As we wait for Charles' manifesto...
-- Via Stace once more, the Democrats are crowding into AL1 (Costello, term-limited, running for mayor) and AL4 (Bradford, term-limited).
Not mentioned here is the candidacy of Jan Clark, an attorney/Realtor and the vice-president of the Oak Forest Democrats, who purportedly intends to run in At-Large 5 against Jack Christie.
It seems a shame to let Kubosh in AL3 just skate back in; maybe somebody will grow a pair and take him on. Christie seems notably the weakest incumbent on council after managing just 55% two years ago against two hapless Democrats (sorry, Noah's dad).
Update: Texpate expands a little on the above.
-- A rarely-cited source of local political news is Aubrey Taylor's blog; he's got the take on the three African American men bidding for mayor (Sylvester Turner, Ben Hall, and Sean Roberts). HBCM is difficult to read because of its style and graphics, but he has insights into the black community not found elsewhere online. Taylor sees some obstacles to Turner's front-running status at this early juncture, but goes out of his way to warn anybody from extrapolating that into his disfavoring the state representative's bid for mayor.
Methinks too much warning.
Noteworthy there is Congressman Al Green's early and second-time endorsement of Hall. As a sidebar conversation, there's a lot that could be blogged about Representative Green (who represented me before 2010 redistricting). My first falling-out with him was his support of the bankruptcy re-org legislation favored by the big banks in 2005; he's more recently voted in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. He might be best known outside of Houston for being a rail hog at SOTU speeches.
He's a big-time holy roller and probably has been friends with Hall since divinity school, the most likely motivation for his crossing the aisle and supporting this Republican in the mayor's race. While he's been a decent liberal on many issues, including gay rights, when he slips occasionally, they're doozies. Somebody needs to get the congressman on record in support of or in opposition to the city's equal rights ordinance, and contrast that with his support of Hall, who will no doubt be prevaricating on the topic again.
More as it develops.
Update: Marc Campos has crowned Bill King the monarch of potholes. That's the best thing that guy has blogged in years.
-- Via Stace once more, the Democrats are crowding into AL1 (Costello, term-limited, running for mayor) and AL4 (Bradford, term-limited).
Laurie Robinson, Amanda Edwards and Larry Blackmon will all run for the at-large city council seat to be vacated by C.O. “Brad” Bradford, according to campaign treasurer designations filed in recent weeks.
Bradford, a former chief of the Houston Police Department, was elected to at-large position four in 2009 and is now term limited. The seat in recent years has been held by an African American.
Robinson, who leads a management consulting firm, lost her race for an at-large seat in 2011, and considered, but declined, a repeat run in 2013. Edwards is an associate at the law firm Bracewell and Giuliani, and Blackmon is a retired school teacher active in local politics.
The other open-seat at-large race more quickly drew names: Lane Lewis, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party; Houston Community College trustee Chris Oliver; Trebor Gordon, who successfully challenged Houston’s campaign blackout period; Philippe Nassif, a local Democratic activist; and Jenifer Rene Pool, a leader in Houston’s transgender community are all running to succeed Stephen Costello, who is running for mayor after being term limited.
Not mentioned here is the candidacy of Jan Clark, an attorney/Realtor and the vice-president of the Oak Forest Democrats, who purportedly intends to run in At-Large 5 against Jack Christie.
It seems a shame to let Kubosh in AL3 just skate back in; maybe somebody will grow a pair and take him on. Christie seems notably the weakest incumbent on council after managing just 55% two years ago against two hapless Democrats (sorry, Noah's dad).
Update: Texpate expands a little on the above.
-- A rarely-cited source of local political news is Aubrey Taylor's blog; he's got the take on the three African American men bidding for mayor (Sylvester Turner, Ben Hall, and Sean Roberts). HBCM is difficult to read because of its style and graphics, but he has insights into the black community not found elsewhere online. Taylor sees some obstacles to Turner's front-running status at this early juncture, but goes out of his way to warn anybody from extrapolating that into his disfavoring the state representative's bid for mayor.
Methinks too much warning.
Noteworthy there is Congressman Al Green's early and second-time endorsement of Hall. As a sidebar conversation, there's a lot that could be blogged about Representative Green (who represented me before 2010 redistricting). My first falling-out with him was his support of the bankruptcy re-org legislation favored by the big banks in 2005; he's more recently voted in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline. He might be best known outside of Houston for being a rail hog at SOTU speeches.
He's a big-time holy roller and probably has been friends with Hall since divinity school, the most likely motivation for his crossing the aisle and supporting this Republican in the mayor's race. While he's been a decent liberal on many issues, including gay rights, when he slips occasionally, they're doozies. Somebody needs to get the congressman on record in support of or in opposition to the city's equal rights ordinance, and contrast that with his support of Hall, who will no doubt be prevaricating on the topic again.
More as it develops.
Update: Marc Campos has crowned Bill King the monarch of potholes. That's the best thing that guy has blogged in years.
