuesday that he will run for Harris County Sheriff next year. Gonzalez is finishing his third and final term as councilman of District H, the majority Hispanic district … Continue reading →

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Just leave already

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously. State GOP leaders, in a predictable but closely watched vote, have defeated a proposal to ask Texas voters whether they favor secession. In a voice vote Saturday afternoon, the State Republican Executive Committee rejected a measure that would have … Continue reading →

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Dolly Elizondo to run for CD15

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This bears watching. Dolly Elizondo, a Texas Realtor and local Democratic activist, said Thursday she will run in the state’s 15th District, a campaign that, if successful, could make her the first Latina to represent the Lone Star State in … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s first day in court

Posted on December 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

And they’re off! Clashing at a pretrial hearing Tuesday, lawyers for Attorney General Ken Paxton dismissed the criminal case against him as the result of a “rogue prosecution,” while prosecutors accused Paxton of relying on “nonsense” arguments and a string … Continue reading →

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Steve Brown to run in HD27

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

This ought to shake things up a bit. The bad week for state Rep. Ron Reynolds is getting worse. Steve Brown, the former chairman of the Fort Bend County Democrats, wrote on Twitter Wednesday that he will challenge Reynolds in … Continue reading →

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Reynolds receives jail sentence in barratry case

Posted on November 25, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

He got the max for the misdemeanor charge on which he was convicted. State Rep. Ron Reynolds could spend up to a year in jail after he was sentenced Monday to the maximum penalty following his conviction on charges arising … Continue reading →

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State wants delay on immigration appeal

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Of course it does. The Texas Attorney General’s office is asking the U.S. Supreme Court for an extra 30 days to respond to the Obama Administration’s appeal of lower court rulings that have blocked controversial changes in immigration enforcement. The … Continue reading →

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Rep. Ron Reynolds convicted of misdemeanor barratry charge

Posted on November 22, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The word “tawdry” applies to this. State Rep. Ron Reynolds was convicted Friday of illegally soliciting clients in an “ambulance chasing for profit” scheme, a verdict that carries the threat of jail time and deals a blow to his political … Continue reading →

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Susan King suspends Senate campaign

Posted on November 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Sorry to hear this. State Rep. Susan King has suspended her race for an open state Senate seat while she receives treatment for chronic depression, a condition she has battled “for some time,” her campaign announced Monday. King, R-Abilene, still … Continue reading →

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UT/TT primary poll: Hillary leads the Dems, Trump and Cruz lead the GOP

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

For those who care about this sort of thing. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump are in a dead heat for the Republican presidential nomination in Texas, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. With four … Continue reading →

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Rep. Ruben Hinojosa to retire

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

A second open Congressional seat for 2016. First elected to Congress in 1996, Hinojosa has largely had a dormant campaign operation for most of this cycle, and he drew a Republican challenger this year in former Rio Grande City Mayor … Continue reading →

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Sanders to open Texas campaign office

Posted on November 13, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. The presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is expanding its footprint in Texas, setting up a statewide office and expanding its staff with just under four months until the Democratic primary. In the next few days, the … Continue reading →

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Fifth Circuit denies Obama immigration executive order appeal

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Alas. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals has once again ruled against the Obama administration’s controversial immigration program, upholding a lower court’s injunction barring the plan from taking effect while awaiting the outcome of a … Continue reading →

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Hillary’s promise to state parties

Posted on November 11, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Daily Kos a few days ago, via Facebook: Just got off of Robby Mook’s conference call for Hillary Clinton volunteers, and he mentioned in passing that all of the voter data that the campaign is collecting for Clinton … Continue reading →

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Anderson updates pot prosecution policy

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Small amounts of marijuana now mean a citation, not a ride to jail, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson said Thursday. The county’s top prosecutor outlined changes to a pilot plan for low-level offenders she implemented last year, one … Continue reading →

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Morris Overstreet to run for DA

Posted on November 8, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I know we’re all still recovering from Tuesday, but the 2016 filing season is almost upon us, and the Democratic race for Harris County DA just became a contested race. Former appeals court judge Morris Overstreet announced Thursday that he … Continue reading →

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We still can’t get new maps

Posted on November 7, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Seriously? To avoid confusion and uncertainty, the state’s 2016 elections for Congress and the Texas House will proceed under the current political maps, a three-judge federal panel in San Antonio said late Friday. The court previously approved maps for use … Continue reading →

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Initial day-after-election thoughts

Posted on November 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

– We now have two cycles’ worth of data to suggest that having more good candidates in a Council race does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. Following in the footsteps of At Large #3 in 2013, a handful of … Continue reading →

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School finance ruling expected soon

Posted on October 31, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Hold onto your hats. For decades, the state’s 1,000-plus school districts vied against one another for a bigger piece of the financial pie. Now two-thirds of state districts have joined forces to say the system is unfair because it doesn’t … Continue reading →

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Are we ever going to get a redistricting ruling?

