State Rep. Armando Walle Has Options Between Hoping Republicans Do Right Thing & Fatalism11/14/2023  The Texas Legislature has passed hateful legislation allowing police any place in Texas to detain individuals they might suspect to have crossed the border illegally. Above is a press release from Democratic State Rep. Armando Walle of Houston regarding the bill. Rep. Walle does not discuss in this release that his endorsed candidate for Mayor of Houston, State Senator John Whitmire, has said he'll bring 250 Texas DPS troops to police Houston. These troops will be fully commissioned to serve as deportation battalions in Houston communities. (These Greg Abbott state police also would presumably enforce Donald Trump's intended use of the Insurrection Act to stifle protest and dissent if he returns to the White House.) Rep. Walle prides himself on a bipartisan approach to legislating. It does not seem based on his press release he thinks this approach was successful on legislation he says is a direct threat to the people he represents. Below is a tweet Rep. Walle made after the bill passed about "how the tables will turn" in the Texas Legislature and how he sure hopes to be around long enough to see it happen. There is a middle ground between hoping Republicans will do the right thing on the one hand, and just waiting around for better days ahead on the other hand. Our local elected Democrats could engage in regular GOTV efforts, show up for the full ticket in every election cycle, sponsor consistent block walks and phone banks with campaign resources and commit themselves every effort to bolster voter turnout in the many areas of Harris County where turnout could be better. (The entire county essentially.) It's not just Rep. Walle who could do better in these respects. It's nearly all our City of Houston & Harris County elected Democrats. There is so much at stake in 2024. We must insist they meet the challenge. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. 
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Houston Dems Taking Police Union Endorsement Must Ask They Step Back From Election Denial11/13/2023 Democrats running for Houston City Council who take the endorsement of the Houston Police Officers Union must ask the union to step back from backing politicians who support election-denial.
If the Houston Police Officers Union wants to support Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick or Alexandra Mealer before Election Day--Fine. It's terrible judgment. But it's a (Somewhat) free country. (The union also endorsed Ken Paxton.) But when Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick say Harris County is running unfair elections and should re-do elections, that's when the union can withdraw support. When Alexandra Mealer files a lawsuit she later withdraws to overturn her defeat, thats when you say I can't go further with you. Lawsuits challenging 2022 Harris County election results were tossed out by a Republican judge. A partisan Republican audit of the elections found little. There is no public safety without democracy. It is not difficult to imagine law enforcement unions working with far-right statewide officials to bypass multi-racial and Democratic voting cities and counties. Underlying all of this is the clear frontrunner for the Republican Presidential nomination who is using words and phrases right out of the Nazi playbook. The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Donald Trump for reelection in 2020. Here is some of what they said: "President Trump has shown time after time that he supports our law enforcement officers and understands the issues our members face every day. The FOP is proud to endorse a candidate who calls for law and order across our nation. He has the full and enthusiastic support of the FOP.” Below are 2023 Houston municipal Democratic candidates who have accepted the HPOU endorsement: Mayor: John Whitmire At -Large #1: Melanie Miles At -Large #2: Nick Hellyar At-Large #4: Letitia Plummer At-Large #5: Sallie Alcorn District B: Tarsha Jackson District C: Abbie Kamin District D: Carolyn Evans-Shabazz District F: Tiffany Thomas District H: Mario Castillo District I: Joaquin Martinez District J: Edward Pollard District K: Martha Castex-Tatum When political candidates make the call to determine if law enforcement unions meet the standards of their campaigns, they should consider the role such unions play in backing officials who don't support our most essential freedoms. Failure to do is irresponsible and puts our most basic safety and freedoms at risk. Maybe our elected officials can imagine some place of safety or even success in an authoritarian America. It is unlikely however that many of the people they claim to represent will have such good fortune. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to make democracy a top issue in 2023 Houston politics and to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. Please share word of the Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].  Above is a picture I took of the November 9 Houston Independent School Board Meeting. I watched the meeting from home.
