Tag Archives: Texas Leftist endorsements

Texas Leftist Endorsements: 2015 Run-off Elections

It may be a much shorter ballot and in the throes of Holiday Season, but the 2015 Election process will not be complete until December 12th— the date for the Houston Run-off Elections.  As predicted, many important local races have gone to a runoff, and Houstonians will need to come back and vote.  After all, this is where the city’s next Mayor will be selected.

Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner

Houston City Controller
Chris Brown

Houston City Council
At-Large Races
Position 1: Georgia Provost
Position 2: David Robinson
Position 4 Amanda Edwards
Position 5: No Endorsement

District Races
District F: Richard Nguyen
District H: Karla Cisneros
Distrcit J: Mike Laster

HISD Trustee District II– Rhonda Skillern-Jones

There will be Early Voting for the Run-off, though it is not yet officially posted for Harris County.  Check back here for the updates.  And please support these PRO-EQUALITY candidates!!

 

Texas Leftist 2015 Endorsements

Here’s the Full List of Endorsements for the 2015 Houston Municipal Elections.  The Hyperlinks take you to the full-length endorsement page.  For more information on the candidates, check out the Questionnaire Responses, and be sure to also visit Off the Kuff’s 2015 Elections Page.

 

Houston Mayor
Sylvester Turner

Houston City Controller
Chris Brown

Houston City Council
At-Large Races
Position 1: Tom McCasland
Position 2: David Robinson
Position 3: Doug Peterson
Position 4 Amanda Edwards
Position 5: Philippe Nassif

District Races
District A: Brenda Stardig
District B: Jerry Davis
District C: Ellen Cohen
District D: unopposed (Dwight Boykins)
District E: unopposed (Dave Martin)
District F: Richard Nguyen
District G: Greg Travis
District H: Roland Chavez
District I: Robert Gallegos
Distrcit J: Mike Laster
District K: unopposed (Larry Green)

City of Houston Proposition 1:  Y-E-S!!!!
City of Houston Proposition 2:  No endorsement

 

And just to say one more time…

Like Dallas, Austin, Ft. Worth, New Orleans, hundreds of other cities and 17 states across the county, all Houstonians deserve to live in a city that does not condone discrimination.  Please vote yes to uphold the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance.  Don’t believe the lies!!

Early Voting runs now until October 30th, and Election Day is November 4th.

HUEfest Mural

Photo credit:  Gary Paul Smith from Flickr

 

TLCQ 2014: Endorsement for Lieutenant Governor

This week, citizens all across the great state of Texas are at a critical crossroads, with an important decision to make:  do we stay in the past, or move forward with the future?

In some races for this year’s election, a reasonable case can be made for either side.  For example, the race for Railroad Commissioner features Democrat Steve Brown and Republican Ryan Sitton– two intelligent young candidates that have run solid, solutions-based campaigns.  Even with clear party distinctions, informed voters have a tough choice on their hands for the RRC in 2014.

Sadly, the campaigns for Lieutenant Governor have not yielded the same result.  State Senator Dan Patrick, the Republican nominee for Lieutenant Governor, could learn a lot from his younger colleague Ryan Sitton on how to run a statewide campaign.  This blog will not being going into the litany of issues with Patrick, but would rather refer readers to previous endorsements in the Lt. Gov. Race.

Check out The Daily TexanEl Paso Times, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, Wichita Falls Times Record News, Beaumont Enterprise, Austin Chronicle, Austin American-Statesman, San Antonio Express-News, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Morning News, and Houston Chronicle to find out just how bad Dan Patrick would be for Texas.

But with or without her opponent, Democrat Leticia Van de Putte is worthy of endorsement all on her own.  A long record of proven leadership and public service, Van de Putte stands out as someone that is not afraid to tackle some of the state’s most pressing challenges.  One look at the issues page on her website will let you know just how far her commitment to policy solutions extends.  She is a legislator that is uniquely gifted in both policy knowledge and political charisma.  She is a deal-maker that knows how to find the best in people even when she doesn’t agree with them at all.  (Seriously y’all… Leticia Van de Putte is the ‘Ezra Klein’ of Texas)

And those are just Leticia’s gifts on the political side.  As a mother of six children, pharmacist and small business owner, she understands what it takes to raise a family and have a career in Texas.  And most important… she carries those experiences forward in her legislative ideas.  Though Van de Putte has clearly reached the highest levels of success, she also knows the struggles of working Texans as well.  As a sixth-generation Tejana, she doesn’t just read about situations on the Texas border, she lives them as part of her own family story.  Again, an invaluable experience that she carries with her on to the Senate chamber… one that her opponent doesn’t seem to “get” at all.

Texas Leftist is proud to endorse State Senator Leticia Van de Putte for Lieutenant Governor of Texas.  But beyond that simple endorsement, I must urge readers… if no other reason, please go and vote to support Senator Van de Putte.  For countless reason, she really does represent the future of Texas, and if elected, we will be a much better state for it.

If you’d like to learn more about State Senator Leticia Van de Putte, check out her recent appearance on Houston Public Media’s Red, White and Blue, where she puts forth common-sense solutions on everything from border security to healthcare and education…

 

(feature photo is celebrity Eva Longoria, Van de Putte and Henry Munoz at a recent campaign rally)

Texas Leftist 2014 Endorsements

For those interested, here is the full list of Texas Leftist endorsements for 2014.  Some candidates will also have individual or group posts regarding their endorsement, which will be linked via candidate name from this post.  If a candidate participated in this year’s Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire, that information will appear beside their party affiliation.

Texas Leftist has chosen to endorse candidates because they have demonstrated a commitment to advancing public policies that will improve the lives of Texans.  Though each person’s individual positions vary, they are generally candidates that stand for equality, social justice, healthcare expansion, living wage, economic prosperity and common-sense governance.