Posted on October 19, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

From the Texas Election Law Blog: As Rick Hasen has reported, [Wednesday] the plaintiffs in the 2011 redistricting lawsuit asked the three-judge panel for the Western District of Texas, San Antonio Division to enjoin the State of Texas from using … Continue reading →

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Stoking the Clinton-Castro speculation

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

It’s all talk for now, but it’s nice talk to hear. Accepting Julián Castro’s endorsement Thursday, Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton addressed speculation he could serve as her running mate, saying she plans to “really look hard at him for … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: One Farias, two Farias

Posted on October 18, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

There’s one state race on the ballot this year, where there’s a special election in HD118 to succeed the retiring Rep. Joe Farias. The San Antonio Express News has endorsed Gabe Farias in that race. Six candidates — three Democrats … Continue reading →

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Amazon and Bernie

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

You have to admire the ingenuity. It turns out you can’t buy everything on Amazon.com after all. The online retail giant is quashing an effort by a Texas teenager to use the company’s website to funnel cash into his newly … Continue reading →

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Some early legislative race news

Posted on October 6, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Just a few links of interest. First, the race in SD24 heats up. Republican state Rep. Susan King said Monday that she will join an increasingly crowded primary field to replace retiring GOP state Sen. Troy Fraser. King had earlier … Continue reading →

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Hillary’s Latino voter push

Posted on October 5, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if the reality measures up to the pregame hype. Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton is ramping up her outreach to Hispanic voters, and Texas is playing a prominent role in the coming push. The former secretary of state … Continue reading →

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Ethics investigator clears Farenthold

Posted on October 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Some good news for a controversial Congressman. Ethics investigators struck a blow Monday to an ex-House staffer’s sexual harassment claims against Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Texas, nine months after the fired communications director filed suit in District of Columbia court. The … Continue reading →

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2015 Lyceum poll, day two

Posted on October 2, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Once again, here’s the press release: An independent poll conducted by the Texas Lyceum, a non-partisan, nonprofit statewide leadership group, shows billionaire real estate mogul and reality TV star Donald Trump leading U.S. Senator Ted Cruz by five points (21 … Continue reading →

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2015 Texas Lyceum poll

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Issues first, election stuff to come. From the press release: The 2015 Texas Lyceum Poll Finds:  Immigration remains the most important issue facing the state and Texans support lawmakers’ increased spending on border security. Texans’ views on  gay marriage are changing. … Continue reading →

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Ogg announces for DA

Posted on September 26, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Rematch time. Kim Ogg, the Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for district attorney last year, launched her second bid for the office Friday, promising to pursue violent criminals, de-emphasize misdemeanor marijuana possession cases and aggressively combat prosecutorial misconduct. Ogg took a … Continue reading →

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JP Dale Gorczynski will not run for re-election

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not usually in the breaking news business around here, but today I have some: Judge Dale Gorcynski, who has served as Justice of the Peace in Precinct 1 since 1992, will not be running for re-election next year. I … Continue reading →

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Neugebauer to step down in CD19

Posted on September 23, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

At least one Congressional seat will have a new person sitting in it next year. U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, announced Thursday that he would not seek re-election in 2016. Neugebauer, who has represented his West Texas district in Congress … Continue reading →

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When might we get a Supreme Court ruling on school finance?

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

When they’re damn good and ready is the usual answer for Supreme Court rulings, but in the case of school finance lawsuits they usually act with some measure of speed. Given past rulings and politics — three justices on the … Continue reading →

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BGTX 2.0

Posted on September 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

They will have a lot to prove, let’s just leave it at that. Battleground Texas, nearly a year after it and Wendy Davis were crushed in an uphill governor’s race, officially has launched an effort to re-brand itself in light … Continue reading →

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