Less than a week from Election Day, spending by candidates and outside groups in the Denver school board election has topped $1.6 million, campaign finance reports show.
That’s higher than the nearly $1.4 million that had been spent at this point in 2023, which was the last time Denver school board seats were up for election. In 2023, three of the board’s seven seats were up for grabs. This year, four seats are on the ballot.
The election is high stakes, with political control of the school board of Colorado’s largest district at play. Teachers union-backed board members have controlled the board for the past six years. But members who support charter schools and other education reform strategies gained a bigger foothold in 2023 and could flip the board majority in this year’s election.
As in the past, outside groups have been the biggest spenders this year. Pro-charter groups are outspending teachers unions by more than 2 to 1.
An independent expenditure committee called Better Leaders, Stronger Schools has spent the most: more than $1 million on mailers, digital ads, and TV ads as of Monday, according to campaign finance reports. The committee is largely funded by an advocacy group called Denver Families Action that has ties to local charter schools.
An independent expenditure committee called Colorado Families for Great Schools that’s funded by the Colorado League of Charter Schools and a pro-charter national organization called 50CAN has spent $81,900 on mailers and digital ads.
An independent expenditure committee funded by teachers unions called Students Deserve Better has spent about $286,000 on mailers and digital ads, according to the reports. Teachers unions have also contributed more than $200,000 to Denver candidates directly.
The 11 candidates themselves have spent far less. Candidate Donald “DJ” Torres, who is running for a seat representing central-east Denver’s District 3, had spent the most as of Monday at just over $65,000. Incumbent Michelle Quattlebaum, who’s running to keep her seat in northeast Denver’s District 4, had spent the least at about $7,700.
Pro-charter group has more individual donors this year
Denver Families Action is the political arm of the organization Denver Families for Public Schools. The group was founded in 2021 to elevate the voices of charter school families in DPS, and its board of directors includes leaders with ties to charter schools. Its current platform is to push the district on issues that affect all students, such as safety and mental health.
Independent expenditure committees cannot coordinate with the candidates. They are also more likely to send out attack ads about their preferred candidates’ opponents. This year, that includes ads by Better Leaders, Stronger Schools claiming that at-large candidate Amy Klein Molk replaced teachers with AI at her former company. Klein Molk said it’s not true.
Independent expenditure committees are sometimes referred to as “dark money.” That’s because some of the organizations that fund them don’t have to disclose their donors.
Denver Families Action has contributed $895,000 to Better Leaders, Stronger Schools this year, campaign finance records show. Critics, including Denver Classroom Teachers Association President Rob Gould, paint those dollars as coming from “out-of-state billionaires.”
Tax filings show Denver Families Action has received funding from an organization called the City Fund, which has in the past been funded by Netflix founder Reed Hastings and Texas philanthropist John Arnold, both of whom sit on the City Fund board.
Local donors have also given money to Better Leaders, Stronger Schools this year, campaign finance records show. Billionaire Phil Anschutz gave $40,000. David Younggren, a former oil and gas executive, gave $15,000. Kent Thiry, the multimillionaire former CEO of dialysis provider DaVita, contributed $350,000 in 2023 but hasn’t given this year.
Dan Aschkinasi, the registered agent for Better Leaders, Stronger Schools, said the committee attracted donations from more individual donors this year than in 2023. However, campaign finance records show most of this year’s donations are smaller.
“A lot of people are rooting for us to set a marker in these education races,” Aschkinasi said. “This is kids’ education we’re talking about here. If you can do that through getting new leadership in and the right leaders, it’s worth every penny.”
Students Deserve Better gets its money from the statewide Colorado Education Association and spends it in school board races across Colorado, including in Denver. The statewide union and the Denver Classroom Teachers Association also give money directly to the candidates.
DCTA has given about $25,000 to each of the four candidates it endorsed. So has CEA.
The unions’ money comes from teachers’ dues, Gould said. Teachers can request that their dues not go toward political causes, but Gould said he expects fewer than 100 of the Denver union’s more than 3,800 members to do so this year. That number includes teachers who are not U.S. citizens; the union doesn’t use their dues for political causes, he said.
This year, other local teachers unions have also given money to the Denver candidates. The teachers unions in Jeffco Public Schools, Littleton Public Schools, Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Cherry Creek School District, and St. Vrain Valley Schools gave between $1,000 and $2,000 to all or some of the union-endorsed candidates in Denver, records show.
Gould said it’s a new strategy born out of monthly meetings with the presidents of the metro teachers unions to fight back against out-of-state money trying to “infiltrate” local elections.
“The same fight here in Denver is the same fight in Colorado Springs, in Woodland Park, in Jefferson County,” Gould said.
Denver is doing it, too. The Denver teachers union gave $4,000 each to two union-endorsed candidates in Jeffco, $2,500 each to two candidates in Cherry Creek, $2,000 each to two candidates in Adams 12, $2,000 to a candidate in Littleton, $1,000 to a candidate in 27J Schools in Brighton, and $400 each to two candidates in Pueblo School District 60.
Highland Park activist Robert Davis is suing Detroit mayoral candidate Solomon Kinloch Jr. for slander and defamation, claiming the megachurch leader maliciously lied about him during and after a recent debate.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in Oakland County Circuit Court, argues Kinloch falsely alleged Davis was a “covert operative” for Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield, who is the leading mayoral candidate.
Kinloch’s claims come after Metro Times wrote a series of stories about delinquent water bills and controversial property deals involving the reverend and his Triumph Church, which has more than 40,000 members and seven locations.
During a televised mayoral debate on Oct. 15, Kinloch claimed without presenting evidence that Davis was a paid operative for Sheffield’s campaign.
“When she [Sheffield] talks about my integrity and allegations, she’s talking about her covert operative that’s throwing rocks while they hide their hand,” Kinloch said. “All of these assaults have come by one person — Robert Davis.”
During a post-debate interview with reporters, Kinloch also alleged Davis approached his campaign with offers to “dig up dirt” on Sheffield for money.
Two newspaper reporters called Davis to ask for his comment on the allegations, and The Detroit News published a story that included Kinloch’s “false and defamatory statements,” the lawsuit states.
Davis emphatically denies those allegations and says Kinloch fabricated the claims in an attempt to “resuscitate his failing and bewildered mayoral campaign.” Davis added that the “false and defamatory statements” were made “with actual malice.”
“Kinloch has a strong animus, hatred and dislike for the Plaintiff because Plaintiff has exposed to the media and to the general public Defendant Kinloch’s past criminal convictions for beating and assaulting his ex-wife and Plaintiff has revealed and exposed fraudulent real-estate transactions between Defendants Kinloch and Triumph Church, which are currently under investigation by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”),” Davis wrote in the lawsuit.
A Detroit News and WDIV survey conducted Oct. 16-18 shows Sheffield leading the race with support from about 65% of likely voters, compared with 14% for Kinloch. Another 20% said they’re undecided, and roughly 1% backed another candidate.
The winner will replace three-term Mayor Mike Duggan, who has endorsed Sheffield and is running for governor in 2026 as an independent.
Davis, who is a political consultant, is seeking at least $250,000 in damages, saying he “has lost out on potential clients” as a result of Kinloch’s “false and defamatory statements.”
In addition, Davis is asking a judge to declare that Triumph’s purchase and sale of the former AMC Star Southfield theater site in Southfield “was NOT for a lawful church or religious purchase” and “was fraudulent in violation of Michigan and Internal Revenue Service laws.
Two years earlier, Kinloch said Triumph was trying to purchase the property to convert into a church, community space, and a resource center for people in need. Kinloch said construction would begin in 2023 and take about 18 to 24 months to finish.
For unknown reasons, that never happened. It’s also unclear why the church would convey the property to an LLC, which would be required to pay taxes.
Kinloch’s church and campaign have declined to answer questions about the property deal and did not respond to Davis’s lawsuit.
Triumph Church bought the 5,177-square-foot house in Oakland Township in April 2013 for $841,600, financing the purchase with a $631,200 mortgage, which Kinloch signed on behalf of the church, according to the deed and mortgage records. That left roughly $210,000 to be covered in cash.
Nine months later, in January 2014, the church sold the property to Kinloch for the same price, and he also financed his purchase with a $631,200 mortgage, leaving $210,000 to be paid in advance, according to deeds and mortgage records. Triumph Church officials declined to say who paid the remaining $210,000 when Kinloch acquired the house.
State law requires nonprofit officers to act in the church’s best interests and scrutinize insider transactions. Federal tax law forbids “private inurement,” or unreasonable personal benefits to insiders.
A new poll from Fox News shows Democratic nominee for New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill up 7 percentage points over Republican candidate Jack Ciattarelli five days before Election Day.
Why It Matters
The New Jersey gubernatorial election stands as one of the nation’s most closely watched races, with implications for national party strategy and the 2026 midterms.
The contest could also be viewed as a key litmus test for sentiment toward President Donald Trump in the Northeast and a potential indicator of Republican momentum in traditionally Democratic strongholds.
New Jersey has not elected a Republican governor since 2013, when the Garden State reelected former Governor Chris Christie, or voted for a Republican in a presidential race since 1988, when it backed former President George H.W. Bush. A shift in voter sentiment could impact both parties’ approaches beyond 2025.
What To Know
In the poll released on Thursday, Sherrill has 52 percent of the vote opposed to Ciattarelli’s 45 percent. The poll surveyed 956 likely voters from October 24 to October 28 and has a 3 percent margin of error.
The poll shows a shift from an earlier survey by Fox News this month that had Sherrill at 50 percent and Ciattarelli with 45 percent.
Thursday’s poll shows that 64 percent of Sherrill supporters say their vote is to express opposition to Trump, while 35 percent of Ciattarelli supporters say their vote is to express support for the president.
“It’s a cliché, but it’s true, this race is all about turnout, so the big question is whether Trump supporters show up when he’s not on the ballot,” Daron Shaw, a Republican who conducts the Fox News Poll with Democrat Chris Anderson, said in the survey. “Sherrill’s supporters seem like they are going to turn out, but the evidence is mixed for those backing Ciattarelli. If the MAGA base comes around during this final weekend, the Democratic advantage narrows considerably.”
Sherrill’s favorability is 54 percent in the new poll, compared to 51 percent earlier this month. Ciattarelli’s favorability is 46 percent compared to 48 percent earlier this month.