Today is Election Day!!  Early Voting has begun for the state of Texas, and runs from October 20th until October 31st.  For any questions on where or how to vote, check out this previous post or visit the My Texas Votes website.

 

Though not endorsed by Texas Leftist, candidates Ron Hale, Ron Reynolds and Matthew Whittington did participate in this year’s Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire.  Please consult their interviews for more information.  

 

Federal Races

U.S. Senator:                                                    David Alameel (D)

U.S. Rep. District 2:                                      Niko Letsos (D)

U.S. Rep. District 7:                                      James Cargas (D)

U.S. Rep. District 14:                                    Don Brown (D)

 

State Races

Governor:                                                           Wendy Davis (D)

Lieutenant Governor:                                 Leticia Van de Putte (D) [TLCQ]

Attorney General:                                         Sam Houston (D)

 

Comptroller of Public Accounts:                Mike Collier (D)

Commissioner- General Land Office:     John Cook (D)

Commissioner of Agriculture:                      NO ENDORSEMENT

Railroad Commissioner:                                   Steve Brown (D)

 

State Senator, District 15:                               John Whitmire (D)   [TLCQ]

State Senator, District 17:                               Rita Lucido (D)   [TLCQ]

 

State Rep. District 16:                                         Michael Hayles (D)

State Rep. District 23:                                          Susan Criss (D) [TLCQ]

State Rep. District 132:                                       Luis Lopez (D)  [TLCQ]

State Rep. District 133:                                       Laura Nicol (D) [TLCQ]

State Rep. District 137:                                       Gene Wu (D)

State Rep. District 144:                                       Mary Ann Perez (D)

State Rep. District 148:                                       Jessica Cristina Farrar (D)

State Rep. District 149:                                       Hubert Vo (D)

State Rep. District 150:                                       Amy Perez (D)

 

District Races

1st Court of Appeals, Place 3                           Jim Sharp (D)

113th Judicial District                                           Steven Kirkland (D)

308th Family Judicial District                           Jim Evans (D)

309th Family Judicial District                           Kathy Vossler (D)

314th Family Judicial District                           Natalia Oakes (D)

District Attorney                                                      Kim Ogg (D)

 

Harris County Races

County Judge:                                                              Ed Emmett (R)

County Probate Court No. 3                             Jerry Simoneaux (D)

County Probate Court No. 4                             James S. Horwitz (D)

County Clerk                                                                Ann Harris- Bennett (D)

County Treasurer                                                      David Rosen (D)

County School Trustee Pos. 7                            Melissa Noriega (D)

 

Propositions

State of Texas Proposition 1 (Infrastructure)             FOR

Lone Star College System, Proposition 1                       FOR

 

 

 

TLCQ 2014: HD 132 Endorsement

With the recent construction of the Grand Parkway segment linking Katy and Cypress, the West Harris County area, apportioned as Texas House District 132, is a community destined for rapid growth and diversification. It is home to Katy ISD and Cypress-Fairbanks ISD… two of the largest school districts in the state, and both of which have been burdened by the massive, Republican-led 2011 education cuts, while bursting with more young minds to educate than ever before.  Residents in this area have traditionally favored Conservative leadership, but as the area grows, new populations and new challenges have created space for more political diversity as well.  What the area needs most is common-sense representation in Austin that can see multiple perspectives and work with them all, but still remain focused on the realities facing their constituents.

Presumed front-runner Mike Schofield is seasoned veteran of Texas Republican Party line politics.  On his campaign website, he professes that HD 132 “needs legislators that will put the needs of taxpayers first, and place principle above political gain.” But his actual record does not live true to these ideals.  Instead, he boasts about authoring the divisive Texas Voter ID law, and being a close adviser to Governor Perry… all indications that for Mr. Schofield, it’s politics that come first.

But the people of HD 132 have a better choice in this election… Democrat Luis Lopez.  Born in Mexico, Luis remembers well the struggles of working just to make ends meet, and knows that better government representation could make a huge difference in the lives Texans, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.  Despite his early struggles, Luis overcame them through good educational opportunities and hard work.  After graduating from Lamar University, he is now a father, accountant, small business owner and public servant.  He put himself through high school and college working construction jobs in the Beaumont area.

Amassing such a rich life experience, it’s no wonder that a young man in his mid-twenties feels such a call to service.  Mr. Lopez believes strongly that proper government investment and stewardship are critical to the future of HD 132.  In his own life, he saw clearly the value of a good education, and wants those same opportunities not only for his young daughter, but for all the students in the district. Lopez truly lives the future of Texas. Mike Schofield on the other hand, continues to champion missteps of the past.

It is time for a new direction in West Harris County… a direction pointed towards its future.  The pick for HD 132 is Luis Lopez.

On the TLCQ Endorsements

Just wanted to share a note about the endorsement process before they are released…

The Texas Leftist Candidate Questionnaire has been a great learning experience for me. I am especially thankful to all of the candidates that took the time to read the questions, think about them and respond back. Working with a political campaign, I know how busy and very tired all of these candidates must be as we round the bend to November 5th… the countless number of public appearances, constant scrutiny by voters and news media, and hardly any time to themselves. I honestly admire you all, and sincerely don’t know how you do it!!

That being said, TLCQ did not get quite as many responses as I had hoped for, but even with the ones received I am very glad to have contributed to the important political conversation, and raised some issues that others may not be discussing. The voters of Houston and Texas deserve a full, diverse compendium about our elected officials and those who seek said offices. I also salute the great work being done by other bloggers on the 2013 elections, and recommend that voters visit their sites before heading to the polls. Off the Kuff has done a superb job of compiling information on the candidates, so if you’re still trying to find information, check out his 2013 elections page.

Look for the first TLCQ endorsements tomorrow.