Tag Archives: Montgomery County

Primary early voting: Comparing 2020 to 2016

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron looks into the early voting numbers around the state. Experts cautioned that early voting data should be taken with a grain of salt — for one because the subset of people who vote early aren’t necessarily representative of … Continue reading →

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2020 Primary Early Voting begins today

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Charles Kuffner

We don’t have a long primary season in Texas – the filing deadline was barely two months ago, though to be sure some candidates have been running for much longer than that – and the first part of it is … Continue reading →

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The Democratic Club of The Woodlands

Posted on September 21, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Yes, there are Democrats in The Woodlands. That should not come as a surprise to anyone. Residents of The Woodlands who identify as Democrats often say they feel out of place or unwelcome in Republican-dominated Montgomery County. Some have relayed … Continue reading →

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Our all-important metro areas

Posted on August 27, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Another look at the trouble Republicans face in Texas now. The key to Texas’ political future is whether it finally follows the geographic realignment that has transformed the politics of many other states over the past quarter century. Across the … Continue reading →

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We’re still #4

Posted on July 26, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll probably be that for awhile. According to the new report from the Greater Houston Partnership, the domestic population growth for the Houston region has slowed down over the last eight years. The report, which is based on population estimates … Continue reading →

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Scouting the opposition in CD07

Posted on June 17, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Not impressed so far. Facing a roomful of conservative voters at a meet-and-greet earlier this month, Republican Wesley Hunt laid out the stakes for his party’s primary in Texas’ 7th Congressional District. “This is about putting the best candidate forward … Continue reading →

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Anadarko anxiety

Posted on June 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We know how you feel, The Woodlands. Occidental last month agreed to buy Anadarko for $38 billion, outbidding the much bigger oil company Chevron. The looming question is whether Oxy will maintain a presence in The Woodlands or move out … Continue reading →

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Hogs in the city

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Too close, y’all. Too close. If you have noticed more feral hogs in your Houston-area neighborhood recently, you are not alone. Neighbors across the Greater Houston report the wild animals are more frequently making their way into their subdivisions and … Continue reading →

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Bills to restore Open Meetings Act filed

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

This is good to see. Two state legislators are aiming to restore a provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act that was struck down last week by the state’s highest criminal court. Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Rep. Dade Phelan, … Continue reading →

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Not so open meetings

Posted on March 1, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll have to see how big a deal this is. In a major blow to the state’s government transparency laws, Texas’ highest criminal court has struck down a significant provision of the Texas Open Meetings Act, calling it “unconstitutionally vague.” … Continue reading →

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Measles comes back to Houston

Posted on February 6, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

We all vaccinated our kids, right? Five cases of measles have been confirmed in the greater Houston area, a regional cluster that makes Texas the eleventh state this year to report the highly contagious disease until recently thought virtually eliminated … Continue reading →

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Ron Reynolds reports to jail

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see how long a year lasts. State Rep. Ron Reynolds has turned himself in to authorities in Montgomery County to begin serving his year-long jail sentence. Reynolds, a Democrat from Missouri City, was convicted in 2015 on misdemeanor charges … Continue reading →

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CCA refuses to hear Ron Reynolds’ appeal

Posted on May 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s getting awfully close to midnight. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to review state Rep. Ron Reynolds’ criminal conviction and one-year jail sentence, according to online court records. The Missouri City Democrat had asked the court to … Continue reading →

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Harris County is not growing the way it used to

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And the reason for that is that people aren’t moving here the way they used to. Quite the opposite, in fact. There’s been a lot of publicity lately about the fact that in the last couple of years, Harris County … Continue reading →

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This is our most “run everywhere” election ever

Posted on March 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We already knew this, and have quantified it in a number of ways, but it’s still worth taking a moment to marvel at the surge of Democratic candidates this year. Before she could talk about her campaign for the Texas … Continue reading →

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Meanwhile, in Montgomery County

Posted on March 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There they go again. The Republican primary defeat of embattled Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal — and close contests in two county commissioner races headed for runoffs — could signal major leadership changes and a shift further to the right … Continue reading →

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2018 primary early voting, Day Four: On to the suburbs

Posted on February 24, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s Mike Snyder ventures outside Harris County for early voting numbers. As the Chronicle’s Jeremy Wallace reported, nearly 50,000 people voted in the Democratic primary on Tuesday, the first day of early voting, in the state’s 15 most populous … Continue reading →

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Filing roundup: Outside Harris County