What People Are Saying
Trump, on Truth Social this month: “Why would anyone vote for New Jersey and Virginia Gubernatorial Candidates, Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, when they want transgender for everybody, men playing in women’s sports, High Crime, and the most expensive Energy prices almost anywhere in the World? VOTE REPUBLICAN for massive Energy Cost reductions, large scale Tax Cuts, and basic Common Sense! Under President Trump, ME, Gasoline will come down to approximately $2 a Gallon, very soon! With the Democrats, you’ll be paying $4, $5, and $6 a Gallon, and your Electric and other Energy costs will, likewise, SOAR. VOTE REPUBLICAN FOR A GREAT AND VERY AFFORDABLE LIFE. All you’ll get from voting Democrat is unrelentingly High Crime, Energy prices through the roof, men playing in women’s sports, and HEARTACHE!”
Columbia University professor Robert Y. Shapiro, to Newsweek when asked if it is unusual for Trump to play a factor into voters’ decision-making in New Jersey: “It is not unusual. These off-year elections after a presidential election in particular are often at least somewhat a signal of dissatisfaction with the performance of the party in power in the White House. That is why these elections are being looked at closely nationally. They have potential implications for the midterm elections.”
Ciattarelli, on X Thursday: “After 8 years of Phil Murphy’s failures, New Jersey families are paying the price every single day. Failed schools. Handcuffed police officers. Overdevelopment destroying our communities. Higher taxes crushing working families. And my opponent? Endorsed every. single. one of these disasters. I’m running to make New Jersey affordable again. Safe again. We need police officers who can do their jobs — not politicians tying their hands. We need policies that help families — not hurt them. The choice is clear: more of the same failed policies that got us here, or real change that puts New Jersey families first. What’s it going to be, New Jersey? Make your voice heard. Vote for change! Early voting is open until 8pm tonight, and back again tomorrow at 10am.”
Sherrill, on X early Thursday: “The difference between me and Jack is clear as day. I’m going to serve YOU while he only cares to serve the president.”
What Happens Next
The New Jersey gubernatorial election is scheduled for November 4. Early voting is underway across the state. Both campaigns are focused on boosting turnout among undecided voters, independents and key demographics.
The outcome will determine not only the successor to Democratic Governor Phil Murphy but may also set the tone for party strategies in the 2026 congressional midterms.
An activist has filed an emergency court motion questioning whether Pontiac mayoral candidate Michael McGuinness is eligible to run for office under a state constitutional amendment inspired by former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s corruption scandal.
Marcus Kelley, a lifelong Pontiac resident and community activist, submitted the motion in Wayne County Circuit Court this week, asking a judge to determine if McGuinness’s past felony convictions bar him from seeking public office. Kelley’s filing cites a 2010 Michigan constitutional amendment that prohibits former public officials convicted of a felony involving “dishonesty, deceit, fraud, or breach of the public trust” from holding elected office or a high-level public job for 20 years.
Michigan voters overwhelmingly approved the measure in November 2010, following public outrage over political corruption. The amendment was widely seen as a response to Kilpatrick, who resigned as Detroit’s mayor in 2008 and was later sentenced to federal prison for corruption and racketeering. Lawmakers said the change was meant to restore confidence in government and prevent disgraced officials from returning to power.
McGuinness, now president of the Pontiac City Council, served as chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party when he became involved in an election-fraud scheme during the 2010 campaign cycle. He was accused of forging documents and placing three Tea Party candidates on the ballot under a third party to mislead voters and draw votes away from Republicans in several 2010 local races.
In 2011, he was convicted of uttering and publishing and perjury in connection with the case and sentenced to probation, community service, and a $1,000 fine.
According to Kelley’s motion, McGuinness’s court records have since been sealed, and he’s asking the court to reopen them, arguing that “it is abundantly necessary to discover and learn the employment and the specific circumstances in that case … while the defendant was serving as the elected chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party.”
The motion argues that the unsealing of the court file “is in the public interest, as the voters for the City of Pontiac must know the underlying details of Defendant’s conviction.”
Kelley is represented by Detroit attorney Todd Russell Perkins, who says the case raises important questions about public integrity and transparency.
“These are not just felony offenses,” Perkins tells Metro Times. “These are felony offenses in which he tried to affect the outcome of an election.”
Perkins adds that it remains unclear whether serving as a political party chair qualifies as holding a position in local, state, or federal government under the amendment.
“Not only is it an issue of dishonesty or moral turpitude, it’s very interesting that at the time he was elected chairman of the Oakland County Democratic Party,” Perkins says.
Perkins adds that the motion is not meant as a personal attack.
“He mentioned it was a dark time in his life,” Perkins says of McGuinness. “As an attorney, I look forward to people reconciling their pasts and reforming, and by all accounts it seems as if he has. But does he fall within this law? That’s what this effort is all about. It’s not to demean. It’s not to denigrate or bring McGuinness down.”
The motion says Kelley “is committed to ensuring that the vote in his community … is free from improprieties” and intends to seek further legal action depending on what the unsealed records reveal.
McGuinness did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
It’s a Tuesday morning on East Colfax and there’s a rally outside a shop called Myxed Up Creations, which sells vapes, pipes and flavored tobacco products. About a dozen people are waving signs urging Denver voters to vote no on Referendum 310. The organizers of the rally want to repeal the ban on sales of flavored tobacco products.
They say a no vote will save jobs and keep millions of dollars in tax money in the city’s coffers, arguing it comes down to a matter of personal choice for adults — even if vaporizer flavors like strawberry, pink lemonade and menthol seem likely to appeal to youth.
“Adults have rights too. Yep. And this is one of the rights they’re trying to take away. And we all have rights. Adults like cotton candy, adults like flavored vapes. We all like a little bit of flavor,” said Kyle Manibusan, an assistant manager at Myxed Up Creations.
Opponents early this year started a petition drive to challenge the ban and successfully gathered nearly 11,000 valid signatures, enough to put the repeal on the ballot this year. A no vote on Referendum 310 would repeal the ban; yes would keep the ban in place.
Manibusan has worked in a vape shop for the last four years, and he said he believes in the products because they helped him quit cigarettes — menthol Marlboros, which he thinks are worse.
“Vaping is not tobacco, it is nicotine. It is a lot healthier and a lot healthier a choice to go ahead and consume,” Manibusan said.
The health impacts of vaping are much debated, including research showing it often leads to co-use, vaping and smoking. But the store’s manager, Rae Drennan, said vaping helped her quit smoking too.
“The sad part about it is if we don’t win, I don’t know what I would do because I like flavored vape and that’s what helped me get off of menthol cigarettes,” said Drennan, who features prominently in a campaign ad on Facebook.
She said she’s the mom of a pair of teenagers and that the shop and others diligently check IDs to prevent sales to minors.
“Even if you come in here and you want to buy a water, I still need to see your ID to show that you are at least 18 or older to enter the property,” Drennan said. “And then if you want to buy anything that has tobacco or nicotine related products, you do have to be 21.”
Awaiting the vote
Across Denver, about 600 businesses, including gas stations, convenience and grocery stores, have tobacco licenses, with perhaps a quarter being vape shops.
Drennan says each store has an economic impact that would be hard to replace.
“If we lose, then we’re losing a bunch of money that we help put into the communities,” she said.
Her boss, Phil Guerin, owns this shop on Colfax and four other Colorado locations. He’s been leading the charge to defeat the flavor ban and was rallying with his employees.
“I’m feeling really confident,” he said. “We are out today. This is a grassroots effort and we have more energy than ever.”
Vape products for sale in Myxed Up’s location on East Colfax Avenue in Denver. Nov. 19, 2024.Kevin J. Beaty/Denverite
Guerin thinks by persuading libertarian-minded voters, including those who lean left, his side can prevail.
“These are the same people that legalized gay marriage. These are the same people that legalized marijuana. And so we’re really tapping into that libertarian streak that Denver really does have,” he said.
Guerin admits he’s worried about the future of his store and its four employees if the ban passes.
The repeal campaign — called “Citizen Power!” — estimates that keeping the flavor ban could cost the city almost $10 million in sales tax revenue, as well as about $2 million in early childhood education funds that come from nicotine sales. The repeal group also claims the city will lose almost $3 million in property taxes and licensing fees as businesses fail.
The other side disputes those figures as overstated and argues money lost to the city is far outpaced by long-term health costs from nicotine borne by consumers and health systems.
Opponents of the flavor ban also include multinational tobacco manufacturers. The repeal campaign received $75,000 so far from both the tobacco giant Altria and from Philip Morris International (PMI).
On the other side, the campaign in support of the flavor ban has received millions from former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg on the yes side, giving it a 6-1 edge on the eve of election. The billionaire and philanthropist has given more than $2.7 million to the “Denver Kids versus Big Tobacco” campaign, according to filings with the city. Its ads have been running frequently on TV for weeks.
“We don’t have millions of dollars like Michael Bloomberg to throw at it, so it’s definitely more a word-of-the-mouth type of deal,” Guerin said. “We hand out flyers, we educate our customers that come in and let them know that, you know, without them choosing, we could lose our right. And every vote counts.”
Businesses at stake
In the northwest part of the city, Rami Sawaged owns and operates a warehouse called CA Wholesale. He sells vape products to more than 100 of the city’s roughly 150 shops, he said. Many are small stores, and their owners are telling him they could go under if the ban goes into effect.
“One of their biggest comments was, ‘I can’t just pick up a 10-year business that I can go move it to Aurora or Lakewood…It’s not that easy. I have a customer base. We have our customers, we want to keep them,’” said Sawaged, who has given more than $40,000 to the Citizen Power! campaign, according to filings with the city clerk’s office. .
Sawaged said he and his family immigrated to the U.S. when he was 14, from Jordan, where everyone smokes.
He said vaping helped his whole family quit. He predicts he could lose more than a third of his business, hundreds of thousands in annual revenue, if the ban passes, and he said the city would lose money too.
“I just think Denver still needs this money. The businesses that are located in Denver, they’re mom-and-pop shops. They’re trying to make a living,” Sawaged said.
Denver voters have until 7 p.m. Tuesday, Election Day, to return their ballots.
As if low voter turnout wasn’t already a challenge in the November election, some Harris County residents have said they weren’t planning to vote in the race for a new Congressional District 18 representative because they thought they’d been redistricted out of that area.
