Tag Archives: Election 2026

Allred 2.0 launches

Posted on July 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

He’s back. Democrat Colin Allred launched his campaign for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, making a second run at the upper chamber after failing to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz last year. “Texans are working harder than ever, not getting as … Continue reading →

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SD09 special election set for November

Posted on July 1, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This could, and hopefully will, be interesting. Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday set a special election for Nov. 4 to fill the Texas Senate seat vacated by Republican Kelly Hancock, who resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become the acting state comptroller. The … Continue reading →

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Can we say we’re sure we know CM Plummer’s intentions by now?

Posted on June 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Tell me you’re running for County Judge without triggering the “resign to run” provision, somehow. For the second time in two weeks, information has inadvertently emerged hinting that Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer intends to run for Harris County … Continue reading →

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We will learn Judge Hidalgo’s election intentions soon

Posted on June 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo intends to announce her decision on if she will run again in 2026 in the coming weeks. The news came amid building uncertainty and speculation regarding the two-term judge’s electoral intentions. She poured cold … Continue reading →

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Mayor Parker speaks about her candidacy for County Judge

Posted on June 28, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I am once again pointing you to a recent episode of CityCast Houston, this time to hear a conversation they had with former Mayor Annise Parker about her candidacy for Harris County Judge: See here for some background. As noted … Continue reading →

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Paxton minions hurl accusations at each other

Posted on June 27, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What a nest of vipers the AG’s office must be. Several former and current top aides of Attorney General Ken Paxton are trading explosive accusations in legal and administrative filings, the latest of which alleges that Paxton’s right-hand deputy obstructed … Continue reading →

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Virts becomes first official Dem Senate candidate

Posted on June 25, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Surely not the last. Terry Virts, a former astronaut and International Space Station commander, announced Monday he is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas as a Democrat. With his campaign launch, Virts became the first Democrat to join what … Continue reading →

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Abbott vetoes THC bill and calls special session

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Waited till the last minute because he’s such a drama queen. Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday vetoed a contentious state ban on THC products and shortly after called a special legislative session asking lawmakers to instead strictly regulate the substance. … Continue reading →

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Bobby Cole

Posted on June 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox, we have a Democrat running for Governor: Democrat Bobby Cole today announces his candidacy for Governor of Texas. Born near Houston and raised in East Texas, Bobby understands what everyday Texans are going through, because he’s been … Continue reading →

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No one knows what Greg Abbott will do, special session edition

Posted on June 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll probably know something by the end of the day today, but beyond that who knows. Gov. Greg Abbott seemed to get everything he wanted out of the Texas Legislature this year. “Without a doubt, this is the best session … Continue reading →

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The Paxton opportunity

Posted on June 21, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From Axios: A new private GOP poll is showing Republicans facing a growing problem in the Texas Senate race, the third such survey in just a month. Why it matters: Republicans haven’t lost a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades, … Continue reading →

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Abbott appoints Sen. Hancock as Comptroller

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

New guy alert. Republican state Sen. Kelly Hancock launched his campaign for state comptroller Thursday shortly after taking a senior position at the comptroller’s office. His appointment as chief clerk to Comptroller Glenn Hegar paves the way for Hanock, a … Continue reading →

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Tarrant County plaintiffs amend their complaint

Posted on June 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

From the Lone Star Project: Attorneys acting on behalf of an expanded list of citizen plaintiffs have amended claims against MAGA County Judge Tim O’Hare and Tarrant County Texas for the adoption of a mid-decade County Commissioners Precinct map that … Continue reading →

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KP George switches parties

Posted on June 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Hilarious. Fort Bend County Judge KP George has made the switch from Democrat to Republican as he faces felony charges of money laundering. George stated that he is joining the Republican Party because, “The Democratic Party has embraced a corrupt … Continue reading →

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The other redistricting matter

Posted on June 18, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story from the Fort Worth Report on the redistricting trial going on in El Paso, with a focus on the effect in Tarrant County. Federal judges in El Paso are reviewing a lawsuit that alleges Texas redistricting architects … Continue reading →

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Recall Houston sets a petition timeline

Posted on June 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Okay. The group aiming to oust Mayor John Whitmire has set a timeline for its efforts to petition for a recall election. Recall For Houston announced it is eyeing to begin collecting signatures in the fall. In the meantime, the … Continue reading →

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A few 2026 statewide candidate tidbits

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This Politico story is mostly a lot of chatter from Texas Dems who have many different opinions about what kind of candidates ought to be running statewide next year. I’m not interested in that, but there were some newsy bits … Continue reading →

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New public defender incoming

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Congrats all around. For the first time in more than a decade, a new face will lead the Harris County Public Defender’s Office. Commissioners appointed Judge Genesis Draper of Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 12 to lead the public defender’s office … Continue reading →

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Is CM Plummer running for County Judge?

