Tag Archives: Election 2018

Precinct analysis: The targets for 2018

Posted on March 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Ross Ramsey recently surveyed the 2018 electoral landscape. Election numbers recently released by the Texas Legislative Council point to some soft spots in this red state’s political underbelly — places where Republicans hold office now but where Democrats at the … Continue reading →

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So what does that redistricting ruling really mean?

Posted on March 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib has a good explainer. So will the Legislature redraw the congressional map? And if so, when? Here’s where it gets tricky. Friday’s order made it clear that the 2011 map cannot stand, but it did not order anyone … Continue reading →

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Senate passes bathroom bill

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Take your victory lap, Dan Patrick. The Texas Senate on Tuesday tentatively signed off on the so-called “bathroom bill” on a 21-10 vote with one Democrat — state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. of Brownsville — voting in favor of the … Continue reading →

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Some men just can’t take a joke

Posted on March 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Poor babies. State Rep. Jessica Farrar accused some Republican men in the Texas House of engaging in “a retaliatory effort” against her over her filing of a bill that would fine men $100 for masturbating. On Tuesday, a separate and … Continue reading →

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Court rules several Congressional districts were illegally drawn

Posted on March 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Bam! Some of Texas’ 36 congressional districts violate either the U.S. Constitution or the federal Voting Rights Act, a panel of federal judges ruled Friday. In a long-delayed ruling, the judges ruled 2-1 that the Texas Legislature must redraw the … Continue reading →

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Two unsatisfying articles about the 2016 Democratic sweep in Harris County

Posted on March 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Democratic sweep in Harris County has drawn some national attention, as writers from the left and right try to analyze what happened here last year and why Hillary Clinton carried the county by such a large margin. Unfortunately, as … Continue reading →

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We have an opponent for Commissioner Morman

Posted on March 8, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: DEMOCRAT MIGUEL LEIJA JR. ANNOUNES CANDIDACY For Harris County Commissioner Pct. 2 Houston, TX, March 6, 2017– Harris County is the most populous county in Texas and the third-most populous county in the United States with the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

O’Rourke sure sounds like a candidate for Senate

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Sure feels like it’s a matter of when and not if Rep. Beto O’Rourke announces his candidacy for US Senate. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, is sailing toward a 2018 Senate campaign — an uphill battle that would pit … Continue reading →

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Mike Collier will run for Lt Gov

Posted on March 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is getting a Democratic challenger for re-election in 2018. The Texas Democratic Party said Thursday that Mike Collier is stepping down as finance chairman to start a campaign for lieutenant governor. “Dan Patrick has proven … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Dallas county elections

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

One more look at Dallas County, this time with the county-level judicial races. I like to use these partly because they’re a pretty good proxy for partisan preference, and partly because they provide a straight up two-party comparison, which is … Continue reading →

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Our first look at Senate district data

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib looks at the data we now have. In the state Senate, one Republican — Don Huffines of Dallas — is now representing a district that Clinton easily won, while two more — Konni Burton of Colleyville and Joan … Continue reading →

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Beto O’Rourke profile

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the WaPo, via the Trib, a profile of Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who may or may not be a candidate for Senate against Ted Cruz next year: Democrats might look at O’Rourke — a small-business owner with hipster credentials, a … Continue reading →

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Trump approval

Posted on February 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib does its poll thing. In his second month in office, President Donald Trump is getting overwhelmingly good grades on his job performance from the state’s Republicans, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll. Trump is popular … Continue reading →

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AG’s office sanctioned in voter registration lawsuit

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They were warned. A federal judge has ordered sanctions against the state of Texas for blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court order to hand over thousands of pages of documents in a lawsuit challenging its voter registration practices. Texas … Continue reading →

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As goes Tarrant

Posted on February 19, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Trib ponders the one big urban county that is not like the others. Among the state’s five biggest counties, Tarrant is the only one that hasn’t backed a Democratic presidential candidate in the past decade. The 2016 presidential election … Continue reading →

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Popovich for Governor

Posted on February 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This site was set up by a Facebook friend of mine. Right now, all that’s there is a form to fill out to exhort Spurs coach Gregg Popovich to run for Governor, plus links to buy Pop-for-Governor T-shirts. I doubt … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2018 | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Castro will let his Senate plans be known soon

Posted on February 15, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Allow six to eight weeks for delivery. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said Saturday that he will decide in eight weeks whether to run in 2018 for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Sen. Ted Cruz. Castro set … Continue reading →

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Texas Dems look to 2018

Posted on February 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few things to say about this. A tight-knit group of Texas Democratic leaders traveled to the state capital [in late January] to begin preliminary conversations about the 2018 midterm races. According to over a dozen interviews with … Continue reading →

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How all that activism is being received

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly looks at the recent spate of rallies and visits to Texas elected officials’ events and offices to see what’s up. John Simpson and Mark Leech had never participated in a protest before last month. In fact, the couple—who … Continue reading →

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Counting to 19 on SB6

Posted on February 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the number of votes needed to move the Patrick potty bill to the floor of the Senate for a full vote. At times, it seemed like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was a bit like a man on an island … Continue reading →

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DCCC says it will aim for three Texas Congressional seats

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see what this means in practice. The House Democratic campaign arm, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced Monday morning that the party intends to target two longtime GOP incumbents that, until recently, have long been considered locks for re-election: … Continue reading →

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Senate “sanctuary cities” bill hearing

Posted on February 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people came out to testify against it, which is a good thing. After a 16-hour hearing that included tears, heckling, bursts of anger and warnings from lawmakers to witnesses to respect the rules of the Capitol’s upper chamber, … Continue reading →

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Joaquin Castro still talking Senate

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So he says to Buzzfeed. Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro said Wednesday he’s considering challenging Republican Ted Cruz in the 2018 Texas Senate race and that he will decide by this spring. “I said that I’ll take a look at it … Continue reading →

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State fails to respond to voter registration lawsuit

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s an update on a different voting rights lawsuit from last year. Civil rights lawyers suing Texas over its voter registration practices are asking a federal judge to sanction the state for allegedly blowing past deadlines and ignoring a court … Continue reading →

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The Observer talks to Rep. Beto O’Rourke

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I wish this were longer, and I’d have definitely asked about how he plans to win a Senate election in 2018, if indeed he does run, but it’s worth reading nonetheless. You mentioned how incredibly expensive congressional elections have become. … Continue reading →

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Kerner announces intention to run in CD07

Posted on January 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In other candidate news, it has come to my attention that at Monday night’s Meyerland Democrats meeting, former HCDE Trustee Debra Kerner announced her intention to run against Rep. John Culberson in CD07. Kerner was elected to an At Large … Continue reading →

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What I’m looking for in the next HCDP Chair

Posted on January 18, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Following up on yesterday’s post, here are a few issues I’ve been thinking about regarding the position of HCDP Chair. 1. Focus on voter registration My main takeaway from this past election is that Harris County is now fundamentally blue, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2017 | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

It’s all bathrooms, all the time

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

People are paying attention to Dan Patrick’s anti-LGBT bathroom bill, and for the most part they do not like it. In early February, the Super Bowl will be in Houston and in late March, the women’s Final Four will be … Continue reading →

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Paxton’s trial date set

Posted on January 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mark your calendars, and stock up on the popcorn. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s trial on criminal securities fraud charges is set to begin May 1. Jury selection will be held April 20-21 and April 27-28, according to a recent … Continue reading →

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Patrick will run for re-election in 2018

Posted on January 12, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

In case you were worried that he was planning to “spend more time with his family”, or whatever. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick formally announced Monday he’s running for re-election, looking to finally quell speculation he’s interested in higher office. “Put … Continue reading →

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The Trib looks at Fort Bend’s Democratic trend

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

It’s worth noting. Despite long being considered a Republican county, Fort Bend went blue on Nov. 8 when Hillary Clinton won the county with an almost seven-point margin of victory. It wasn’t just an electoral flip — it was a … Continue reading →

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O’Rourke and Dowd say they want to challenge Cruz in 2018

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Beto O’Rourke upgraded his chances of running for the Senate in 2018 to “very likely”. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke said Thursday he is all but certain to make a run for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s seat in 2018. “I’ve … Continue reading →

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Effort to expedite redistricting ruling denied

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From the Lone Star Project: Earlier today, Federal District Court Judge Xavier Rodriguez denied the motion filed by the Texas congressional and State House redistricting plaintiffs calling on the three-judge federal district court in San Antonio to rule on the … Continue reading →

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CCA Judge Alcala not running for re-election in 2018

Posted on January 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our first open office for the next cycle. A Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge who is well known for her criticism of the death penalty announced on Thursday that she will not run for reelection when her term ends … Continue reading →

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