That’s not the case. The District 18 boundaries are the same as they were in the 2024 election, when former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner won the seat. After Turner’s death in March, the Texas Legislature approved new congressional boundary lines but they haven’t gone into effect yet. A special election to fill Turner’s unexpired term is set for November 4, and early voting is underway.
The new redistricting maps are currently being challenged in federal court and, if upheld, will apply to the March 2026 primary election.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said voters will receive new registration certificates in early 2026 when the new lines are implemented.
Ken Rodgers, president of the Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood, said he and his neighbors are clear that they haven’t been drawn into another district, and even if they had, they’d still get to vote for a new member of Congress in the November election. The challenge, Rodgers said, is to get people to go to the polls.
“I’m just encouraging people to vote, period,” he said. “The numbers are still low.”
As of Tuesday, about 112,794 Harris County residents cast ballots at 70 early voting polling places. The unofficial numbers also include returned mail ballots. Harris County has almost 2.7 million registered voters, so the turnout thus represents a dismal 4.23 percent. However, early voting continues through Friday and many people still prefer to cast their ballots on Election Day.
The Congressional District 18 race includes 16 candidates, with former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee leading in the polls. Both frontrunners are Democrats. Political experts say a runoff is likely to be held in January 2026, and the District 18 boundaries will stay the same for that too.
Edwards said at a Wednesday press conference she’s encountered scores of voters who have expressed uncertainty about which district they live in and where their votes will count in the upcoming election.
“This whole situation is by design: not having the special election occur in close proximity to the death [of Turner] creates a distance with people in terms of their connection to a November election applying to something that happened in March,” she said. “It’s just a lot of those things that, when you add them up, you create a very confused electorate.”
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott could have called the special election immediately but said after Turner’s death that Harris County has poorly managed elections in the past and would need months, not weeks, to prepare.
Bishops R.H. Jones, Kenneth Murray Sr. and John Wynn attended Edwards’ media event and said they’re working in the community to educate voters that there is a November election and the redistricting boundaries haven’t changed.
“They don’t even know they’re confused,” Wynn said. “Logically, [approved redistricting maps] would apply to the next election.”
Bishops R.H. Jones, Kenneth R. Murray Sr. and John Wynn say they’re educating voters that there is a November election and the redistricting boundaries haven’t changed yet. Credit: April Towery
Currently, the 18th Congressional district has about 800,000 constituents and includes downtown, part of The Heights, Acres Homes, Third Ward, northeast Houston and the area surrounding George Bush Intercontinental Airport and Humble.
The new proposed boundaries move the district’s core population south and east, taking in portions of the 9th Congressional District, represented by Democrat Congressman Al Green, whose home will be in the 18th district under the new map.
Green didn’t file for the special election to fill Turner’s unexpired term but has said he’s considering a run for District 18 in the March primary.
The lines were redrawn mid-decade in an effort to flip five seats red so President Donald Trump could maintain his Republican majority in Congress. District 18 is now and will remain a Democrat-majority district. Critics have said the effort, led by the Republican-majority Texas Legislature, was unnecessary and racist.
The new District 18 boundaries will decrease the Hispanic population, which plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit say dilutes the voting power of minority communities.
Christian Menefee, third from right, poses with supporters Houston City Councilman Mario Castillo, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, U.S. Congresswoman Rodney Ellis, Houston City Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas and Houston Federation of Teachers president Jackie Anderson at an October 28 event. Credit: Jackie Anderson
Menefee said Wednesday he’s also seeing “a ton of confusion.”
“This election is about our democracy,” Menefee said in an email to the Houston Press. “This district is known for having a powerful voice, and right now that voice matters more than ever. Republican leaders are doing everything they can to dilute the voting power of the people, from changing maps to making it more confusing to vote, all in an effort to silence our communities.”
“But every single vote cast in this election pushes back against that,” he added. “Every single vote says we’re still here, we’re still fighting, and we’re ready to stand up for democracy.”
Edwards ran for the District 18 seat in 2024 and placed second to longtime U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee in the primary. After Jackson Lee’s death in July 2024, Edwards made another bid and lost to Turner in a special election.
“It has been far too long since we’ve had representation,” Edwards said on Wednesday. By the time a representative is elected, almost a year will have passed since District 18 residents have had an opportunity to advocate for federal funding and had a voice in Congress, the candidate said.
“A lot has taken place, including the passage of the Big Beautiful Bill that has devastating impacts on our community,” she said. “That only passed, initially, by a margin of one vote while the seat was empty.”
Edwards’ message on Wednesday was clear: “If you were able to vote in the 18th Congressional District in 2022 and 2024, you can vote in that district in 2025 in this special election.” Because the election is to fill Turner’s unexpired term, the boundaries that were in place when that term began must be honored, the candidate explained. The winner of the special election will serve until December 2026.
All Texas voters will decide on 17 constitutional amendments, including tax exemptions, a statewide water fund and bail reform. Houston and Cypress-Fairbanks ISDs have contested school board races, and an at-large Houston City Council seat is also up for grabs for voters who live within the city limits.
(Left to right) TikTok influencer Sam Rosenholtz and Instagram influencer Jeffrey Binney. Both published posts sponsored by the Vibrant Denver Bond campaign.
Screenshots
If you scroll past enough local TikToks, you might find yourself watching a mustachioed man with the handle “Good Trouble” holding a tiny microphone and talking about how confusing Denver’s upcoming ballot is.
“I’m a fairly recent Denver transplant and I wanted to participate in my local elections, and I’ve been seeing and hearing a lot of noise relating to certain initiatives,” said Sam Rosenholtz, known online as Good Trouble. “So I took it upon myself to do my own research and I wanted to share with you one of these things that I will be voting yes on.”
Rosenholtz, who has 2 million followers on TikTok and is popular among liberal and progressive audiences, goes on to explain that he’s voting to approve ballot measures 2A through 2E, the five Vibrant Denver bond initiatives. The proposals, if passed, would approve nearly $1 billion of debt for capital improvements across the city.
“Ultimately, this is a massive financial investment into Denver that’s going to benefit every resident in this city, including the unhoused,” Rosenholtz told his audience. “It seems like a (expletive) layup to me.”
Rosenholtz added one more fact in the caption: He was paid by the Vibrant Denver bond campaign to post the video.
“Paid partnership with Vibrant Denver Bond,” the description stated.
It’s part of a growing trend in the political world. Campaigns are paying influencers to carry their message, hoping for lower-cost and higher impact advertising that feels more authentic to young audiences.
Each video follows a similar format.
Denverite identified eight Tiktok and Instagram posts sponsored by the bond campaign. They were posted by a range of local creators who focus on everything from development to food or outdoor adventures.
Each video starts with a personal hook.
“I love how outdoorsy everybody is, but everybody is outdoorsy,” said Jeffrey Binney, who has amassed 189,000 followers on Instagram. “Cherry Creek Trail is rush hour traffic. City Park at 8 a.m. is like Coachella. So yeah, I’m literally running, walking to go drop off my ballot because there’s a fix on the ballot in Denver this November.”
Then, they talk about why they are supporting the bond package.
“With the money generated from the bond, they plan on building a new skate park in downtown Denver,” said ski and skateboard content creator Bailey Pine. In fact, the skate park is planned for southeast Denver’s Kennedy Park, where Pine was standing for the video.
They top it off with a familiar promise: the passage of the bond won’t result in increased taxes.
“All this can happen without raising taxes,” said Megan Zarcone, who posts about travel and parenthood for an Instagram audience of about 117,000. “Join me in voting yes and keeping Denver vibrant, connected, and strong this fall.”
Comments under each post mostly engaged with the content at face value, although some people did want to further engage with the issue at hand.
“I just don’t see the merit in setting aside $100+ million for the preferred site of the Walton’s and I don’t think our tax money should be funding the pet project of one of the richest families in the country,” one commenter under Rosenholtz’s video said. They are referring to the infrastructure improvements proposed around Burnham Yard on Measure 2A, which has been criticized by some for overriding greater community needs.
Several creators for comment did not immediately respond to Denverite’s request for comment.
Political campaigns are trying to tap the ‘creator economy.’
Mike Strott, the spokesperson for the Vibrant Denver bond campaign, said more than 10 creators are expected to make sponsored content about the bond. It’s an attempt to reach people who don’t get their news and information from traditional news outlets, he said.
“As a local campaign deploying an ad strategy to reach Denverites, we asked a wide range of local voices — urban enthusiasts, parents, athletes, book lovers, foodies, community development experts and others — to post educational-type focused content about Yes on 2A-2E and why voting yes matters from their perspective,” he told Denverite in an email.
Strott would not disclose the budget for the ad campaign, noting that the strategy is still being deployed so the figure isn’t immediately clear. The campaign contracted with an ad agency that commissioned the content creators.
“Most importantly, we prioritized partnering with folks who themselves wanted to be supportive of what the Vibrant Denver Bond was going to accomplish for Denver so they could speak authentically in their advocacy to their followers,” he said.
Megan Burns, a digital brand strategist who works in advocacy, said it’s part of an effort for politicians to better utilize the reach of social media.
“To me, it’s just paying for a TV spot — social media has essentially just become TV with DMs, right?” Burns said. In other words, social media isn’t just about connecting with friends anymore. It is another form of mass media, with local influencers speaking to growing audiences.
Tapping the creator economy has been increasingly popular, Burns said. She said Democrats are trying to play catch up to Republicans, who put President Donald Trump on numerous podcasts and livestreams in the lead up to the 2024 election.
More details of Vibrant Denver’s influencer spending could become clear with this week’s campaign finance reports. At least for now, it seems to be getting results.
Rosenholtz’s post has drawn more than 61,000 views and more than 500 comments — the vast majority of them positive.
During the debate Tuesday night, all four candidates reiterated the need for better gun control measures.
“This is an issue that we can all agree upon,” said Fateh.
The candidates were asked about a gun control ordinance for Minneapolis. A current Minnesota statute states that a city cannot make their own law over gun control. All four candidates expressed the desire to get an ordinance for the city, if preemption is no longer a hurdle.
“Preemption law means that cities cannot change city ordinance. But once that “big law” is gone you can put it it [city ordinance] into the books to snap it into place immediately,” said Hampton. “So we have to put those ordinances on the books today and once they’re there we can turn to our partners in the legislature and say ‘it’s already on the books, we won’t even argue with what we need to do. All you need to do is remove preemption.”