Posted on June 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe! Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer might be entering the race for Harris County judge, according to a copy of a now-deleted document posted by the Spring Branch Democrats Club that was shared with the Houston Chronicle. The Spring … Continue reading →

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Republicans not saying anything about the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 13, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A mostly no news update. Texas Republicans were evasive Thursday about a request from the White House to redistrict the state ahead of the 2026 midterm elections after exiting a meeting in Washington to discuss the proposal. President Donald Trump’s … Continue reading →

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Annise Parker will run for Harris County Judge

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A long-expected announcement. A familiar face is planning a comeback to Houston’s political scene. Former Houston Mayor Annise Parker announced Wednesday that she will run for Harris County judge in 2026. Parker, who led Houston from 2010 to 2016 and … Continue reading →

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More on the re-redistricting proposal

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Votebeat addresses a few questions. How do Texans in Congress feel about the proposal? On Capitol Hill, members of the Texas GOP delegation huddled Monday night to discuss the prospect of reshaping their districts. Most of the 25-member group expressed … Continue reading →

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Some people are big mad at Dan Patrick

Posted on June 12, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

It’s fun to watch. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was clear from the start. Weeks before this year’s legislative session began, and before he announced any other priorities, the Republican Senate leader said he wanted lawmakers to ban, at any cost, … Continue reading →

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Texas Congressional Republicans considering a new map for 2026

Posted on June 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? President Trump’s political team is encouraging Republican leaders in Texas to examine how House district lines in the state could be redrawn ahead of next year’s midterm elections to try to save the party’s endangered majority, according to people … Continue reading →

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The THC ban and the Houston retail market

Posted on June 8, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. The bright lights of Bahama Mama’s flagship store along Lower Westheimer turned on a year ago, welcoming passersby into a hemp shop unlike anything else in Houston. A red carpet rolled into a mirrored showroom stocked with nearly every … Continue reading →

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Add Rep. Talarico to the “thinking about running for Senate” list

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Join the party, there’s plenty of room. State Rep. James Talarico, a former schoolteacher who often goes viral on social media for his feisty exchanges with Republicans, told Hearst Newspapers he is considering a bid for the U.S. Senate in … Continue reading →

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A change in when we vote early

Posted on June 7, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. Texas will no longer have a three-day gap between the end of early voting and Election Day under a bill passed by the Texas Legislature that is heading to Gov. Greg Abbott. Currently, Texas ends in-person early voting … Continue reading →

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Tarrant county does mid-decade redistricting and gets sued over it

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

First there was this. The Tarrant County Commissioners Court could get a bigger conservative majority next year under a new map passed Tuesday. Republican Commissioners Manny Ramirez, Matt Krause and County Judge Tim O’Hare voted to adopt the map. Democratic … Continue reading →

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Abbott will be appointing a new Comptroller soon

Posted on June 5, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder. And that person will have a lot more influence than usual coming out of the gate. Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to choose a new state comptroller in the next few weeks, who will have an outsized … Continue reading →

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Time to bury the 2025 Legislature

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good riddance. Texas lawmakers gaveled out of their 140-day legislative session on Monday after passing a raft of conservative policies, from private school vouchers to tighter bail laws, that furthered the state’s march to the right. The Legislature wrapped up … Continue reading →

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Still on the “what will Greg Abbott do with the THC ban” question

Posted on June 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

He’s going to take his sweet time, that much is for sure. Gov. Greg Abbott is facing intense political pressure over a bill that would ban products containing tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, as hemp industry leaders mount a full-court press urging … Continue reading →

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The THC ban and hemp farmers

Posted on June 3, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Obviously bad for them. Six years ago, Texas lawmakers opened a door to a new lifeline for farmers: growing hemp. Farmers invested time, money and land into growing the drought-resistant crop and developing the state’s budding hemp industry. The same … Continue reading →

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Abbott’s decision and Patrick’s tantrum

Posted on May 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A brief roundup of some THC stories… What will Greg Abbott do? Gov. Greg Abbott has been tight-lipped about whether he’ll sign the bill on his desk that would ban THC in Texas. I don’t envy him. There’s really no … Continue reading →

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THC retailers upset by THC ban

Posted on May 26, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

What are y’all going to do about it? Sydney Torabi, co-founder of Austin-based Restart CBD, could only watch in disbelief late Wednesday night as the Texas House delivered a key vote to push through a ban on all products containing … Continue reading →

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