Houston Blogs: Houston Political Blog

1st on the Blog: Gordon Quan to announce for County Judge

Former Mayor Pro Tem Gordon Quan has decided to run for Harris County Judge on the Democratic ticket. We first reported here a few weeks ago that the immigration attorney was mulling over the concept. We have since learned that Quan has hired veteran political consultant Mike Malaise, and is set for an announcement ASAP.

His official news conference will be sometime next week.

Quan was elected at large, and does have firm Democratic roots. However, he irked some local Democrats in the most recent election by recording a robocall for Controller candidate M.J. Khan. Khan is a Republican, so Quan endorsement of him didn’t sit too well with some Dems. Then again, Democratic candidate Chris Bell also recorded a robocall for a Republican candidate in the City’s non-partisan race, so perhaps all will be forgotten.

It’s no secret that Quan has wanted to run for something for a long, long time. He toyed with the idea of running for Congress. However, his family doesn’t want him to move to Washington, D.C. He also thought about running for Mayor this time around. The timing just didn’t work, as he was merging his very successful immigration practice with that of Charles Foster. Finally, with his practice churning along, and his wife convinced, Quan is ready for a run.

Will he make an impact? Depends on who else gets in the race. Current Judge Ed Emmett bucked the Democratic trend during the last election cycle, and kept the seat he was appointed to. However, with Bill White at the top of the ticket, Quan is hoping to turn things around. Let’s see how the election shakes out.

Annise Parker's Transition: What will and won't happen

This morning, Mayor-elect Annise Parker held a news conference to announce her transition team leaders.  As an indication of the international interest in our Mayor-to-be, both the Associated Press and the European Pressphoto Agency sent photographers to the event. 

Parker named the three team leaders to her transition team, each bringing their own set of skills to the table. Gilbert Garcia, who chaired her campaign, is a finance guy in his day job.  Parker also named State Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston), who is one of the few African American elected officials to publicly support Parker from the beginning of the campaign.  Finally, philanthropist Nancy Kinder is also on the team.  Having a Kinder is good for the bottom line, as her connections to the wealthy folks in town will be crucial for a city facing financial hardships. The photo above shows all three team leaders with the Mayor-elect.

Here's how her transition will go down:  Parker named eight areas of concentration her team will focus on. Each area will involve a committee that will be appointed by the team leaders. The committee topics are: Metro/transportation, housing department, contracts and personnel, relationships with other governments, neighborhood protection, permitting efficiency & procedures, public works, density and development ordinances (think Ashby Highrise,) and minority & women business enterprise contracts.  The photo on the right shows Parker's finance chair David Arpin, team leader Gilbert Garcia, and current City Hall government relations guru Darrin Hall.

You will notice that Police and Fire issues are not among the eight topics. That's because Parker plans to tackle those two subjects herself.  On the Police Chief question, Parker insists there are no lists, short or otherwise.  I believe her because two days ago, at the Police Union's Christmas party, one of her key staffers chatted up the issue with Union President Gary Blankenship.  He asked Blankenship for suggestions, names, and seemed open to everyone.  What is clear is that the Parker team does not appreciate people who float their own names out to the press.  Several people have told me that folks angling for high level appointments should remember that publicly campaigning for those jobs is not the best way to get a job.

Parker's first department head meeting will be with Chief Harold Hurtt.  Her second planned meeting is with Public Works Director Mike Marcotte.  It will continue from then on.  Expect some changes at various departments, but don't jump to conclusions yet  It will take some time.

As for the inauguration, it will be held indoors, as Parker promised her mother she would do so.  There will also be a concert for the public that evening. However, details have not been set yet.  Mark January 4th on your calendars.

For Bill White's staffers, a sigh of relief

There was a collective sigh of relief among Bill White staffers and supporters last week.  You could almost hear it echo from City Hall to the campaign headquarters at the Galleria.

 

“Finally,” they murmured to themselves, “he’s come to his senses!”