“Here’s the thing, we can pass laws, even with state preemption, we can put on the books banning assault weapons, registering guns and banning assault weapons, registering guns and banning high capacity clips,” said Davis.
“We need to ban fully automatic weapons at the state and federal level. And ban high capacity magazines at the state and federal level. and if the state and the feds are unwilling or unable then give us the ability to do it in cities,” said Frey.
“Coming up with solutions at the city level so that things can click once we pass our ordinances, we can get it right at the state, we can make it happen,” said Fateh.
Homelessness
Another point of contention has been the topic of people experiencing homelessness within the city.
All four candidates emphasized a need for a better response team and resources to help those experiencing homelessness..
“We should have a homeless response team and an outreach [team. So that] a homeless encampment won’t form in the first place,” said Davis during the debate. “What are we doing to make sure that when one person sets up in a space that we have the outreach, that we have the intention, that we are moving them away before an encampment takes place.”
“Nobody wants encampments it’s not fair. But unlike [the] mayor I want to clear encampments by housing people,” said Fateh. “Bulldozing them block by block is not a solution. Bulldozing our neighbors does not house them and it only allows for another encampment to prop up.”
The recent legal battle between Hamoudi Sabri and the city over homeless encampments on Sabri’s property was brought up during the debate Tuesday.
“The encampment that you [Vascellaro] mentioned, the Sabri encampment, that individual is now bankrolling Sen. Omar Fateh’s PAC,” said Frey.
“It’s unfortunate that we had a situation in which a private citizen, Sabri as mentioned, addressed the situation. It shouldn’t be that way,” said Fateh.
Over the summer, Sabri turned his property into an encampment for people experiencing homelessness — this led to a monthslong legal battle with the city claiming the cite was a “public nuisance.” A judge granted Minneapolis’ temporary restraining order against Sabri, barring him from allowing homeless encampments on any of his properties until further order from the court. Sabri has since
In mid-September, seven people were shot at the encampment and one of them died.
Downtown
A topic of interest has been the revitalization of downtown Minneapolis. Downtown has been struggling since the COVID-19 pandemic and in Oct. 2024, Frey announced his Downtown Action Plan in an effort to draw more back to the area.
During the debate the candidates shared how they would draw people back to the area.
Hampton used his personal experience when discussing the topic, citing the area no longer was “walkable” and the need to draw more people to live in and near downtown. He also stated the need to work with small and large businesses to ensure they “are not leaving and feel safe and secure in the city.”
“The downtown is still full opportunity and potential,” said Fateh. “I want to ensure that we’re filling our storefronts with local small businesses. Ensuring that we are removing barriers for folks to start a business, that’s why I want to have a strong office of small business support, that can provide start up grants for businesses.”
The compliant from Frey’s campaign alleges that the state DFL’s investigation found nearly 200 votes missing and called the process “flawed.” They claim an “extraordinarily high number of missing or uncounted votes produced by the highly flawed and untested electronic voting system.” The campaign also alleged there’s “no plausible reason” why over 20% of the total delegates and alternates would skip voting.
Gov. Tim Walz endorsed Frey for a third term. In a statement earlier this summer Walz said Frey “is a partner I can trust to actually deliver progressive policies that improve people’s lives.”
Tune in for special live coverage of all races and results on election night on Nov. 4. Polls in Minnesota close at 8 p.m.
WCCO News will provide live results online from every race in the state, including dozens of school referendums as voters decide if taxes should be raised to pay for improvements and education programs.
Results will also appear as soon as they come in on CBS News Minnesota, and key races will be shown at the bottom of the screen on WCCO-TV later in the evening.
If you or someone you know needs help finding affordable housing-related options, get help from the HousingLink. Additional programs can be found at Housing Benefits 101.
The debate was hosted by WCCO News anchor Frank Vascellaro. Afterwards, WCCO’s Esme Murphy and political reporter Caroline Cummings offered analysis of what was discussed with guest political analysts Amy Frederiksen, a Republican strategist, and Jeff Hayden, a Democratic strategist.
WCCO-TV also provided additional coverage of the debate on its 10 p.m. newscast on Tuesday.
Some of the issues that were covered in the debate include downtown revitalization, public safety, affordable housing and homelessness.
Tune in for special live coverage of all races and results on election night on Nov. 4. Polls in Minnesota close at 8 p.m.
WCCO News will provide live results online from every race in the state, including dozens of school referendums as voters decide if taxes should be raised to pay for improvements and education programs.
Results will also appear as soon as they come in on CBS News Minnesota, and key races will be shown at the bottom of the screen on WCCO-TV later in the evening.
Detroiters who believe the city is moving in the right direction are far more likely to vote in next week’s mayoral election than those who say it’s on the wrong track, according to a new University of Michigan survey.
The Detroit Metro Area Communities Study (DMACS), conducted from Aug. 6 to Oct. 1, found that 70% of Detroiters with a positive view of the city’s direction said they’ll “definitely” vote on Nov. 4, compared to 41% of those who believe the city is on the wrong track and 52% of those unsure about its direction.
Overall, 56% of residents said Detroit is headed in the right direction, while 13% said it’s on the wrong track and 31% were unsure. Optimism is highest in Downtown, Midtown, and Southwest Detroit and lowest on the east side.
Older, higher-income, and more educated residents were far more likely to say the city is improving. Nearly 80% of Detroiters with household incomes above $100,000 said the city is on the right track, compared to just 35% of those earning under $10,000. Men and white residents were also more optimistic than women and Black or Latino residents.
“The survey offers powerful insights into some of the hopes and concerns shaping this historic election,” Yucheng Fan, data manager at DMACS and co-author of the report, said Tuesday. “We’re seeing variation in who feels motivated to vote.”
The election marks the first time in more than a decade that Detroiters will choose a new mayor. Mayor Mike Duggan served three terms and is running for governor as an independent. Detroit City Council President Mary Sheffield is running for mayor against Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. and has a 64.9%-14.1% lead, according to a WDIV/Detroit News poll.
According to the survey, 61% of residents said they “definitely will vote” this year, while 25% said they “probably will,” and 14% said they probably or definitely will not. Those numbers closely mirror last year’s presidential election intentions, when roughly six in 10 Detroiters said they planned to vote.
Age was one of the strongest predictors of voter participation. More than 80% of residents 65 and older said they will definitely vote, compared with just 39% of Detroiters under 35.
Education and income also play a major role. About 80% of college graduates and 78% of residents earning at least $100,000 said they’re certain to vote, compared with 48% of Detroiters whose education ended at high school and 37% of those with incomes under $10,000.
There were no significant gender differences in voter enthusiasm, but Latino Detroiters were far less likely to say they’ll definitely vote (27%) compared to 65% of Black residents and 64% of white residents.
When asked about their top priorities for the next mayor, residents pointed overwhelmingly to education, public safety, affordable housing, and jobs.
81% said improving K-12 schools is a high priority;
80% cited crime and safety;
77% named affordable housing;
75% pointed to access to high-quality jobs.
Infrastructure, business investment, and public transportation also were key issues, with more than 60% of residents calling them high priorities.
Black residents were more likely than white residents to identify schools, crime, and housing as top concerns, and women rated safety and affordability higher than men. Optimism about the city’s direction also varied by geography: 65% of residents in District 5 (downtown and Midtown) and 61% in District 6 (Southwest Detroit) said the city is on the right track, compared with less than half of east side residents in Districts 3 and 4.
Jeffrey Morenoff, a University of Michigan sociology and public policy professor who co-leads DMACS, said the findings highlight both progress and persistent divides across the city.
“We see notable differences by age, race, and city council district, which underscore the importance of capturing the diversity of Detroiters’ views,” Morenoff said.
The full report, “Detroit Decides: Views on the City, Priorities for the Next Mayor, and Intentions to Vote,” is available at detroitsurvey.umich.edu.
Supporters of Proposition 50, California Democrats’ ballot measure to redraw the state’s congressional districts to help the party’s effort to take power in the U.S. House of Representatives, raised more than four times the amount that rivals raised in recent weeks, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state by the three main committees campaigning about the measure.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s committee supporting the redistricting measure raised $36.8 million between Sept. 21 and Oct. 18, bringing its total to $114.3 million, according to the report filed with the secretary of state’s office on Thursday, which was not available until Monday. It had $37.1 million in the bank and available to spend before the Nov. 4 special election.
“We have hit our budget goals and raised what we need in order to pass Proposition 50,” Newsom emailed supporters on Monday. “You can stop donating.”
The two main opposition groups raised a total of $8.4 million during the 28 days covered by the fundraising period, bringing their total haul to $43.7 million. They had $2.3 million in cash on hand going into the final stretch of the campaign.
“As Gavin Newsom likes to say, we are not running the 90-yard dash here. We’ve seen a groundswell of support from Californians who understand what’s at stake if we let [President] Trump steal two more years of unchecked power,” said Hannah Milgrom, a spokesperson for the main pro-Proposition 50 campaign. “But we are not taking anything for granted nor taking our foot off the gas. If we want to hold this dangerous and reckless president accountable, we must pass Prop. 50.”
Newsom and other California Democrats decided to ask voters to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries, which are currently drawn by a voter-approved independent commission, in a mid-decade redistricting after Trump urged GOP-led states to redraw their districts in an effort for Republicans to retain control of Congress in next year’s midterm election.
The balance of power in the narrowly divided House will determine whether Trump is able to continue enacting his agenda during his final two years of office, or is the focus of investigations and possibly an impeachment effort.
Major donors supporting Proposition 50 include billionaire financier George Soros; the House Majority PAC, the campaign arm of congressional Democrats; and labor unions.
Among the opponents of Proposition 50, top contributors include longtime GOP donor Charles Munger Jr., the son of the investment partner of billionaire Warren Buffett; and the Congressional Leadership Fund, Republicans’ political arm in the House.
“While we are being outspent, we’re continuing to communicate with Californians the dangers of suspending California’s gold-standard redistricting process,” said Amy Thoma, a spokesperson for the committee funded by Munger. “With just ten days to go, we are encouraging all voters to make their voice heard and to vote.”
Ellie Hockenbury, an advisor to the committee that received $5 million from the Congressional Leadership Fund, said the organization was committed to continuing to raise money to block Newsom’s redistricting effort in the days leading up to the election.
