Tag Archives: Mayor

Looking ahead to 2019

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, yes, I know. We’ve barely begun the 2018 cycle. Who in their right mind is thinking about 2019? I plead guilty to political insanity, but the beginning of the year is always the best time to look forward, and … Continue reading →

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RIP, Peter Brown

Posted on December 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A dedicated public servant and a heck of a nice guy. Former Houston city councilman, mayoral candidate and civic leader Peter Brown has died, his family said Tuesday. Brown, an architect and urban planner, was 81. “A loving father, committed … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

An unsatisfying attempt at projecting turnout

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

So as we all know, this in an unprecedented election, as there are no city races on the ballot. This has everyone wondering about turnout, because the usual drivers of turnout are a Mayor’s race and/or a big referendum, and … Continue reading →

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July 2017 campaign finance reports – City of Houston

Posted on July 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s continue our survey of campaign finance reports with reports from the city of Houston. Name Raised Spent Loans On Hand ================================================ Turner 520,430 138,068 0 1,643,519 Stardig 59,470 36,402 0 102,289 Davis 5,500 13,231 0 147,050 Cohen 5,000 8,382 … Continue reading →

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Firefighters’ lawsuit over pension reform law tossed

Posted on July 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There it goes. A state district judge on Friday dismissed Houston firefighters’ lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the city’s pension reform package, removing a potential barrier to the city’s efforts to solve a 16-year fiscal crisis. State District Judge Patricia … Continue reading →

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

May runoff results

Posted on June 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I know I’ve been all about the Pearland and Pasadena runoffs, but this is easily the big story from yesterday. With little more than 75% of precincts reporting, Mayor Ivy Taylor conceded victory to Councilman Ron Nirenberg (D8) just after … Continue reading →

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Today is Runoff Day

Posted on June 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

While I have nothing to vote for tomorrow, there are hot races in Pasadena and Pearland. Changes in Pearland’s demographics have mirrored those in Houston, amplifying the effects of what this election will show, University of Houston political scientist Brandon … Continue reading →

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Mayors (still) against climate change

Posted on June 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta do it. On Thursday, President Donald Trump officially announced that the United States would be withdrawing from the Paris climate agreement, citing the deal’s failure “to serve American interests.” Hours later, governors, mayors, and environmental groups all had … Continue reading →

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San Antonio files “sanctuary cities” lawsuit

Posted on June 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here they go. The cities of San Antonio and Austin announced on Thursday they have joined the fight to stop the state’s new immigration enforcement law, Senate Bill 4, in federal court. […] The Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational … Continue reading →

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Runoff endorsement watch: Moon for Mayor

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron picks their second choice for Mayor of Pasadena. The second-largest city in Harris County could use a good shake-up. That’s why voters should elect John “J.R.” Moon Jr. for mayor in the city’s runoff election. Moon, 58, would … Continue reading →

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Things get ugly in the Pearland runoffs

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Nasty. The hijab that Dalia Kasseb wears in public never seemed to disturb Woody Owens, her opponent in a June 10 runoff for a Pearland City Council position. Owens, Kasseb told me, has been perfectly cordial when their paths have … Continue reading →

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On to the revenue cap

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

With one major accomplishment (basically) finished, Mayor Turner moves on to the next major challenge facing him. “This is the most consequential campaign of the mayor’s career,” University of Houston political scientist Brandon Rottinghaus said. “These things are more complicated … Continue reading →

Posted in Local politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

May 6 election results

Posted on May 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

First and foremost, the HISD recapture re-referendum passed by a wide margin. The Yes vote was at 85% in early and absentee voting, and it will finish with about 84%; I started writing this at 10 PM, when 437 of … Continue reading →

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Final EV report for the May 6 election

Posted on May 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Before I get to the numbers, here’s a Chron overview of the Pasadena Mayor’s race that mentions the numbers towards the end. “I believe it’s a pivotal time in this city’s history – that it can either draw together and … Continue reading →

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Justice Department will send election monitors to Pasadena

Posted on May 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The U.S. Department of Justice is monitoring the Pasadena city elections as the suburb faces mounting federal scrutiny in the wake of a federal judge’s ruling that the city intentionally violated the Voting Rights Act by discriminating against Hispanics. … Continue reading →

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Trib overview of the Pasadena elections

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Good stuff. When voters head to the polls here Saturday, their city council and mayoral picks could have repercussions well beyond this working-class Houston suburb. It will be the first election since a federal judge struck down the city’s 2013 … Continue reading →

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Early voting Day Five: Can we make any guesses yet?