 

What we’re talking about, of course, is Mayor White’s impending announcement to switch from the Senate campaign to run for the Governor of Texas.  Who knows if he’ll make a decent run or not, it’s too early for that.  What we do know is that just about everyone who works with him and talks to him have been trying to get him to run for Governor for years.

 

The buzz, albeit local, first began to build way back in 2006.  Mayor White had just come off a widely lauded, bipartisan handling of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  He was enjoying some national publicity.  Kinky Friedman was running as an Independent, and so was Carole Strayhorn.  The thinking behind the scenes went something like this:  Perry’s not that popular, you got two independents to siphon off votes, so a strong Democrat can make a run for it.

 

Mayor White, though, wouldn’t budge.  He told me then that he wanted to “finish the job” as Mayor.  Some of his political staffers were not too pleased.  As it turns out, a much underfunded Chris Bell got 30 percent of the vote, and Governor Perry got just 39 percent.  There are lots of people who wondered if a well funded Bill White could have nudged the numbers just enough that he would have already be in the Governor’s Mansion.

 

Two years later, as Mayor White embarked on his third and final term, the big question was:  What’s next?  After much handwringing, Mayor Bill White announced that he would run for Senate in an underwhelming online video.  And off he went. For much of 2009, White would spend his weekends in towns of the Rio Grande Valley, at county fairs in East Texas, or even a few pancake breakfasts far out West.  But no matter how far away from Houston he strayed, the question of running for Governor always followed him.

 

White, who likes to say he’s a man of his word, never changed his tune.  “I’m running for Senate,” he would say.  Privately, many of his supporters and advisors were still murmuring Governor; they just wanted White to listen.

 

Finally, last week, he did.  With non-resignation of Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, the prospect of a special election seemed uncertain.  Then, after a weekend meeting, then Democratic candidate for Governor Tom Schieffer withdrew.  Attention turned to White.  On cue, he announced he was actually going to “think about it.”

 

And with that, the people who have worked behind the scenes for White rejoiced.  They haven’t won a single vote, and the official announcement isn’t until Friday.  However, win or lose the people who have helped White achieve his status as a popular Mayor felt great.  That’s because after three years of talking, cajoling, arguing, and convincing, they felt Bill White would finally be in the right race.  Or at least, he finally listened to them.  Time will tell if they were right.

Bill White for Governor?

Well, anyone who thought Thanksgiving week was going to be a slow one politically would be wrong, very wrong.

 

It all started Monday morning, when news surfaced that Tom Schieffer, the former Ambassador, will soon announce that he is quitting the race for the Democratic nominee of Texas Governor.  Then, the attention turned to Mayor Bill White, who has been consistently asked whether he was running for Governor for.. well.. years.

 

Then, at 4:15 in the afternoon, Mayor Bill White made the announcement that yes, he is thinking of switching from the Senate race to the Governor's race.  However, he wanted to take 10 days to listen to Texans, and decide.

 

That being said, he’s already sounding like a candidate for the state’s highest office.

"What I tend to hear, since a week ago Friday, is that people think if I don’t step up and do this, that Texas faces more years of politics and highly charged partisan politics," said White, "and texas can’t afford to do that."

 

Our political consultant says switching from the Senate to the Governor’s race is the politically savvy thing to do for a Democrat in a Republican state.

 

"Historically is much more easier for a minority candidate to win the Governor, then the Senate," said Dr. Richard Murray.

 

Elected democrats are already lining up to support white’s not-yet-official campaign.  "He has the best credentials out of anyone who wants to run the Governor’s race," says State Rep. Garnet Coleman.  "He’s not afraid, he’s smart. Those are the kind of people we have to have, running for Governor."

 

Other candidates in the Democratic primary include humorist Kinky Friedman and hair mogul Farouk Shami, among others.  However, Mayor White is the obvious choice of establishment Democrats in Texas, and White is sounding like their man.

 

"Governor Perry got 39 percent in his last election, many of us are disappointed," said White. "Now it’s time to make new leadership in Austin."  Will that mean White will be jumping into the race?  It sounds very likely, but the official word will come December 4th.

 

 

Well, the filing's done, now what?

The filing period is officially over, and now we are in the home stretch of the last 60 days or so of campaigning!

On the Mayoral race, both Gene Locke and Annise Parker filed fairly early.  Each arranged made-for-TV type of rallies outside city hall coinciding with their filing.  There were supporters, signs, and all sorts of upbeat speech-making cheerfulness.

By comparison, Peter Brown and Roy Morales both had fairly low key filing non-events.  Brown filed on Tuesday, and a small group of volunteers cheered him on at City Hall.  I was running between a live shot and city hall when I ran into the impromptu rally. I wonder why Brown didn't hold a larger rally, where he most certainly would've gotten some free TV time?

Morales filed on Wednesday, and I just happen to run into him in the elevator.  He had one other person with him, and there were no rallies nor speeches.

Believe it or not, they are not the only four people running.  According to the city's website, there are seven candidates total.  That includes Charles Daniel Cupp, Luis Ullrich, and Amanda Ulman.  Some of these folks show up year after year on the ballots, and garner just a few dozen votes.

On the Controllers race, Ronald Green, Pam Holm, and MJ Khan have all filed.  I'll write more about this later.

What's next?  Well, for one thing, another series of candidate forums.  In fact, I'm attending another one today.  By now, these candidates have their talking points.  Peter Brown just said again that he's not for zoning.  Annise Parker just said again that she has better money management experience than anyone else.  Gene Locke just reminded that he's a lawyer and has a strong business background.  Finally, Morales once again told people he used to be in the military.

The political fallout of the Jackson indictment

Yesterday, Harris County Judge Donald Jackson was indicted for official oppression.  You can see my colleague Gene Apodaca's story here. It includes an interview I did with the judge a few weeks ago.

It didn't take long for the criminal justice system and politics to collide.  Judge Jackson is innocent until proven guilty, but that's not stopping people from lining up for an appointment.

It all began a few weeks ago, when rumors began being floated around that Judge Jackson was being investigated for some sort of alleged misconduct.  Hearing from sources that the judge may eventually have to step aside, we hunted down Commissioner Steve Radack, who would be one of the people responsible for appointing a new judge.  Radack, played it cool, talking only in the third person case of "if" something would happen.

Figuring we'd get the best information from the judge himself, I went looking for him.  Surprisingly, he gave me an interview.  During our 10 minute conversation, he admitted that the District Attorney's office had visited him, but denied any wrong doing.

Fast forward two weeks, and Judge Jackson is indicted on a Thursday.  Almost immediately, the Harris County Democratic Party issued a statement, saying in part:

Today's indictment of Harris County Criminal Court Judge Don Jackson is another shocking and disappointing example of the citizens of Harris County being terribly let down by another Republican official in a county controlled by Republican officeholders.  

After that, the Harris County Republican Party is now saying it will also investigate the case.  In the meantime, several attorneys and former judges have voiced publicly and privately that they want the job.  It will be up to Harris County Commissioners Court to appoint someone, should that time come.  Since the Court is majority Republican, we can expect a Republican appointment. 

I don't want everyone to get ahead of themselves.  The judge has not had a trial, and at this point, it's just an indictment.  But wow, I've heard from several people who say they want the job, and right now.. there's not even technically a job opening!

Brown first to hit the airwaves, Locke gets major endorsement

Alright, finally, someone has a TV ad up!  This morning, Council Member Peter Brown unleashed his first TV ad.  Houstonian David Ortez was excited enough that he took a picture of his TV with the ad running and posted it on Twitter.  This ad marks the first time one of the major mayoral candidates have done the whole "mass appeal to voters" thing.  So far, there's only been various candidate forums around town.

