Tag Archives: Election 2024

On Rep. Kay Granger

Posted on December 23, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

On Saturday I was perusing Bluesky, and posts like this were all over the place: US Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, hasn’t voted since July. The Dallas Express reports that it found her in a “memory care and assisted living home” … Continue reading →

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

There was some good news from Odessa last month

Posted on December 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Good to hear. When Craig Stoker pulled the flyer out of the mailbox, he chuckled. It was a political mailer, one of many deployed this fall in Odessa, the West Texas city in the heart of the oil-rich Permian Basin. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The leopards are going to be very busy

Posted on December 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a story about how the Trump administration is targeting Medicaid for cuts, mostly to finance its future tax giveaways to the wealthy, and how states like Texas could come in behind that and make even further cuts to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

The plea deals no one wants

Posted on December 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Things are going great in the waning days of Kim Ogg’s time as Harris County DA. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has ordered prosecutors to make a plea recommendation of life without the possibility of parole in every pending … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime and Punishment | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The HISD Board doesn’t want to hear it

Posted on December 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Curious move. Houston ISD’s board of managers signaled early support Tuesday for limiting the public’s ability to speak freely about any topic during its monthly board meetings. Board members voted 8-1 to advance a policy proposal that would eliminate a … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A different perspective on turnout

Posted on December 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the December 3 New York Times daily newsletter: If you’ve been reading post-election coverage, you’ve probably seen one of the big takeaways from the returns so far: In counties across the country, Kamala Harris won many fewer votes than … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

Gina Ortiz Jones joins the crowded field for San Antonio Mayor

Posted on December 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. Former U.S. Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones, who has long been rumored as a potential 2025 mayoral contender, launched a campaign website this week. Jones served as Under Secretary of the U.S. Air Force under the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2025 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Phelan withdraws his Speaker bid

Posted on December 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Palace intrigue time. House Speaker Dade Phelan on Friday announced he is dropping his bid for another term leading the lower chamber, ending a bruising, monthslong intraparty push to remove him from power. Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, had previously insisted … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

I guess we have to talk about fluoride again

Posted on December 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

deep sigh Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, is taking a swing at fluoride in drinking water. In a post earlier this month, Kennedy said the Trump administration … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A couple of thoughts about moving forward

Posted on December 2, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve got the canvass data for Harris County and will be working on it to bring you the usual analyses and insights. For whatever the reason, the voting precincts are presented differently than they were in the May/June elections, which … Continue reading →

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The HVAC and lighting effect

Posted on November 27, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

One of the main promises of the now-failed HISD bond referendum was funding to fix many issues with HVAC and lighting and other physical plant matters. In the aftermath of the bond’s failure, the Chron takes a look at the … Continue reading →

Posted in School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

My quadrennial warning to be careful with charts and percentages

Posted on November 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From City of Yes: The sun came up Wednesday morning, but for many, no doubt, our proverbial American “shining city on a hill” had lost some of its luster. While the presidential election results have disappointed many city dwellers, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton sues Dallas over its marijuana decriminalization law

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

As expected. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing the city of Dallas over the newly approved Proposition R — which decriminalizes up to four ounces of marijuana in the city. The filing names the entire Dallas City Council, Mayor … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Can HISD pass the next bond?

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It depends. After Houston ISD’s historic bond failure in November, several parents, teachers and community members are wondering if or when the state’s largest school district will go back to voters to place another measure on the ballot. […] Some … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024, School days | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Judicial undervotes 2024

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

One brief comment on this Houston Landing story about undervoting, and then I will have some numbers for you. Tens of thousands of Harris County residents stopped voting well short of the end of their Nov. 5 ballots, skipping dozens … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

SCOTx lets Robert Roberson get another execution date

Posted on November 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

But thank God that separation of powers was preserved. The Texas Supreme Court on Friday ruled a House committee overstepped its authority when it effectively stalled Robert Roberson’s execution by issuing an eleventh-hour subpoena. The ruling clears the way for … Continue reading →

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Dems win another judicial race after final vote canvass in Harris County

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Some good Friday news. The result of a hotly contested race to replace a retiring Harris County judge has flipped from a narrow Republican win to a Democratic victory after the final set of ballots was reported. Official results published … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments

A little self-reflection is good

Posted on November 16, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s best if it’s accompanied by a sincere effort to change one’s actions. But it’s a start regardless. During much of its first year and a half of service, Houston ISD’s state-appointed school board has endured criticism for what some … Continue reading →

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The road ahead for Sean Teare

Posted on November 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He definitely faces challenges. I believe he’s up to them. Sean Teare, Harris County’s district attorney-elect, is a longtime prosecutor who has tried armed robberies, visited the scenes of countless homicides and convicted a man of mass murder. But those … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Republicans performed more or less at 2020 levels in Harris County

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Obviously, the Republicans did well in Harris County this year, better than I expected for sure. They won some judicial races – they’re probably kicking themselves for not contesting more of them – and in general came a lot closer … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Three local marijuana decriminalization referenda passed last week

Posted on November 12, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Forgive me if my enthusiasm is modest. This General Election, Texans voted to decriminalize marijuana on ballot measures in Lockhart, Bastrop, and Dallas. According to The Dallas Morning News, about 67% of Dallas voters supported the proposition decriminalizing small amounts … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Precinct analysis: In my neighborhood

Posted on November 11, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I won’t have access to a Harris County canvass for a couple of weeks, and I may or may not do some countywide comparisons, but I did wonder about how the vote went in my neighborhood. I do a lot … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

If we’d listened to OB-GYNs in the first place we wouldn’t be having these problems now

Posted on November 10, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I very much appreciate what they’re saying, but let’s be honest, their words will have no effect. The newly reported deaths of two pregnant Texans sparked a renewed plea from Texas OB/GYNs, including dozens in the Houston-area, for lawmakers to … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TDP Chair Hinojosa resigns

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Obviously. Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa announced his resignation Friday on the heels of another election cycle in which his party suffered blowout losses atop the ticket and vastly underperformed expectations. In a statement acknowledging Democrats’ “devastating defeats up … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Mike Miles is disappointed in us

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

So sorry. Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles called voters’ rejection of the district’s proposed $4.4 billion school bond — the largest school bond in Texas history — “unfortunate and wrong” in a statement Tuesday. Miles conceded the bond election after … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Dispatches from Dallas, November 8 edition

Posted on November 8, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This is a weekly feature produced by my friend Ginger. Let us know what you think. This week, in news from Dallas-Fort Worth, election results, and only election results, because we’re all dealing with our grief right now. Next week … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff, Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Just a couple of thoughts because I’m not ready for more yet

Posted on November 7, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

There’s an older gentleman who rides his bike around the neighborhood. I see him pretty regularly when I’m out walking the dog. We always wave hello as we pass by. On Sunday he pulled his bike over to the curb … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 25 Comments

Well, that sucked

Posted on November 6, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

It’s about 10:30 PM as I write this, and I don’t care to stay up any longer. The national situation looks dicey, but it’s not yet clear what will happen. I’ll put that off for now. It was bad here … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 22 Comments

Today is Election Day

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth announced that more than 1,170,000 voters cast their ballots in person during the 12-day early voting period for the November 5, 2024 Special and General Election. Including the 57,000 received mail ballots, … Continue reading →

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A brief list of things I’ll be watching for today

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

In no particular order… 1. I don’t expect Democrats to win statewide in Texas. It would be great, it would do a world of good, but I’d be setting myself up for disappointment if I start there. What I want … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

The billboards of Fayette County

Posted on November 5, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Members of the local Democratic party in rural, bright red Fayette County were thrilled this month when they learned their hours of phone banking and fundraising would finally pay off. The party’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

No observers allowed here

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Tribune: Texas tells U.S. Justice Department that federal election monitors aren’t allowed in polling places. Texas’ top elections official told the U.S. Department of Justice on Friday its election monitors aren’t permitted in the state’s polling places after the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

On cryptomining and power plants

Posted on November 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I say again, there’s a political opportunity here, and it involves being on the right side of an issue. About 150 angry residents gathered in a conference center here on Monday for a public meeting hosted by the state environmental … Continue reading →

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Final November 2024 early voting: Definitely short

Posted on November 3, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Early voting is done, and I have to say, we didn’t get to where I expected we would: 2024 2020 2016 2008 and 2012 The numbers after eight days of early voting are Mail = 57,059 In Person = 1,175,901 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2024 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments