Tag Archives: Election 2018

Susan Hawk resigns as Dallas County DA

Posted on September 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Thus endeth her short but incredibly tumultuous time in office. After struggling with mental illness, including three admissions at psychiatric treatment centers, Republican Susan Hawk stepped down from her position as Dallas County District Attorney on Tuesday. “It is with … Continue reading →

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Taking on Ted

Posted on August 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Rep. Mike McCaul isn’t saying that he will, but he isn’t saying that he won’t, either. U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, is not ruling out challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018, but he’s emphasizing that he is not … Continue reading →

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Once more on HD146

Posted on August 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Christopher Hooks from the Observer was at Saturday’s festivities, and he files his report. And on Saturday, 24 precinct chairs met in a small room full of folding chairs at the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center in south Houston to pick Miles’ … Continue reading →

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Thierry wins HD146 nomination

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Our long strange trip is finally over. Democratic party precinct chairs chose their replacement Saturday morning for a vacant spot on the party’s November ballot. Attorney Shawn Thierry secured the nomination for House District 146, a seat left empty after … Continue reading →

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Can we PLEASE get some action on redistricting?

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the Lone Star Project: Earlier today, plaintiffs in the pending Texas congressional and state house redistricting case filed a motion with the presiding three-judge federal panel in San Antonio requesting a conference to discuss further action on the case. … Continue reading →

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There is a Castro thinking about running for office in 2018

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It’s Joaquin. And he’s thinking about the Senate. U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, has set off a new stir in Texas politics with his remark that he will consider challenging U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018. Castro, long … Continue reading →

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What next for Julian Castro?

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I can think of something for him to do. Housing Secretary Julián Castro was long touted as a possible running mate for Hillary Clinton, but when the call came Friday informing him that the presumptive Democratic nominee had picked someone … Continue reading →

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What it will take to win the District Court of Appeals benches

Posted on July 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve mentioned a couple of times that one place on the local ballot where Democrats could potentially gain some real ground is with the district Courts of Appeals. There are no competitive Congressional or State Senate races, the one competitive … Continue reading →

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More opposition to North Carolina’s HB2

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The Justice Department seeks to halt implementation of North Carolina’s viciously anti-LGBT law. The billowing legal fight over North Carolina’s House Bill 2 continued to grow this week with the U.S. Department of Justice asking a federal judge to suspend … Continue reading →

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Ellis wins Precinct 1 nomination

Posted on June 26, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

In the end, it wasn’t close. State Sen. Rodney Ellis on Saturday won the Democratic nomination for Precinct 1 Commissioner, effectively guaranteeing the veteran lawmaker the office. Ellis will be sacrificing 26 years in the Texas senate to become the … Continue reading →

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What’s the roadmap for ridesharing regulations look like?

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to be a challenge, no matter how you feel about it. Several state legislators have made it clear they’re eager to take control of rules for ride-hailing companies in Texas, shifting power from individual cities to the … Continue reading →

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What should the goals for 2016 be for Texas Dems?

Posted on June 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Given that carrying the state is highly unlikely, what else is there to aim for this year? So will Democrats make a presidential play for Texas or not? Presumptive nominee Hillary Clinton stoked the issue last month by saying she … Continue reading →

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Abbott, Patrick, and Trump

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

William Saletan: Republicans who have sworn allegiance to Donald Trump—the majority leaders of the United States House and Senate, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, and numerous governors and members of Congress—don’t think this country can return to the … Continue reading →

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Hillary Clinton on the Trump effect in Texas

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton posed a wild notion in a new interview: She could carry Texas in the fall. In a newly published New York magazine interview with reporter Rebecca Traister, … Continue reading →

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Texans say they favor Medicaid expansion

Posted on May 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This comes with a huge “but” attached to it. More than 60 percent of Texans support an expansion of Medicaid here and plan to take those views into the voting booth in November, a new survey commissioned by the Texas … Continue reading →

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Overview of the Commissioners Court Precinct 1 “race”

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I put “race” in quotes because it’s not like any other race you’v ever seen. The campaign for the next Harris County Precinct 1 commissioner appears in many ways like any other: candidates are raising money, seeking endorsements and sending … Continue reading →

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What, me worry?