Posted on April 29, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Snyder wonders about the turnout so far in the May elections. When Pasadena last chose a mayor, in 2013, about 7 percent of its registered voters determined who would lead the industrial port city of 150,000. Mayor Johnny Isbell, who … Continue reading →

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Early voting so far

Posted on April 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks at the first day of early voting and some area races. Early voting began Monday for local elections next month that will determine who leads increasingly diverse Pasadena, the fate of a major school bond referendum in … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Project LIFT

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Democratic Party has endorsed a slew of progressive candidates enrolled in their Project LIFT (Local Investment in the Future of Texas) program. There were five rounds of endorsements, beginning on March 10: Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 … Continue reading →

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Petitions submitted to force another pension vote

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, good grief. Voters soon could decide whether to close Houston’s traditional pension plans to new employees after political activists submitted a petition to City Hall to force a referendum this November. The petition further complicates Mayor Sylvester Turner’s efforts … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Chron for Van Houte and recapture

Posted on April 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are your Chronicle endorsements for the May election. First, for Mayor of Pasadena: Of the five candidates who met with the Chronicle editorial board – two declined – only Van Houte was willing to bluntly and accurately diagnose the … Continue reading →

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Early voting for May elections begins tomorrow

Posted on April 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Tomorrow is the first day of the nine-day early voting period for the May 6 election. I’ve generally not paid a great deal of attention to these May elections, but it’s safe to say that This Time It’s Different, and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Gloria Gallegos

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have one more interview for Pasadena Mayor to bring you. Gloria Gallegos is the Associate Superintendent of Special Programs for the Pasadena Independent School District, having worked her career in education beginning as an elementary school teacher. A native … Continue reading →

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Interview with Pat Van Houte

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

There’s a lot of interest in the May elections this year, driven in large part by a newfound level of engagement from progressives and other Trump opponents. Of the races in the Houston area, the most consequential is the Pasadena … Continue reading →

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Pasadena Council not happy with redistricting appeal

Posted on April 7, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Or maybe they’re just not happy with soon-to-be-former Mayor Isbell. Either way, they showed it. In a sign of waning confidence in its legal position, the Pasadena City Council voted Tuesday to withhold payment from the law firm that’s trying … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Millennials for office

Posted on March 22, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this. These days, Kylie Mugleston spends a lot of time on street corners, piquing drivers’ curiosity with a sign that says “Talk to Your Future Politician.” The 19-year-old is heading a political campaign … Continue reading →

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TOP responds to Chron story on Mayor Turner

Posted on March 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Via the inbox, we come full circle: The following is a statement by Tarsha Jackson, Harris County director of the Texas Organizing Project, in reaction to the article “Progressives fret over Turner’s focus”: “Far from fretting over Mayor Sylvester Turner’s … Continue reading →

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Is there some fretting about Mayor Turner?

Posted on March 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe? I don’t know. I guess it depends on how you define “fretting”. The resignation of Mayor Sylvester Turner’s top deputy – a social justice advocate and one of the mayor’s few confidants in a sea of senior staff appointed … Continue reading →

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We could be at the end of the road of the Pasadena redistricting case

Posted on March 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Mike Snyder continues his reporting on the Pasadena redistricting litigation. He notes that while the whole thing was concocted and pushed forward by current Mayor Johnny Isbel, several of the candidates to succeed Isbell are not interesting in picking up … Continue reading →

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A brief look at Pearland’s elections

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pasadena isn’t the only area city with a name that starts with P that will be electing a new Mayor this May. Every weekday morning, Quentin Wiltz drives about 30 miles from his home in Pearland to his job in … Continue reading →

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Some dude opposes pension reform

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Presenting this in a slightly redacted form. [Some dude] has joined friend and ally Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, in rallying opposition to [Mayor Sylvester] Turner’s [pension reform] proposal among conservatives. He has attended at least three dozen forums on the … Continue reading →

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January 2017 campaign finance reports: Houston officeholders

Posted on February 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Normally, at this time I would be scanning through Houston candidate campaign finance reports, to see where incumbents stand at the start of the season. Of course, barring near-term court action there is no season for Houston municipal officeholders this … Continue reading →

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The 2017 lineup for Pasadena

Posted on February 21, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here are the candidates for office in Pasadena for this May: I wish I could give that to you in a more reader-friendly format, but online news sources for this are scant. This Patch.com story is the only post-filing deadline … Continue reading →

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“The Short, Tumultuous Tenure Of Corpus Christi Mayor Dan McQueen”

Posted on February 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

This is just amazing. After just 37 days in office, Dan McQueen announced his resignation as the mayor of Corpus Christi via Facebook last Wednesday. “Consider this my resignation. I resign immediately,” he wrote in the Facebook post, according to the … Continue reading →

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