The two people in the photo above are a tale of two decisions. The woman on the right is Maria Benzon. She was speaking with her one allotted minute to the Greg Abbott-appointed democracy killing Board of Managers on Zoom from home. On the left is Jeanette Garza Lindner who is a member of the Board of Managers. She was at home and took part in the meeting on Zoom. Ms. Benzon ran for the HISD Board in 2021 and lost. She still participates in HISD issues as a concerned citizen. Ms. Garza Lindner ran for the HISD Board in 2021 and also lost. Ms. Garza Lindner applied for the Board of Managers and was selected as the person who won the election was banished. People make choices. Ms. Benzon respected the voters decision and continues in her role as an involved member of the public. Ms. Garza Lindner did not accept the outcome at the ballot box and allowed authoritarian Greg Abbott to place her on the Board of Managers at the expense of democracy. People will have to decide how they respond to the relentless attacks on our freedoms. Ms. Benzon chooses the side of democracy. Ms Garza Lindner proceeds differently. Community Voices For Public Education is doing good work opposing the wrongful HISD takeover. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Judge David Peeples has tossed out the sore-loser Harris County Republican lawsuits that sought a redo of many election results from 2022.
From the Houston Chronicle: "The results of Harris County's highly scrutinized November 2022 election were upheld Thursday evening by a judge, who threw out all but one remaining election contest out of 21 related lawsuits....However, after an eight-day trial in which Lunceford's legal team did not provide testimony from any disenfranchised voters, Judge David Peeples, a visiting judge from Bexar County, ruled the results of the race were legitimate. Lunceford's legal team repeatedly argued during the August trial that it would have been impractical – both logistically and financially – to gather testimony from thousands of disenfranchised voters. Yet Gallery Furniture owner and GOP donor Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale launched a website some five months prior in hopes of doing just that – collecting evidence of voters who were turned away from the polls. The defense team blasted Lunceford for not producing any voters, noting that McIngvale had attended the first day of the trial empty-handed." A recent State of Texas/Republican audit of the 2022 Harris County elections found nothing. Detailed reports by Jen Rice at the Houston Chronicle and Andrew Schneider at KUHF 88.7 have made clear 2022 Harris County elections were conducted fairly. The Houston Democracy Project watched the weekly pre-trial hearings for these suits. Those election-denying Republicans had little to go on. The Houston Chronicle reported that there will be appeals to Judge Peeple's ruling. So we will see how political rather than law-based our Texas courts are as these cases go on and on and on. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].  Four of the five At-Large Houston Council races have gone to runoff elections. (Above is Councilwoman Letitia Plummer holding her yard sign and a flyer for Houston Prop. A. Approved by voters, Prop. A allows three Council members to add an item to the Houston City Council agenda.) Each of the four runoffs involves a Republican against a Democrat. All elections are partisan. Republicans don't treat Houston municipal elections as non-partisan. Neither should Democrats. This doesn't mean Democrats can't work with Republicans. It's that Democrats should insist Republicans they work with will respect election results. The old saying is there is no Republican or Democratic way to fill a pothole. But we don't need authoritarians in charge of filling the potholes. Here is the Erik Manning spreadsheet with the primary voting history of '23 Houston municipal candidates. The Houston Democracy Project seeks to see and explain Houston and Harris County politics through the lens of the expansion and protection of democracy. I work to flatten local politics to only matters impacting the strength of our democracy and freedoms. There is no conflict in candidates and elected officials emphasizing democracy while still focusing on other issues. Here are some ways the people we elect in Houston and Harris County can fight for democracy: *Use their resources, influence and time to campaign for Democrats in every election cycle. While the Democratic Party is flawed, the domestic anti-democratic threats are coming from Republicans. We could use a lot more help from elected Democrats in safe seats. *When accepting law enforcement union endorsements, insist these unions step back from support of candidates and elected officials attacking democracy. *Speak up when democracy is under assault & help create a climate where people are informed and ready to act. *Understand that protection of freedom may require career, personal and even physical risks by public officials. If you have chosen this critical time to seek or hold office, then you must meet the challenges of the moment. Below is a first look at the candidates in the four runoffs. I'll have an endorsement post next