Posted on May 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton? Sid Miller? Meh, no big deal. Gov. Greg Abbott is steering clear of the legal problems swirling around two of his fellow Republican statewide officials, saying he does not know the facts of their cases and expressing little … Continue reading →

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Castro says he’s not been vetted for VP

Posted on May 14, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

So much for that, it would seem. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro said Tuesday that, despite all the speculation that he’s being considered to be Hillary Clinton’s running mate, he hasn’t been vetted by the Democratic front-runner’s … 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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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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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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The state is starting to feel the squeeze

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Things are tough all over. The state is facing big problems affecting vulnerable populations that will take significant money to fix at the same time that a slump in the energy industry is chipping into its revenues, House Speaker Joe … Continue reading →

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Ken Paxton says he’ll run again in 2018

Posted on April 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As I fully expect he will. Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing state criminal charges and a federal complaint about his private business affairs, plans to run for re-election. “Let there be no doubt that at the appropriate time … Continue reading →

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Your increasingly regular Sid Miller update

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

What a piece of work this guy is. For years, a sticker affixed to more than 170,000 gas pumps in Texas featured a straightforward headline — “Fuel Feedback?” — alongside a toll-free number, email address and instructions for consumers with … Continue reading →

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Weekend scandal news roundup

Posted on April 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

If anything comes from the Texas Rangers investigation into his questionable expenditures, Ag Commissioner Sid Miller would be prosecuted in Travis County. If embattled Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is prosecuted for misusing government funds, his trial would be in … Continue reading →

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Ken who? Sid who?

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever you do, don’t mention the indicted Republican officeholders! The Texas attorney general has been indicted for allegedly duping investors in a tech startup, and the agriculture commissioner reportedly used tax dollars to travel to obtain a so-called Jesus shot … Continue reading →

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SEC files charges against Paxton

Posted on April 12, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Bam! Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been charged in federal court with allegedly misleading investors in a technology company. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filed the charges Monday in a Sherman-based court. They are similar to the allegations … Continue reading →

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The Rodeo had an extra clown this year

Posted on April 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

OK, it was a rodeo in Mississippi, but I wasn’t going to ruin a good headline. The point is, that clown’s name was Sid Miller. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller used a combination of taxpayer money and campaign funds to … Continue reading →

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We precinct chairs will have at least one more nomination to fill

Posted on April 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

As everyone knows, Democratic precinct chairs in Commissioners Court Precinct 1 will be selecting a nominee to replace the late El Franco Lee on the November ballot. If we wind up selecting someone who is also on the November ballot … Continue reading →

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We haven’t heard the last of TMF

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

He’ll be back. State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer says he laments nothing about a failed gambit for the state Senate that will end his 16-year stint with the Texas Legislature. The boisterous San Antonio Democrat, however, is leaving office at … Continue reading →

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Complaint filed against Sid Miller

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Game on. A liberal advocacy group on Monday asked the Texas Rangers to investigate whether Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller used taxpayer money to fly to Oklahoma to get an injection known as “the Jesus Shot” that is supposed to cure … Continue reading →

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Another look at how long the Paxton case could take

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The DMN makes the same comparisons that I have made. Ken Paxton has spent eight months — the majority of his time as attorney general — under indictment. The legal cloud shows no sign of dissipating. How long the case … Continue reading →

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What’s next for Adrian Garcia?

Posted on March 6, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

We haven’t seen the last of him, I suspect. In less than a year, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia has gone from being the top Democratic elected official in Harris County to an also-ran in back-to-back elections. Garcia’s resounding … Continue reading →

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