“His costly power grab would silence millions of Californians and deny them fair representation in Congress, which is why grassroots opposition is gaining momentum,” Hockenbury said. “In the final push, our data-driven campaign is strategically targeting key voters with our message to ensure every resource helps us defeat Prop. 50.”
There are several other committees not affiliated with these main campaign groups that are receiving funding. Those include one created by billionaire hedge fund founder Tom Steyer, who donated $12 million, and the California Republican Party, which received $8 million from the Congressional Leadership Fund.
These reports come a little more than a week before the Nov. 4 special election. More than 4 million mail ballots — 18% of the ballots sent to California’s 23 million voters — had been returned as of Friday, according to a vote tracker run by Democratic redistricting expert Paul Mitchell, who drew the proposed maps on the ballot. Democrats continue to outpace Republicans in returning ballots, 51% to 28%. Voters registered without a party preference or with other political parties returned 21% of the ballots that have been received.
The turnout figures are alarming Republican leaders.
“If Republicans do not get out and vote now, we will lose Prop 50 and Gavin Newsom will control our district lines until 2032,” Orange County GOP Chair Will O’Neill wrote to party members on Friday, urging them to cast ballots this past weekend and sharing the locations of early voting centers in the county.
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) was more blunt on social media.
“Right now we’re losing the fight against Prop 50 in CA, but turnout is LOW,” he posted on the social media platform X on Friday. “If every Republican voter gets off their ass, returns their ballot and votes NO, we WIN. IT. IS. THAT. SIMPLE.”
More than 18.9 million ballots are outstanding, though not all will be completed. Early voting centers opened on Saturday in 29 California counties.
“Think of Election Day as the last day to vote — not the only day. Like we always do, California gives voters more days and more ways to participate,” Secretary of State Shirley Weber said in a statement. “Don’t Delay! Vote today!”
The U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday that it plans on monitoring polling sites in Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Orange and Riverside counties at the request of the state GOP.
“Transparency at the polls translates into faith in the electoral process, and this Department of Justice is committed to upholding the highest standards of election integrity,” Atty. Gen. Pam Bondi said. “We will commit the resources necessary to ensure the American people get the fair, free, and transparent elections they deserve.”
Newsom, in a post on X on Friday, said the Trump administration is sending election monitors to polling places in California as part of a broader effort to stifle the vote, particularly among Californians of color, in advance of next year’s midterm election.
“This is about voter intimidation. This is about voter suppression,” Newsom said, predicting that masked border agents would probably be present at California polling places through the Nov. 4 election. “I hope people understand it’s a bridge that they’re trying to build the scaffolding for all across this country in next November’s election. They do not believe in fair and free elections. Our republic, our democracy, is on the line.”
President Trump urged California voters on Sunday not to cast mail-in ballots or vote early in the California election about redistricting — the direct opposite of the message from state GOP leaders.
Repeating his false claim that former President Biden beat him in 2020 because the election was rigged, Trump argued that the November special election about redistricting in California would be rigged, as would the 2026 midterm election to determine control of Congress.
“No mail-in or ‘Early’ Voting, Yes to Voter ID! Watch how totally dishonest the California Prop Vote is! Millions of Ballots being ‘shipped,’” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “GET SMART REPUBLICANS, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!”
Proposition 50, a ballot measure proposed by Gov. Gavin Newsom and other California Democrats to redraw the state’s congressional districts to boost their party’s ranks in the U.S. House of Representatives, is on the Nov. 4 ballot.
The rare mid-decade redistricting effort was in response to Trump urging GOP-led states, initially Texas, to increase the number of Republicans in the House in the 2026 midterm election to allow him to continue implementing his agenda in his final two years in the White House.
Trump has not weighed in on the merits of Proposition 50, while prominent Democrats who support it have, including former President Obama.
More than 4 million mail-in ballots — 18% of the ballots sent to California’s 23 million voters — had been returned as of Friday, according to a vote tracker run by Democratic redistricting expert Paul Mitchell, who drew the proposed maps on the ballot. Democrats continue to outpace Republicans in returning ballots, 51% to 28%. Voters registered without a party preference or with other political parties have returned 21% of the ballots.
Early-voting centers also opened in 29 counties on Saturday.
Turnout figures were alarming Republicans leaders before Trump’s message.
“It’s simple. Republicans need to stop complaining and vote. We ask and ask and ask and yet turnout still lags,” the San Diego GOP posted on X. “To win this one GOP turnout needs to be materially better than average. It’s very doable but won’t just happen. Work it.”
Republicans historically voted early while Democrats were more likely to cast ballots on election day. Trump upended this dynamic, creating dissonance with GOP leaders across the nation who recognized the value of banking early votes. And it completely contradicts the messaging by the opponents of Proposition 50.
Jessica Millan Patterson, a former chair of the state GOP and leader of the “No on Prop. 50 — Stop Sacramento’s Power Grab” committee, has been a longtime proponent of urging Republican voters to cast ballots as early and conveniently as possible.
“Sacramento politicians rushed this costly election for partisan gain, and mistakes have been made,” she said Sunday evening. “If Californians want change from our state’s failed one-party rule, it starts by turning out to vote no on Proposition 50.”
Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has become one of President Trump’s most high-profile adversaries, told “CBS News Sunday Morning” in an exclusive interview that he will consider whether to run for president after the 2026 midterm elections.
In an interview taped Thursday in San Jose, Newsom was asked whether he would give “serious thought” to a White House bid once next year’s midterm elections are over.
“Yeah, I’d be lying otherwise,” Newsom replied. “I’d just be lying. And I’m not — I can’t do that.”
Newsom, whose term ends in January 2027 and is prevented from running again due to term limits, cautioned that any decision is years away.
“Fate will determine that,” he said, when asked about whether he is moving closer to working out a reason for a national candidacy.
Newsom, 58, has made trips to key battleground states, including a visit this past July to South Carolina, which as of now is slated to host the first Democratic primary in the 2028 presidential election, although that could change.
During that trip, which featured multiple stops and was covered by “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Newsom met with state Democratic leaders and stopped by a coffee shop to rally activists and help employees serve espresso drinks.
“I happen to, and thank God, I’m in the right business,” Newsom said in the interview, when asked about his evident enjoyment in meeting Democrats in South Carolina. “I love people. I actually love people.”
Newsom said talk of him possibly running for president, after facing challenges throughout his life, including dyslexia, is a reminder to him that lives can go in surprising directions.
“I have no idea,” Newsom said of whether he will decide to run. “The idea that a guy who got 960 on his SAT, that still struggles to read scripts, that was always in the back of the classroom, the idea that you would even throw that out is, in and of itself, extraordinary. Who the hell knows? I’m looking forward to who presents themselves in 2028 and who meets that moment. And that’s the question for the American people.”
Newsom said his focus now is on passing Proposition 50, a California ballot measure he has championed that would allow state Democrats to temporarily change the boundaries of U.S. House districts and make them more favorable to the party. Newsom has cast his effort, which will be decided in a special election next week, as a response to Mr. Trump’s push for Republican-controlled states, like Texas, to change their congressional maps so the GOP has a better chance at holding on to its narrow House majority next year.
“I think it’s about our democracy. It’s about the future of this republic. I think it’s about, you know, what the Founding Fathers lived and died for, this notion of the rule of law, and not the rule of Don,” Newsom said.
Tensions have run high ahead of the vote, with both parties seeing redistricting efforts as critical to achieving their goal of winning the U.S. House majority next year. Whichever party holds control of the House has subpoena and oversight powers over the Executive Branch.
“We’ve got hundreds and hundreds, ICE and Border Patrol,” Newsom told Proposition 50 supporters on Thursday at a labor event, referring to federal agents in the state. Newsom predicted their presence might increase ahead of the Nov. 4 special election.
“Don’t think for a second we’re not going to be seeing more of that through Election Day,” Newsom said. “These guys are not screwing around.”
In recent days, the Justice Department said it would send its own monitors to supervise the special election in California and the gubernatorial election in New Jersey. Newsom has denounced the move, calling it a Trump administration move to intimidate Democrats. The goal, according to the Justice Department, is “to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.”
While Newsom has long been a fixture in California, his foray into presidential politics generated intense interest last year when he was a fierce defender of President Joe Biden, especially in the wake of Biden’s debate performance against Mr. Trump, which prompted many Democrats to call for Biden to exit the 2024 race.
Newsom, however, never wavered on Biden’s candidacy. In the days before Biden dropped out of the race, Newsom stumped for him nationwide, including in New Hampshire.
Speaking with “CBS News Sunday Morning” there in July 2024, about a week before Biden left the race, Newsom said he was “all in” on Biden.
“No daylight,” Newsom said of his alliance with Biden at the time.
According to sources close to both Newsom and Biden, the two men are close and have stayed in touch since Biden left the White House. Newsom is also friendly with former President Barack Obama, who has offered support for Proposition 50 and joined Newsom and volunteers on a video call last week.
Story produced by Ed Forgotson and John Goodwin. Editor: Chad Cardin.
As former members of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education, we have long respected the complexity and responsibility of serving on the board. It is a demanding and often thankless role. Yet, the gravity of our district’s challenges and the content of the Denver Post editorial from September 28, 2025, compel us to speak out.
The editorial referenced “some candidates running for the Denver Board of Education who would rather see the district’s world-class lottery system go away,” and accused them of wanting to “keep the best schools in Denver a secret.” Let’s be clear: the three incumbents — Scott Esserman, Xóchitl Gaytán, and Michelle Quattlebaum — have led efforts to dismantle school choice in Denver. They have also collaborated with the Superintendent to only publicize the positive results and limit public access to negative school performance data especially among low income students. The public deserves to see the disaggregated achievement by race, ethnicity, and income.
Despite campaigning on promises of transparency and accountability, the incumbents’ actions have too often produced the opposite. The current board has made critical decisions behind closed doors, minimized authentic community engagement, and failed to deliver measurable improvement for Denver’s students.
This November, Denver voters have the opportunity to elect four new board members who will restore integrity, transparency, and student-centered decision-making. These candidates–Mariana del Hierro (District 2), Caron Blanke (District 3), Timiya Jackson (District 4), and Alex Magaña (At-Large)—represent the best of Denver’s civic and educational leadership. Two are accomplished educators, and two bring executive management experience rooted in community service. Collectively, they are prepared to govern responsibly and help rebuild a system that prioritizes student success above all else.