The ad is a dizzying array of swish-bang zooms, pans and quick images of Houston.  Brown is shown to be active, pointing at things, walking around, and generally hustling along.  As the oldest candidate in the race, it's obvious that his campaign is trying to show that Brown is still youthful and vigorous.  The pressure is now on for the other candidates to jump in the TV game.  It's an expensive game to play in.  However, as we saw in Mayor Bill White's first mayoral foray six years ago, TV exposure was crucial to his win.

That being said, the other candidates are making inroads in their own ways.  Gene Locke got one of the bigger endorsements Monday when the Houston Police Officers Union endorsed Locke for Mayor.  In the world of varying endorsements small and big, this one's big.  HPOU is the state's largest police union, and as we have seen over the years, their concerns always get plenty of attention from media and elected officials. 

Perhaps in anticipation of Locke's endorsement, and not to be outdone, Annise Parker released a bevy of endorsements prior to Locke's press conference with the police union.  Last week, Parker's campaign championed the fact that she was endorsed by the City of Houston employees' union (HOPE), the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the Harris County Democrats, and the Oak Forest Democrats.  In addition, since yesterday was the first day of school, Parker also released an education plan called "Stronger Schools for a Stronger City."

So, with so many moving parts, it's clear that the Mayoral race is heating up.  While all these various endorsements are important, it's still a toss up until there is an active over-the-air campaign. I'm looking forward to seeing TV or radio ads from all the candidates, so we can truly see the image they are trying to portray to the voters of Houston.  It's going to be a fun fall!  Meanwhile, take a look at Peter Brown's ad, and give us your opinions.

From Buzz Lady, to Council Lady?

We don't usually pay enough attention to many of the smaller community politics that surround Houston, but this one is interesting.  Roseann Rogers, aka the Buzz Lady, has filed to run for the Bellaire City Council,  Position 3.  She'll be running against Corbett Parker, a young attorney.

 

On her Facebook page, Rogers declared:

"As a working mom, I’m aware of how important our neighborhood is to everyone. I am reaching out to all of you for your support in my election and hope you’ll tell others about my efforts to... serve the community. In the coming weeks, you can show your support by putting up a yard sign, joining me at an event, or simply voting for me on Election Day!"

The development is interesting on several fronts.  First of all, as a longtime fixture on Houston's TV screens and social scenes, Rogers has a very high built in name ID.  I'm sure some Houston City Council candidates would love that sort of recognition.  In addition, the City of Bellaire has received their own share of attention this past year, and it hasn't been pretty.  The shooting of Robbie Tolan in his own front yard by Bellaire Police has garnered national attention.  It brought in the Justice Department, lawyers, and an unflattering light to a city government that's been fairly quiet about the accusations tossed their way.

 

Perhaps the Bellaire City Council could use some fresh faces, and fresh ideas.  With several council seats open, there will definitely be turnover.  It would also give Bellaire a chance for some positive publicity.  Rogers may be the first well known local to file for City Council, but she may not be the last. Stay tuned!

Huntley and Morales "Join Forces", releases video

TJ Huntley, the fifth guy in what most experts consider a three person mayoral race, has joined forces with the fourth guy, Roy Morales.  In a Facebook note this afternoon, Huntley thanked his supporters and explained his reasoning.  Basically, he says Houston is a liberal city, and needs more conservatives.  Therefore, he and Morales are joining forces so they wouldn't split the vote. Here's a portion of his note.

...We all know that this race isn't about me nor any one particular person. To many of us, it is about restoring the morals back into Houston and about having a Godly leadership that promotes Godly morals and principles. Houston is a city that has an abundance of liberal morals and liberal spending. Having two conservatives running in the same race gets very crowded and often when this happens, the two will split the vote when it's time for the elections. ... With this strategic merging of Republican forces, we have a strong army of voters that can take this city back. All the conservatives and Republicans are now combined onto one ticket along with the Christian and the young voters...