week. At-Large #1 Melanie Miles is a Democrat now. Up until 2018, she was a Republican. She previously lost a race for judge running as a Republican. The party shift is fine. Every day is a new day to do right. But Ms. Miles has never made fully clear the reason for her shift. It feels opportunistic. Her many endorsements from law enforcement unions heighten my wariness. Ms. Miles each day has the ability to ask the law enforcement unions to step away from election deniers and make clear she'll stand up for democracy. I hope she avails herself of these opportunities. Julian Ramirez is a Republican. I had a conversation with him where he told me he'd been a Harris County judicial candidate in 2022 who lost by a small margin. He said he refused to join the Harris County election redo lawsuits because he didn't think they were valid. That's good. But he wouldn't distance himself from Trump. I don't have a problem with bipartisanship. But bipartisanship must be contingent on full commitment to democracy. In a different reality Mr. Ramirez might merit at least a look in a municipal election. But not in this political environment. Mr. Ramirez is endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party. At-Large #2 Nick Hellyar is a Democrat. His campaign often focuses on relationships with Republicans and law enforcement unions with no indication he cares if these folks accept election results or not. It's a reckless and intellectually lazy approach to public safety. There is no public safety without democracy. Mr. Hellyar seems a radical centrist as much an ideologue as any unbending advocate of the political left or right. He charts a path to public office in a time of rising authoritarianism by looking the other way. I'm going to vote for Mr. Hellyar because he is the least worst of the two options. I suppose some circumstance might arise where threats to democracy imperil his self-interest to the point where he might do something about it. (This profile also well-matches Houston Councilwoman Sallie Alcorn. Ms. Alcorn endorsed Mr. Hellyar some months ago.) Willie Davis is a Republican who may not live in the city. He is endorsed by the Kingwood Tea Party and the Harris County Republican Party. At-Large #3 Richard Cantu is a decent and thoughtful person with an extensive record of public service. He has a lifelong commitment to his community & also concern for the full city. I had a good lengthy conversation with Mr. Cantu about democracy issues in Houston. I believe as an elected official he would take risks for the rights of others. Twila Carter is a Republican. I've watched her campaign and read her website. She has a longstanding involvement with the Houston Astros Foundation. My mom is a board member with the Cincinnati Reds community foundation and says they do good work in the community. Ms. Carter has talked about poverty in her campaign which is something many other Council candidates have not. I'm open to the prospect Ms. Carter is not some unrelenting right-winger. But again--Every Republican has the option to step back from election deniers and from Donald Trump as he discusses military rule if returned to the White House. Ms. Carter has not done so. At-Large #4 Incumbent Letitia Plummer made an effort to address police reform issues at the time of the murder of George Floyd. She got a lot of blowback from fellow Democrats on Council, and the reality is there is not a sufficient progressive or reform-minded community in Houston willing to take those issues on. Councilwoman Plummer has since taken up the issue of improving conditions in the large number of Houston apartments that are not up to acceptable standards. She merits your vote. She is easily the most vote-worthy of any Houston Council incumbent. Roy Morales is Councilwoman Plummer's opponent. He's endorsed by the Kingwood Tea Party and by Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey who voted against certifying the 2021 Harris County election results. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].  Yesterday was Election Day in Houston. There were two strong wins for democracy. Proposition A which allows three council members to introduce items to the Council agenda passed easily. So did Proposition B which calls for more equitable representation for Houston on an important regional transportation council. (Above is a picture of Houston today.) Another positive outcome was the strong first place finish of Chris Hollins in a four way race for City Controller. Mr. Hollins won 44.8% of the vote and will advance into the two-candidate runoff. Mr. Hollins has been among the most vocal of Houston municipal candidates in discussing attacks on democracy in Houston and Harris County. Some of the other results were less hopeful. I'll be discussing that tomorrow when I write about Houston Council candidates who made it into a runoff & then the next day when I post about the Mayoral runoff. The Houston Democracy Project works to see and explain Houston and Harris County politics through the lens of the expansion and protection of democracy. I work to flatten local politics to only matters impacting the strength of our democracy and freedoms. There is no conflict in candidates and elected officials emphasizing democracy while still focusing on other issues. There are many reasons municipal candidates should be talking about protecting and expanding democracy in Houston. The main reason is that democracy is under siege and it is a local concern. We've lost our elected school board in what just 60 years ago was a Jim Crow city. There are still--still--lawsuits before a Texas judge by defeated Harris County Republican candidates seeking to undo 2022 election results. Ken Paxton is the Attorney General of Texas and state is run by authoritarian thugs. Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump is openly discussing using the military to repress protest and dissent. We have an incomplete definition of public safety in political campaigns and public dialogue. Crime is certainly an important issue. But we also require democracy to be safe in our lives. People need the safety afforded by democracy and an open society to speak freely, to believe differently & to be who they are. Here are ways the people we elect in Houston and Harris County can fight for democracy: *Use their resources, influence and time to campaign for Democrats in every election cycle. While the Democratic Party is not perfect, the anti-democratic threats are coming from Republicans. We could use a lot more help from elected Democrats in safe seats. *When accepting law enforcement union endorsements, insist that such unions step back from support of candidates and elected officials who are attacking democracy. *Speak up when democracy is under assault and help create a climate where people are informed and ready to act. *Understand that protection of our freedom may require career, personal and even physical risks by public officials. Every politician has chosen this critical moment to seek or hold office. We must insist they meet the challenges they signed up for. This protection of our safety and rights is what we must expect and demand of the winners of 2023 Houston municipal elections. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024 at the least. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. Today is Election Day in Houston, in Harris County & elsewhere.
It's been a lot of fun thinking out & writing the Houston Democracy Project. I've enjoyed and learned from numerous conversations with candidates, elected officials, activists and, most importantly, thoughtful rank & file Houstonians who care about democracy. The Project has made a difference and been successful. I'm looking forward to the Houston municipal runoffs and everything ahead. (Well...I'm not sure I'm really looking forward to it all. But I'm ready to go.) Thank you to everyone for the kind words, suggestions and input, web traffic and financial support since the Project began in late May. The Houston Democracy Project will go at least through Election Day 2024. Let's please find our way to one another and fight to be free.  The strong push by many Harris County Democratic Party Precinct Chairs to correctly admonish rogue Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg is gaining momentum. This is a matter for the Houston Democracy Project because there are credible reports DA Ogg is using her office to go after political opponents. That is very much a democracy concern. It is one of the things Donald Trump is clearly intending to do if he regains control of the U.S. Justice Department. We've got enough troubles in Harris County without the Democrats we elect acting in a Trumpian fashion. Below is a press release authored by top Harris County political communications professional Daniel Cohen. I'm just going to run it in full because it makes the case. What I can add to my post is the picture I took you see above. It's District Attorney Ogg recording the 3 minute remarks of Democratic primary opponent Sean Teare at a Democratic Party get out the vote rally this past Saturday. I don't know if she was trying to intimidate Mr. Teare or what. It was strange. Below is the press release. Please share word with fellow Democrats of this needed effort to hold DA Ogg accountable. This is a real grass roots deal and will help set an example of active party members asserting expectations and standards for the people we work so hard to elect. (Houston, TX) - Today, a coalition of elected Democratic Precinct Chairs announced that the number of official democratic officials co-sponsoring a resolution formally admonishing Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg has grown to more than 80. The increase follows an attempt by Ogg to respond to evidence presented by local Democrats that she has abused the power of her office to pursue personal vendettas against her enemies, sided with Republicans to advance their extreme agenda, and stood in the way of fixing our broken criminal justice system. On Friday, the Houston Chronicle published a fact check of Ogg’s defense, validating all the assertions outlined in the resolution and providing context she failed to provide to precinct chairs. The updated resolution is signed by a diverse array of races, ethnicities, ideologies and age groups. It is also co-signed by chairs from virtually every geographic area of Harris County. “The idea of Kim Ogg calling for ‘party