The data tell a sobering story. While 75% of white students in DPS are proficient in reading, only 30% or fewer Black, Latino, and low-income students meet grade-level expectations–a gap that continues to widen. In mathematics, the disparities are even starker, with up to 80% of students from these groups performing below grade level.
Standardized scores are not the only indicator of educational health, but they are an important one. Denver Public Schools has not returned to pre-pandemic levels of achievement and, alarmingly, has no clear plan to get there. The current leadership has failed to set ambitious goals, measure progress transparently, or hold itself accountable for student outcomes.
It is deeply concerning that a board responsible for $1.5 billion in taxpayer funds, 90,000 students, and 15,000 employees demonstrates so little urgency or accountability. Under this leadership, Denver students have fallen even farther behind academically, socially, and emotionally.
This election offers a turning point. Denver voters can choose leaders who bring urgency, competence, and a clear sense of responsibility to public education. Blanke, del Hierro, Jackson, and Magaña are ready to collaborate with the Superintendent on an aggressive, student-centered plan to raise achievement and restore public confidence. The pandemic presented an opportunity to reimagine a district that works for every child. The current board–and the incumbents seeking reelection—failed that test. Denver cannot afford another generation of lost potential.
This November, we urge voters to support new leadership committed to transparency, accountability, and the belief that every Denver student deserves the opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed.
Elaine Gantz Berman, Theresa Peña and Mary Seawell are all former elected directors of the Denver Public Schools Board of Education.
Aren’t school board elections supposed to be nonpartisan?
That’s the question some Cypress-Fairbanks ISD residents asked when they got postcards in their mailboxes on Thursday featuring a photo of conservative Christian activist and Donald Trump ally Charlie Kirk, who was murdered last month at a Utah college campus.
“Keep crazy out of our schools!” the mailer states above the following bullet points:
Nationwide violence has escalated on the left, to the point of political assassinations.
It is the result of the leftist and Marxist takeover of our schools.
It is years and years of indoctrinating our kids to accept and normalize radical ideas.
If you wouldn’t vote for a Democrat at state and national elections, why do it locally?
It’s an advertisement for incumbent Natalie Blasingame, former board member George Edwards Jr. and retired CFISD administrator Radele Walker, “the only candidates in this race endorsed by the Harris County GOP.”
This mailer was distributed to Cy-Fair ISD voters this week. Credit: Screenshot
The mailpiece was paid for by the CyFair4Liberty Political Action Committee, led by Bill Ely.
Ely did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday mornin, nor did the slate of Republican candidates.
But those supporting challengers Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena, all of whom have voted in a Democratic primary but are identifying themselves as a “pro-public education” slate, had plenty to say.
“What does Charlie Kirk have to do with a school board election and why are they implying their opponents have something to do with it?” said Odus Evbagharu, a Cy-Fair ISD graduate and Democratic candidate for Texas House of Representatives.
The mailer also stirred some strong feelings in hardcore Republicans.
A former Harris County Republican Party precinct chair said in a text message to the Houston Press, “This is a new low. How can they desecrate Charlie Kirk and his image/memory? It is disparaging and insulting. I am literally feeling the same feelings I felt when I heard of [Kirk’s] assassination. This is inhumane and insensitive. Have they no morals or ethical boundaries?”
This mailer was distributed to Cy-Fair ISD voters this week. Credit: Screenshot
A post in the Facebook group CFISD Parents for Librarians had more than three dozen comments early Friday morning.
“Teachers are not the enemy and to equate them as such and that they are the result of ‘nationwide violence’ is absolutely INSANE,” wrote Ashley Buckner, who posted photos of the mailer.
One commenter added, “That sure is a great use of the fear propaganda technique and a testimonial by putting Charlie Kirk on there. If I was still teaching, I would be saving this one as one of the mailers for the kids to analyze when teaching propaganda techniques.”
Another commenter pointed out that school boards are supposed to be nonpartisan. “Why do they keep using our children and teachers as the frontlines in their political war?” she asked.
The Cy-Fair ISD board has been under fire since a conservative Christian majority led by Blasingame began last year supporting book bans, removing chapters from textbooks and trying to get chaplains installed at district campuses, which critics say blur the lines of separation of church and state.
In addition to the GOP-endorsed candidates and the pro-public education candidates, board president Scott Henry is also seeking re-election, running for Position 6 against Blasingame and Lane. Henry is backed by trustees Todd LeCompte, Justin Ray and Lucas Scanlon. Elecia Jones is running for Position 7 against Camarena and Walker.
The Harris County GOP endorsed the three candidates before the filing period ended and days prior to the publication of a Houston Pressstory in which Blasingame admitted she’d secretly recorded members of the community, prompting a board policy change that prohibits trustees from taping conversations with community members, district administrators and other trustees without the knowledge of all involved parties.
A GOP precinct chair proposed a resolution last month to revoke Blasingame’s endorsement, alleging the trustee brought shame upon the district, but rescinded the motion when she determined she didn’t have enough support from party officials for it to go through.
Earlier this week, Cy-Fair Republicans welcomed Gov. Greg Abbott and Senators Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, and Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham, to a Cypress barbecue restaurant. At the event, Abbott said he wanted to turn Harris County “dark red.” Blasingame, Edwards and Walker attended the event, and Blasingame posted on Facebook on the day of the visit that a “YUGE endorsement announcement” would be forthcoming.
Abbott didn’t endorse any of the school board candidates but said his top two priorities are to win re-election in November 2026 and to win Harris County — and he’s willing to spend most of the $90 million in his coffers to do so.
Early voting continues through October 31. Election Day is November 4.
Sixteen candidates are vying for the U.S. Congressional District 18 seat vacated by the March death of former Rep. Sylvester Turner, and political experts say it will likely be decided in a runoff between Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards. The winner will hold the seat until the term expires at the end of 2026.
The University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs recently released a poll showing Menefee and Edwards in the lead, with 27 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones was in third place with 15 percent, according to the poll.
Mark Jones, a political science professor at Rice University who co-authored the survey, said Jolanda Jones is “clearly in a second-tier category compared to Menefee and Edwards.”
“It’s not really a three-candidate race right now. It’s a two-candidate race,” he said.
Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards talks with Harris County voters at an October forum. Credit: April Towery
University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus agreed that all signs are pointing to a runoff, with Menefee and Edwards as the top vote-getters.
“It’s been a pretty quiet race; it’s been pretty dormant,” Rottinghaus said. “There’s a chance that Menefee could [win outright] but I don’t think it’s going to happen. It depends on turnout. I don’t think there’s a ton of enthusiasm at this point.”
Early voting began Monday, and Election Day is November 4. The boundaries of Congressional District 18 were redrawn over the summer and are currently being challenged in federal court, creating confusion for some voters who aren’t sure whether they still live in CD 18.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth reminded voters at a press conference Monday that the current District 18 boundaries, the ones that have been in place for the past several election cycles, remain in place until 2026. They will also remain the same in a runoff, but not in next year’s election, when the seat will be up for grabs again.
Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee speaks at an October press conference. Credit: Jayla Fields
The UH report states that if federal judges affirm Texas’s new district maps for the 2026 election, much of Congressional District 9 would be redistricted into Congressional District 18. U.S. Rep. Al Green, who has represented District 9 for two decades, received high (89 percent) favorability ratings by the Democratic voters living within the current boundaries of District 18, according to the poll.
Green is not participating in the District 18 race to fill Turner’s unexpired term but said he’s considering a bid for the seat next year.
The district has elected a Black Democrat for more than 50 years; the late former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee represented the area for almost three decades. Lee died in July 2024, and Turner, a former Houston mayor, held the seat for less than three months before his death.
Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards were leading in a poll conducted earlier this month of 1,200 likely voters. Credit: University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs
Other noteworthy hopefuls in the District 18 race for Turner’s unexpired term include Republican journalist Carmen Maria Montiel, Democrat Isaiah Martin, and Independent candidate George Foreman IV. Montiel received support from 6 percent of likely voters; Martin and Foreman received support from 4 percent. No other candidate received more than 3 percent.
The polling numbers have not discouraged political newcomer Stephen Huey from remaining in the race to fill Turner’s seat. The Democrat told the Houston Press his party is “not getting a lot done right now.”
“We need to communicate better to the rest of the American people,” he said. “The preaching to the choir thing doesn’t work.” Huey, a technology consultant, said he’s the only Democrat in the race who has extensive industry experience in healthcare, finance, and energy. He added, however, that even though he speaks Spanish and spent part of his childhood in West Africa, he’s still a white guy running in a district heavily populated by Black and Latino voters.
“Some people I’ve talked to insist that maybe [the Congress member] should be someone from Third Ward, and I totally understand that,” Huey said. “For me, I’m most concerned about the district being served well.”
From left, Congressional District 18 candidates Christian Menefee, Stephen Huey and George Foreman IV debate at an October forum. Credit: Shirley Lim
About 1,200 likely voters were surveyed in the UH poll between October 7 and 11. When presented with eight policy issues, 44 percent said civil rights and civil liberties were the top concerns facing the nation, followed by jobs and the economy (13 percent), healthcare (12 percent), and inflation and prices (11 percent).
Rottinghaus suggested that the top two candidates may be saving some of their “best stuff” for the runoff. Both Menefee and Edwards have been campaigning nonstop since they filed for the post shortly after Turner’s funeral. They’re both young Black lawyers and have taken similar positions on opposing the mid-decade redistricting effort, supporting affordable healthcare for all Americans and standing up to the Trump administration.
Menefee, 37, recently sued the federal government, claiming the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency illegally rescinded its $7 billion Solar for All grant program. The county attorney also joined government leaders across the country in filing a legal motion opposing a federal law that would strip Medicaid funding from Planned Parenthood.
Edwards, 43, hosted an “Uplifting Black Women’s Voices” media event last week featuring Alison Leland, the widow of Mickey Leland, who held the District 18 seat for 10 years. Edwards has highlighted her service as an at-large Houston City Council member and her community advocacy.
Edwards ran for the District 18 seat in 2024, placing second to Jackson Lee in the primary. After Jackson Lee’s death, Edwards made another bid and lost to Turner in a special election. During those campaigns, she built a base of supporters and increased her name recognition among the district’s 825,000 residents.