Huntley also released a grainy YouTube video of himself and Morales.  The video is fuzzy enough that it looks like someone forgot to clean the lens before shooting it.  It's also extremely overexposed and has poor audio quality.  However, they do get their points across.  Even with this strategic "merging", it's going to be difficult for Morales to gain major traction.  The other three candidates, Annise Parker, Gene Locke, and Peter Brown, have vastly out-raised him in money.  In addition, this being an officially non-partisan race, many Republican heavy weights have already picked their candidate, and it's not Morales.  Still the video is here, take a peak and decide for yourself.

 

Young Leaders hear familiar themes from Mayoral contenders

It was another steamy Tuesday night in Houston.  So, with the glitterati in Aspen, the kids whining at home, and little else for entertainment, hundreds of Houstonians chose to spend their precious weekday evening attending.... another Mayoral Forum!

I'm only sort of kidding.  After all, the candidates have participated in more than twenty forums, and we're not even to September yet.  They must be tired. Nonetheless, yours truly walked over to Alley Theater, and joined others for the Young Leaders Mayoral Forum.  This is of course, a non-partisan race.  By now though, everyone knows where their politics leanings are among the candidates.

The format was simple. The four candidates were on the stage with a moderator, asking a series of pre-determined questions. They were timed for their answers.  The questions focused on many of the familiar issues. 

The first questions focused on economic development in the city.  Roy Morales, the only Republican on stage, focused on cutting taxes and complaining that Houston currently has an operating deficit.  Gene Locke, who is a Democrat but has many Republican supporters, talked about supporting tax abatements for businesses.  He emphasized operating a business friendly environment.  Annise Parker talked about creating a "cabinet level" position relating to bringing businesses into Houston.  Peter Brown said he wanted to set up an economic development team, which made think:  "What about the Greater Houston Partnership, aren't they suppose to help the city with economic development?"

There was then a bizarre request for the candidates to answer a question a la the late sales man Billy Mays, thank goodness none of the candidates did that. We're trying to find a Mayor, not buy a cleaning product.

There were some questioning about helping the school system.  Annise Parker went first.  She talked about creating another "cabinet" level position to help the 17 school districts in Houston.  What was interesting here is that Parker, who has been elected city wide several times, ticked off her facts like clock work.  Subsequently, every other candidate mentioned "17 school districts" in their answers.  I wonder how many of them would have known there were 17 school districts in Houston had Parker not gone first?  We'll never know.

On the question of illegal immigration and enforcement, all the candidates gave fairly thoughtful answers.  The basic line here is that all will want people questioned on their immigration status if they are arrested.  However, they do not want police officers on the streets to racially profile.  What struck me in this line of questioning was the fact that Roy Morales really toned down his talking points.  Instead of railing against illegal immigration as he has done in the past, Morales talked about being a victim of racial profiling as a child.  Definitely a different tone.

There were also questions about METRO, traffic, sports stadiums, and a few other issues.  Most were pretty standard, and no major surprises.  I guess after doing two dozen forums, most of the candidates got their answers down pretty solid.  Overall, Gene Locke and Annise Parker were the most prepared.  They knew their issues, their talking points, and even tried to stay within the time limits.  It's obvious they've done a lot of prep work for these kind of things.  Peter Brown, who is known to talk for a while and often stray off point, was noticeably better than in past performances.  He still went a bit long, but managed to answer the questions fairly to the point.  Roy Morales started off a bit nervous, his voice was higher pitched than normal.  However, he calmed down a few questions in and sounded fine.  I was just surprised at how he seemed to move a little more toward the center on some of his answers.

The reality is, this is all inside baseball stuff.  All these forums serve the organizations that are putting them on more than they serve the candidates.  After dozens of forums, they are still reaching a relatively small, and already engaged crowd.  I've seen some of the same people over and over again.  To really make an impact, they need to buy radio and TV time, as well as send out lots of mail pieces.  Their campaigns know this, of course, and have privately admitted to me as much.  The question is, who will buy ad time first?  That's when the big, move-the-needle campaign begins.  Until then, it's off to another forum.