unity’ after years of aggressively attacking and tearing down the work of Democrats we’ve worked so hard to elect is asinine,” said Cameron Campbell. “Ogg is asking us to not believe what our eyes and ears have been witnessing since she took office. As a party, we cannot continue to support someone who would rather attend glitzy fundraisers with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in River Oaks than keep the promises she made to us and to voters across Harris County.” “Kim Ogg is running for office in the wrong primary,” said Melanie Jackson. “Her mean spirited tactics and extreme policies are indistinguishable from what we would expect from Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton, not a democrat representing the most diverse county in America. We deserve a DA that values equal application of the law, the protection of our elections from partisan interference, and an ally in protecting the right of women to get legal abortions.” Below is a summary of the resolution and reasons for seeking censure:
Precinct Chairs co-sponsoring the resolution are seeking a floor vote on the proposal at the Harris County Democratic Party’s County Executive Committee meeting in December. The resolution is not sponsored or advanced by any candidate running against Kim Ogg for District Attorney. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to make democracy an issue in 2023 Houston politics and to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].  The Washington Post reports Donald Trump is planning to use the military to repress domestic protest if he is returned to the Presidency. You see an excerpt from the story in the picture above. This is an issue In Houston and Harris County local politics. There is no public safety without democracy. Every local elected Republican and Republican candidate supports a political party looking to suspend our civil liberties. Houstonians deserve protection from the far-right. Every Republican elected official and candidate should be held accountable for support of such a party. Houston Democratic municipal candidates who have accepted police union endorsements, have an obligation to ask those unions to not support candidates who refuse to accept election results or who back candidates attacking our most basic freedoms. Do you think there will be police unions stepping back from Trump in 2024 because of what he clearly intends to do as President? I sure don't. We have a right to know what side of the police line our elected officials would stand on when our rights are most at risk. We must expand the definition of public safety to include protection of democracy and civil liberties. We must expand our expectations of elected officials to include taking the career and personal risks required to fight the growing authoritarian threat. We are not electing these officials to find safe harbor for themselves and people with access to power in an anti-democratic storm. We are electing them to fight for us and to act as needed to maintain our freedoms. Here are the Houston Democracy Project's 2023 Houston election recommendations. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to make democracy an issue in 2023 Houston politics and to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected].  Today the Houston Democracy Project spoke to Texas State Senator Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio at a Harris County Democratic Party get out the vote rally. Senator Gutierrez is running in the Texas Democratic primary to challenge Ted Cruz in 2024. Above is a picture of the Senator today with a citizen of the community. I asked Senator Gutierrez if he'd make democracy an issue he'd discuss in his campaign. The Senator tried to shift the focus to gun violence issues. The Senator represents Uvalde. That is not what I was there to discuss. At the rally there were remarks by Congresswoman Shelia Jackson Lee and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Both the Congresswoman & Judge Hidalgo discussed Trump's recent visit to Houston and the scary things he said, ongoing Republican efforts to undo Democratic wins in Harris County in 2022 & the need to fight for democracy. After the rally was over I asked Senator Gutierrez again about democracy. I said would you add democracy to your stump speech in addition to gun violence and whatever else? He said "Guns polled second with Latinos and third with African-Americans." Okay. I appreciate the clarity. If serving in a Texas Senate presided over by Dan Patrick & seeking to run against January 6 enabler Ted Cruz does not create a sense of urgency about democracy at risk, then good to know. Maybe a poll will come around that will put our freedom on the Senator's campaign agenda. The Houston Democracy Project works daily to make democracy an issue in 2023 Houston politics and to inspire, organize and strengthen pro-democracy coalitions in Houston and Harris County. The Project will continue through 2024. Please share word of the Houston Democracy Project and support the effort with your contribution. If you have a question about the Project or a suggestion, please send an e-mail to [email protected]. |
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