As it stands today, Congressional District 18 is about 43 percent Hispanic, 32 percent Black and 17 percent white.
The UH survey shows that Jolanda Jones did not poll well among white voters, compared to Menefee and Edwards. The state rep broke quorum this summer, fleeing the state to avoid voting on a redistricting map that she deemed racist and illegal. While she has said her constituents supported her action, she lost valuable campaign time. Jones also filed almost three months after Menefee and Edwards did, saying she didn’t want to abandon the constituents of her Texas House district while the Legislature was in session.
Nancy Sims, a political science lecturer at the University of Houston, said Congressional District 18 is “a pretty solidly liberal district.”
“It has a vast array of people that span from far north Harris County all the way to the inner city,” she said. “It’s a diverse district. I think it’s fair to say that the voters of District 18 are proud of the heritage of their representatives, from Barbara Jordan to Mickey Leland to Sheila Jackson Lee. They like the outspoken, opinionated representatives that fight for them.”
Congressional District 18 voters have elected a Black Democrat for the past 50 years. Credit: University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs
Democrats have criticized Gov. Greg Abbott for delaying the election to November when he could have called it immediately after Turner’s death in March. By the time a runoff is held, likely in February, the district will have been without representation for almost a year.
“All of this was intentional,” candidate Isaiah Martin told the Texas Tribune. “Republicans knew that when they did this sham process, and they’re trying to depress our turnout. And so it’s up to us to make sure that we don’t let them succeed.”
ORLANDO, Fla. — A disconnect between two Florida state databases could cause big problems for the 2026 elections all across Florida if it is not closed.
What You Need To Know
The Florida DMV’s new license numbers aren’t updating in the state voter database
The disconnect mostly affects mail-in voters in Florida
Voters with new licenses are encouraged to update their registration info to avoid disruptions
This year, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles started issuing driver’s licenses with more random numbers to better protect people’s personal information. Everyone who gets a new license will get a new number.
But when people get those new licenses, the information is not going into the Florida Department of State database, which is used to verify IDs when voting.
“If they don’t update their voter registration at all, then that data is not bundled up and sent to the Secretary of State and then down to the Supervisor of Elections,” Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph said.
Orange County Supervisor of Elections Karen Castor Dentel says the gap between the FLHSMV database and the state department database is affecting people who need to vote by mail.
Castor Dentel’s office reported last year that nearly 152,000 people voted by mail in Orange County. That’s about 25% of all the votes cast in that election.
“We’re seeing people who have problems requesting their vote by mail ballot and other issues if they don’t update that driver’s license number,” Castor Dentel said.
Castor Dentel says voters will be able to vote at the polls on election day by bringing their current ID or voter registration card, but some people who are trying to get a vote by mail ballots may not receive them as the databases do not talk to each other.
“Not everyone can get out to the polls and vote,” she said. “Whether their work schedule does not permit it or they have disabilities that won’t permit it. So it is important that people do have access to the vote by mail.”
Castor Dentel and Randolph are working on temporary solutions. Customer service workers at the tax collector’s office are asking every person who gets a license to update their voter registration, even if they don’t want to make any changes.
“When my employee asks you to update your voter registration and you think, ‘I don’t have any changes,’ please just go through the steps. I promise if you go through those steps, you won’t have that issue,” Randolph said.
Randolph says in the end, the solution must come out of Tallahassee.
“In the longer term, the two state agencies, DHSMV and the Secretary of State, are going to have to work out their databases to cure this issue,” he said.
Another short-term solution, Castor Dentel says, is people can call or visit the Orange County Supervisor of Elections office, and the staff will update their voter ID information, so it goes into the Department of State database correctly.
Spectrum News reached out to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the Florida Department of State by phone and email on Tuesday to see what they are doing to fix this problem. We did not hear from either agency on Tuesday.
Seventeen constitutional amendments — characterized by government watchdogs as property tax cuts for homeowners, tax bans for the wealthy and a few niche items like bail reform and parental rights — will be decided in the coming weeks, as early voting begins Monday, October 20.
No matter their ZIP code, all Texans get to vote on the amendments. Some Harris County residents will also be deciding school board seats, a member of U.S. Congress and an at-large Houston City Council post.
Early voting extends through October 31, and Election Day is November 4. Sample ballots and early voting locations are posted at harrisvotes.com.
Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth said new equipment has been tested and software has been upgraded to reduce the amount of paper used in elections. Hudspeth’s staff visited several of the 70 early voting sites on Friday to assist poll workers with setup.
“We are as ready as ready can be,” Hudspeth said. “We don’t wake up two or three months before an election and start running it. Essentially while we’re running a November election, we’re preparing for the midterms next year.”
Hudspeth said she’s reminding Harris County residents that their vote matters, as constitutional amendment elections don’t typically produce large turnouts.
University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus said many of the constitutional amendments on the ballot were born out of Republican legislation that didn’t move forward in the most recent session, but a supermajority, or a two-thirds vote, is required to get a constitutional amendment on the ballot — so there is some bipartisan consensus that these are measures worth considering.
“Traditionally, people are pretty favorable to constitutional amendments,” Rottinghaus said. “Upwards of 90 percent of them pass. Obviously, the ones that are tax-based are the ones that pass by the most significant margin. About 98 percent of those pass. The ones that change the structure of government don’t pass as frequently.”
The state legislature already slashed $51 billion in property taxes for the next two years, but more cuts could be on the way. Owners of homes with taxable values of $200,000 or less could end up paying $0 in school taxes if they’re over 65 or disabled.
Proposition 13 increases the school tax exemption for homeowners from $100,000 to $140,000. Proposition 11 increases the school tax exemption for senior citizens and the disabled from $10,000 to $60,000. Therefore, if both amendments pass, senior citizens and the disabled could have a $200,000 homestead tax exemption.
Tax cuts aren’t usually controversial but law requires that the state reimburse school districts for any lost revenue due to the increased exemptions, said Andrew Schneider, a politics and government reporter for NPR affiliate Houston Public Media on the Houston Matters radio show.
“As a result, if the state cuts funding to education in future budget cycles as it did notably 20 years ago, school districts would be forced to cut spending as well,” he said.
Rottinghaus said Texas Republicans, in general, hope to reduce or eliminate taxes for some populations, such as the elderly.
“That’s not practically possible,” he said. “The state still needs revenue for various things, and this is the compromise tax system that they’ve settled on. This is the one that’s become the most politically palatable.”
“In principle, the way this works is that it just constrains what local governments are able to raise in the future,” he added. “So either these local governments go without that revenue, or the state will offer money to make up the difference. In most of these cases, this is just simply money that the local governments are going to have to live without. It’s not a lot of money at the end of the day, but it adds up.”
Ten of the 17 propositions deal with taxes, with exemptions proposed not just for senior citizens but also spouses of veterans, businesses, animal feed and land being used for border security infrastructure.
Poll worker Paulette King puts together signs for the a polling place in anticipation of early voting beginning October 20. Credit: April Towery
Property tax cuts have been heavily supported by Houston Republican Senators Joan Huffman and Paul Bettencourt. Huffman, who serves as chair of the Senate Finance Committee chair, is currently campaigning for Texas attorney general on a platform of fiscal conservatism and public safety.
The Senate’s budget for the 2026-27 biennium included $32 billion in property tax cuts, Huffman announced in January.
“Our economy is strong and continues to grow,” she said at the time. “We again have the opportunity to make strategic, one-time investments to address long-standing needs of our growing state, as well as return money back to taxpayers in the form of additional property tax relief.”
Tax Bans
Houston Progressive Caucus cofounder Karthik Soora has urged his organization’s members to vote against three constitutional amendments that he says are designed to provide tax breaks to people like Texas billionaire Elon Musk.
Texas already banned “any sort of wealth tax” in a previous election, so these three measures — Propositions 2, 6 and 8 — are just further ensuring that the rich don’t have to pay taxes, Soora said.
“The average Texan, if you were lucky enough to own a house, that’s where you have your property. Maybe you have a tiny amount of stock,” Soora said. “The average American does not hold that much stock.”
Proposition 2, the capital gains tax ban, would prohibit the state from taxing people or businesses on profits from capital assets such as investments and real estate. It also forfeits a franchise tax on business trusts, meaning the state will lose about $152,000 in revenue per year, according to the state comptroller’s office.
Texas Rep. Giovanni Capriglione, R-Southlake, who authored the legislation, has said that a franchise tax on business trusts could be construed as a capital gains tax, undermining economic competitiveness.
Soora disputes that claim and noted that, with about 30 reported billionaires in the Greater Houston area, it will cost working class Texans billions “down the line, at a time when people don’t have enough money for healthcare or childcare or affordable housing in Houston.”
“We’re all paying our fair share and more. Why can’t the super wealthy?” he said.
Proposition6, the securities tax ban, would prohibit the state from taxing securities transactions like stocks and bonds but that’s not a current practice in Texas.
The amendment was prompted by a new stock exchange slated to open next year in Dallas. Supporters say it will protect investments. Critics say the state could benefit from securities taxes if it needs to raise more revenue in the future.
Proposition8, the inheritance tax ban, would prohibit the legislature from “imposing death taxes” in the transfer of an estate, inheritance or gift. It would not eliminate other taxes that can be associated with an inheritance, such as unpaid property taxes.
Rottinghaus said the three tax bans are “messaging amendments.”
“These are ways to get the voters to buy into the idea of having reduced taxes or no taxes on some things,” Rottinghaus said. “The state has done this before. They put bans on things that are already banned or would never be done. So it’s a political tool to communicate the preferences of the state to and have the voter certify it.”
“The other thing it does is this hardens the ability of future legislatures to make big changes to tax policy,” he added. “Getting the Constitution changed to allow for capital gains taxes would be a challenge. So if future legislatures wanted to raise revenue that way, they’d have to go through another step to make that happen.”
Soora said it appears to be an attempt to confuse voters with flowery language.
“What are unrealized gains?” he said. “The vast majority of people can’t necessarily tell you. They do this to confuse people so billionaires get richer. If people explain stuff then Texans aren’t just going to get fooled and bamboozled so easily. They’ll know when people are taking them for a ride.”
With the proper amount of voter education, there’s a possibility these three amendments could be voted down, Soora added.
“The average person would think that, if I have to pay taxes on my house, why does Elon Musk and every other Texas billionaire get exempt from all taxation on all of their wealth? And then their children will inherit all of that wealth, all of that stock, without having paid a single cent like other taxpayers.”