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

A look at who filed for what on the Democratic side in the counties around Harris. These are all predominantly Republican counties, some more than others, so the Democrats are almost all challengers. On the flip side, there are many … Continue reading →

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High speed rail line route finalist chosen

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Here’d where the Texas Central rail route will be, modulo some possible final tweaks and any further political obstacles. Federal officials narrowed the possible paths for a Dallas-Houston bullet train down to one likely route Friday, providing an unknown number … Continue reading →

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You can’t legislate from jail

Posted on December 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the Ron Reynolds story. There’s a chance state Rep. Ron Reynolds could be sentenced to serve a year in jail next year. If that happens, he wouldn’t have to resign, according to state officials. The Houston-area Democrat recently lost … Continue reading →

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Appeals court upholds Reynolds barratry conviction

Posted on December 3, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not good. A Texas appeals court has upheld the conviction of state Rep. Ron Reynolds, who was found guilty in 2015 of engaging in a scheme to illegally solicit potential clients for his law firm. The three-judge appellate panel ruled … Continue reading →

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Filing news: The “What’s up with Lupe Valdez?” edition

Posted on December 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

On Wednesday, we were told that Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez had resigned her post in preparation for an announcement that she would be filing to run for Governor. Later that day, the story changed – she had not resigned, … Continue reading →

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The rural/suburban tradeoff

Posted on August 10, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Martin Longman returns to a point he has been making about the way the vote shifted in the 2016 election. Let’s try to be clear about what we mean. Hillary Clinton won a lot of votes in the suburbs from … Continue reading →

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Another look at redistricting in Texas

Posted on June 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re in the spotlight right now. The odd shapes tell the story. A huge Republican majority in the Houston-area 2nd congressional district represented by Ted Poe curls around the region from Lake Houston, northeast of the city, makes a meandering, … Continue reading →

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Here comes Conroe

Posted on June 6, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not so little anymore. This isn’t the first time Conroe, population 82,286, has recorded notable growth. In 2015, it was one of the 13 fastest-growing cities by percentage, ranking sixth below other Texas cities like San Marcos, Georgetown and Frisco. … Continue reading →

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Ogg launches her pot prosecution reform program

Posted on February 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve been waiting for this. The Harris County district attorney’s plan to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana drew reactions swift and strong Thursday from both sides of the debate. District Attorney Kim Ogg made the announced Thursday backed by a … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Don’t be mesmerized by the Clinton/Trump numbers

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the DMN: Donald Trump may have carried Texas and clinched the White House in November, but support for the Republican presidential nominee waned in parts of the Dallas area — news that, in a typical election year, could spell … Continue reading →

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Statewide review: 2016 was like 2008, but not in a good way

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

There’s no point in beating around the bush, so I’ll just come out and say it: Despite the excitement about increases in voter registration and heavy early voting turnout. statewide Democratic candidates outside of Hillary Clinton generally did not do … Continue reading →

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Early voting starts today

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart announced today that 46 locations will be open Monday, October 24 to Friday, November 4 where voters in the third largest County in the nation may cast ballots during the early voting … Continue reading →

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Stuck in the MUD

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Tricky things, these municipal utility districts. MUD 187 came to be when a Houston developer arranged for two people to move their trailer onto a 519-acre site on the edge of Richmond in Fort Bend County, which at the time … Continue reading →

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Have we reached a tipping point on flood mitigation?

Posted on August 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a question that is alluded to but not directly addressed in this story. “This is how the land is supposed to act,” said Mary Anne Piacentini, executive director of the Katy Prairie Conservancy, a nonprofit land trust. “It’s supposed … Continue reading →

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Montgomery County Judge suspended for road bond allegations

Posted on July 1, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

This just keeps getting better. A state commission has suspended Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal without pay after a grand jury charged him with violating Texas’ open meetings law while developing a bond package for new and improved roads. The … Continue reading →

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Montgomery County officials indicted over road bond shenanigans

Posted on June 28, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I know I’m a bad person, but this continues to amuse me greatly. A grand jury has indicted Montgomery County Judge Craig Doyal and two commissioners, charging them with violating Texas’ open meetings law last year while developing a bond … Continue reading →

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Reynolds loses another request in court

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

More bad news. State Rep. Ron Reynolds has lost his bid to resume practicing law while he appeals his conviction for illegally soliciting clients. Montgomery County County Court-at-Law Judge Mary Ann Turner on Thursday denied the request by Reynolds, who … Continue reading →

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