Tag Archives: interviews

Interview with Twila Carter

Posted on September 26, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on with At Large #3, today we meet Twila Carter, who among other things has had one of the best jobs of anyone I’ve interviewed: For over a decade, she served as Senior Vice President of Community Relations of … Continue reading →

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Interview with Donnell Cooper

Posted on September 25, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

The last open At Large seat is At Large #3, which also has the biggest field of nine candidates. I have interviews with four of them this week, beginning with Donnell Cooper. Cooper is a Houston Community College Acres Homes … Continue reading →

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Interview with Marina Coryat

Posted on September 22, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our week of interviews with At Large #2 candidates with Marina Coryat, a Trinidadian immigrant who has served as Communications Director for Texas State Representative Senfronia Thompson since 2019. Coryat has worked in the city’s Solid Waste … Continue reading →

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Interview with Holly Vilaseca

Posted on September 21, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We continue our week of At Large #2 with a familiar name, Holly Flynn Vilaseca, who served for five years as HISD Trustee, being appointed in January 2017 to fill out an unexpired term and then winning a full term … Continue reading →

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Interview with Danielle Bess

Posted on September 20, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Next up in At Large #2 we have Danielle Bess, a native Houstonian, Navy veteran, and real estate professional. Bess has been involved in politics for a long time, having worked with campaigns ranging from Obama for America, Sheila Jackson … Continue reading →

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Interview with Obes Nwabara

Posted on September 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on in At Large #2, today we talk with Obes Nwabara, who is a son of Nigerian immigrants and a 2009 graduate of UH. He has worked in a number of industries including energy, food service, and healthcare, and … Continue reading →

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Interview with Nick Hellyar

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We move now into At Large #2, where I will have four candidates to bring to you. First up is Nick Hellyar, who had run for At Large #4 in 2019 and finished third in the field of eleven that … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Letitia Plummer

Posted on September 15, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As noted yesterday, there are two At Large Council members running for re-election. CM Letitia Plummer is the incumbent in At Large #4, where she has focused on police reform, Houston’s food deserts, and the need for apartment inspectors. She … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Sallie Alcorn

Posted on September 14, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are three open At Large Council seats this year, which means there are two incumbents running for re-election. Council Member Sallie Alcorn is the incumbent in At Large #5, serving as the chair of the Regulatory and Neighborhood Affairs … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Abbie Kamin

Posted on September 13, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We take a brief diversion from the At Large races today to have a conversation with Council Member Abbie Kamin, the incumbent in District C. A civil rights attorney who served the Associate Regional Director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Southwest … Continue reading →

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Interview with Melanie Miles

Posted on September 12, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing on in At Large #1 we have Melanie Miles, a board-certified family law attorney and member of the Harris County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission. Miles has a degree in computer information systems and worked as a systems engineer for … Continue reading →

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Interview with Leah Wolfthal

Posted on September 11, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

As I said last week, most of the action is in the At Large races, where there are three open seats and a lot of candidates. There are six candidates in At Large #1, including a current HISD Trustee that … Continue reading →

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Interview with CM Tarsha Jackson

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It’s more than fair to say that first-term District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson had a long, strange trip to electoral success Even then there were still things that happened, but she made it in the end. Jackson is a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Joaquin Martinez

Posted on September 7, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Moving over to District I, there’s a two candidate race to succeed term-limited (and Mayoral candidate) Council Member Robert Gallegos. One of those candidates has no web presence and has filed no finance reports. The other is Joaquin Martinez, who … Continue reading →

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Interview with Cynthia Reyes-Revilla

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There are five candidates running for the open District H seat on Council, but only two of them had raised any money as of July or shown much in the way of campaign activity. As such, I will conclude my … Continue reading →

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Interview with Mario Castillo

Posted on September 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We move on to City Council races now. This is a weird year in that only six of the sixteen Council seats are open – 2027 is gonna be crazy, y’all – with most of the fierce action in the … Continue reading →

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Interview with Plácido Gómez

Posted on August 31, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up our week of HISD election interviews with Plácido Gómez, who is running to succeed Judith Crus in HISD District VIII. A native of New Mexico and a graduate of Rice University, Gómez was a student volunteer at … Continue reading →

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Interview with Judith Cruz

Posted on August 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Continuing our series of HISD Trustee interviews, today we have Judith Cruz, the elected Trustee in District VIII. Like Dani Hernandez, Cruz’ victory in 2019 knocked out an incumbent in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan; … Continue reading →

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Interview with Dani Hernandez

Posted on August 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Today’s interview is with Dani Hernandez, the elected HISD Trustee in District III. Her win in 2019 ousted one of the trustees that had been involved in the illegal meeting to discuss ousting interim Superintendent Grenita Lathan. Hernandez is a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Kathy Blueford-Daniels

Posted on August 28, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

It is time once again for interview season. The City of Houston races are the marquee attraction for 2023 but we still have HISD Trustee elections and they matter even as their power has been temporarily removed. We begin today … Continue reading →

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Interview with Janette Garza Lindner

Posted on June 19, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Like you, I have many questions about the appointed Board of Managers and how they will operate, how they will oversee appointed Superintendent Mike Miles, how they’ll achieve the success they’ve been told to achieve, and more. As it happens, … Continue reading →

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Chron editorial board interviews Mike Morath

Posted on March 30, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

There’s video and a transcript here. After explaining that he missed the initial TEA community engagement sessions because he was “under the weather”, he gets asked the key question: Lisa Falkenberg 1:55 Mhmm. Okay, and then, so, we’re trying to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Commissioner Adrian Garcia

Posted on October 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I’m going to guess you’re probably familiar with Adrian Garcia, who is serving his first term as Harris County Commissioner in Precinct 2. He served three terms as Houston City Council member in District H, with his first election in … Continue reading →

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Interview with Rochelle Garza

Posted on October 17, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

You are probably well acquainted with the current Attorney General of Texas. My goal here is to help acquaint you with the person who should be the next Attorney General of Texas, Rochelle Garza. A Brownsville native and fifth-generation Texan, … Continue reading →

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Interviews with Janet Dudding and Jay Kleberg

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We are at the point of the calendar where there are only a few interviews left for me to do, and everyone is super busy and has things come up at inconvenient times. The upshot is that I don’t have … Continue reading →

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Interview with Luke Warford

Posted on October 5, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

The Texas Railroad Commission is that office where you always have to explain to normal people that it has nothing to do with its name. No trains, just energy, especially oil and gas leasing and inspections and other things. Including … Continue reading →

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Interview with Susan Hays

Posted on October 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

It’s time for some interviews with statewide candidates. It’s hard to say which of the Republican statewide incumbents is the worst and most in need of being unelected – they all have strong cases, and there’s always something worse to … Continue reading →

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Interview with Amy Hinojosa

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We wrap up with my second Harris County Department of Education trustee interview. HCDE races are at the bottom of the ballot, the office and its trustees are usually not in the public limelight, and many people don’t know much … Continue reading →

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Interview with Andrea Duhon

Posted on September 28, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

There are two incumbent trustees on the Harris County Board of Education on the ballot this November. Both were appointed to their current positions, and one is running for a different position than the one she currently holds. Andrea Duhon … Continue reading →

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Interview with Teneshia Hudspeth

Posted on September 26, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We are moving the focus back to local offices this week, with three interviews of incumbents running for re-election. Teneshia Hudspeth is seeking her first full term as Harris County Clerk. A longtime employee of the Clerk’s office before winning … Continue reading →

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Interview with Cam Campbell

Posted on September 23, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I have spoken to many candidates for office over the years, from all walks of life. I don’t believe I had spoken to one who is called “Coach” before, but that ends today with Cameron “Coach Cam” Campbell, the Democratic … Continue reading →

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Interview with Laura Jones

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

For my second Congressional interview this week we stay up north for a visit with Laura Jones, the Democratic candidate un CD08, which is open this year following the retirement announcement of Rep. Kevin Brady. Jones is a small business … Continue reading →

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Interview with Robin Fulford

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This week I have interviews with two Congressional candidates. First up is a very familiar name to local Democrats, Robin Fulford. Fulford is an activist, organizer, and founding member of the Democratic Club of The Woodlands. Fulford comes from a … Continue reading →

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Interview with Stephanie Morales

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

After redistricting, there is at this time one swing State House district in Harris County, and that’s HD138. HD133 was closer in 2020 at the Presidential level, but no other Dem statewide candidate did better than 44%. HD132 is a … Continue reading →

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