Soora said his organization made endorsements on various school board and city council races and is backing Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee for U.S. Congressional District 18, but the three tax bans are the only constitutional amendments they’ve publicly commented on.
“We wanted to focus on those three just because we think the super rich and powerful always have a way of dominating the media landscape and they try to distract everyone with culture wars,” he said. “We wanted to focus on these three in particular because we think they tell a story of the wealthy trying to disenfranchise Texans and make them pay more out of their pockets.”
Border Security Tax Exemption
Proposition17 would allow the state to prevent increased property values in border counties due to security infrastructure and related improvements.
It could minimally reduce local tax revenue but Rottinghaus said the amendment is likely an effort to give tax incentives to people who are being politically courted by Republicans.
“The state has been trying to carve off certain groups to give tax breaks to,” he said. “In this case, it’s both about the border and opportunities to expand the political footprint in the Rio Grande Valley.”
Proponents say it will address concerns that border security infrastructure added to private land by the state could increase that property’s appraisal and burden on its owners. Critics say the state should not incentivize more border security infrastructure on private land.
Codifying Parental Rights
Proposition 15 essentially makes it law that parents are the primary decision-makers for their children. It affirms that “a parent has the responsibility to nurture and protect the parent’s child and the corresponding fundamental right to exercise care, custody, and control of the parent’s child, including the right to make decisions concerning the child’s upbringing.”
The bill’s author, Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, has said the intent of the amendment is to protect parental rights because “case law can change and disappear over time with the appointment of new judges.”
Rottinghaus said this amendment “attempts to make it clear that this is a priority for the state and especially the Republican party.”
“It doesn’t seem to do much more than what’s already on the books, but it is a messaging moment for Republicans to be able to say that they are supportive of these kinds of laws,” he said.
“This has been on the Republican agenda for a couple of cycles,” he added. “It seems that this peaked when there were concerns about library books. It seems late to that game, which is something they fought about this last session. But I think it’s probably something that’s more about the roles of school boards and local efforts to manage what kids in school can see and do.”
Bail Reform
Proposition 3, advertised as “bail reform,” was proposed by Republican lawmakers, including Senator Huffman, who has said that, over the past four years, 162 people were murdered in Harris County by defendants who were out on bond.
If Prop 3 passes, judges will be required to deny bail in certain cases for people who have committed murder, aggravated assault and indecency with a child. The state would have to show that “bail is not enough to prevent the defendant from being a flight or public safety risk,” according to an analysis in the Texas Tribune.
Rottinghaus said the impetus for bail reform began in Harris County and is a priority for Huffman, a former Harris County prosecutor, and Gov. Greg Abbott.
“These stories about people committing crimes [while out] on bail definitely have political resonance,” Rottinghaus said. “It’s definitely connected to the perception that crime is on the rise. This is an Abbott initiative that didn’t get much legislative traction, so pushing it to voters is a way to get the policy passed. It’s also a way for Republicans to take credit for addressing crime, and that’s something that’s on people’s minds.”
Harris County’s Democratic judges have been scrutinized for being soft on crime and setting bonds for those accused of violent crimes, but there’s a lot of misinformation surrounding the issue, said Brent Mayr, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. For example, several media outlets reported in August that District Judge Nata Cornelio “illegally” set bond for Jared Wilson on an aggravated robbery charge.
That didn’t happen, Mayr said, explaining that the 21-year-old Wilson was on probation for a different offense when he was arrested again.
Andy Kahan, director of victim services and advocacy for CrimeStoppers of Houston has been particularly critical of Democratic judges and serves on the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.. Proposition 12 would overhaul the commission makeup and change how the chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court selects review tribunals.
“It gives the governor more control over the people on that committee, so it’s possible that some of this shifts the courts into a more partisan world,” Rottinghaus said.
A July survey conducted by Texas Southern University researchers found that less than half of respondents felt “very safe when outside and alone in their neighborhood during the day.” Most were concerned about crime affecting them or a family member.
“They believe that Harris County judges are too lenient in their sentencing except in regard to drug crimes,” Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said at the time. “From a political perspective as well as a societal perspective, perception becomes reality. That is, if people perceive there to be a crime problem, there is a crime problem.”
The Texas Constitution allows most defendants the right to be released on bail unless they’re charged with capital murder or accused of certain repeat felonies. The proposed amendment widens the criteria, and critics say it leads to overcrowded jails and doesn’t actually improve public safety.
Rottinghaus said the practical implications are serious. “There’s pressure on the county jails when it comes to budgets and population,” he said. “So more denials might mean more defendants are held pretrial, which could increase the cost of housing individuals in these jails, leading to overcrowding. That’s a recipe for problems at jails that many big urban counties are facing.”
Cypress-Fairbanks ISD board president Scott Henry kicked off a candidates forum Wednesday night, saying, “It’s not about politics. It’s not about headlines either. It’s all about doing what’s right for 117,000 students and the people we serve every single day.”
It’s an interesting characterization of the panel that oversees the third-largest district in Texas and has made many headlines recently for what some would say are the wrong reasons: accusations of unethical behavior by a board member and a battle with the community and each other over varying viewpoints on the separation of church and state.
While incumbents and political newcomers were on their best behavior at the October 15 forum, bickering among Cy-Fair trustees is not uncommon. The community has called for an end to the chaos and negative publicity, but at least a dozen Facebook groups are dedicated to the district’s upcoming election, candidate behavior or school board matters.
Early voting begins Monday in the school board race, which will be decided on November 4.
A trio of “pro-public education” candidates — Lesley Guilmart, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Kendra Camarena — filed early this year in hopes of unseating three incumbent board members who ran as a Christian conservative slate in 2021.
But incumbent Lucas Scanlon opted not to seek re-election, and trustee Natalie Blasingame shook things up by challenging incumbent Henry, instead of running for the seat she already holds.
The finalized ballot includes nine candidates: Terrance Edmond (withdrawn), Guilmart and Radele Walker for Position 5; Henry, Lane and Blasingame for Position 6; and Elecia Jones, Camarena and George Edwards Jr. for Position 7.
The conservative Christian slate of Blasingame, Walker and Edwards — referred to by supporters as “NRG” for Natalie, Radele and George — has been endorsed by the Harris County Republican Party and Glorious Way Church.
Henry has been endorsed by current board members Scanlon, Justin Ray and Todd LeCompte. The pro-public education slate nabbed the Houston Chronicle endorsement hours after Wednesday’s forum and is largely supported by teachers and parents who want to ensure that book bans, library closings, and removed textbook chapters aren’t the norm at Cy-Fair ISD.
Camarena told a reporter prior to the forum that teachers want to feel trusted and parents want transparency.
“They’re ready for a change and a board that is not engaged in chaos and shenanigans,” she said.
Scott HenryNatalie Blasingame
No one at the forum mentioned the fact that Blasingame’s secret recordings of community members prompted a new board policy that prohibits such activity. The candidates appeared to be focused on improving safety measures, ensuring high student performance rates and reviewing the district’s $1.2 billion budget.
Blasingame acknowledged she didn’t vote for the 2025-26 budget, something her naysayers brought up to imply she doesn’t support teacher pay increases. The approved budget included an increase in the starting teacher salary to $65,000 and a 4 percent raise on the midpoint or base for other employees, along with increased starting pay for hourly staff to $15 an hour.
“I want to say to the paraprofessionals, I fought for you,” she said. “I did not vote for the budget because, for me, for you to be the working poor is not acceptable. You’re so critical in our buildings. You cannot do it without paraprofessionals.”
Blasingame spent much of her time at the forum talking about student performance.
“What can matter more than making sure that elementary school kids are able to read?” she said. “Right now, we have about 12,000 kiddos that aren’t at the 50th percentile on reading for first through fifth grade. We have to focus our money where it matters and differentiate support for the campus that needs it most.”
She pointed out that the district has lost 2,000 students this year, which she attributed to “changes at the border.” Some families may have “gone back or be afraid to come to school,” she said.
Henry said the district needs to partner with parents and ensure that expectations are communicated and they know how to use technology tools.
“Most importantly, if we have strong academics, safe schools and parent involvement, we’re going to have very successful lifelong learners, and that’s the key right there,” he said.
Scott Henry, Cleveland Lane Jr. and Natalie Blasingame are running for Position 6 on the Cy-Fair ISD school board. Credit: Screenshot
A few candidates referenced curriculum changes that occurred under the current board, including the removal of entire chapters from textbooks that referenced vaccines and climate change.
Guilmart said, “This district deserves a clean slate.”
“I remember an efficiency audit that took place under the current board and superintendent just within the last couple of years from an outside auditor who said there was nothing to cut; this district is doing an incredible job,” she said. “And yet we have paraprofessionals who do not make a living wage and we’re losing staff to neighboring districts. We need to raise our voices and advocate for the funds that we need.”
More than 100 people attended an October 15 candidates forum at the Berry Center. Credit: April Towery
Camarena said her family moved to Cy-Fair ISD because of the schools but has been negatively impacted by decisions made by the current board.
“I’m having to fill in some of the knowledge that my daughter is going to be missing because of those chapters that have been removed from the science textbooks, because I want to make sure that she has access to that information and background information when she goes to college in the near future,” she said.
Lane said community members have lost trust in the district because the board has become politicized. They’re opting to homeschool or send their kids to charter schools or private schools, he said.
“When you start having discussions about trying to change the separation of church and state, when you start having conversations about making this particular change politically, that’s not what’s best for the kids,” Lane said. “People will come back if the board leads them that way. I am going to make sure that we take the politics out of education and put the trust back in trustee.”
Elecia Jones is running for Position 7 on the Cy-Fair ISD school board.
Jones said her No. 1 priority is teacher pay and she wants to ensure collaboration with teachers and parents.
“There are spaces and places where I’ve attempted to collaborate with a teacher to help my son and realized that there are differences in how they do math,” she said. “I have a math degree, and still, math is new to me. Having those [collaborative] tools, being able to have the communication and transparency between the parent and the student and the teacher is very important.”
When addressing the budget, Jones brought up that the board slashed bus routes this year in an effort to save money, prompting injuries of several children who were walking or biking to school. The bus routes were later reinstated. The candidate also reminded her colleagues that the school board is nonpartisan.
“Our children are not political pawns,” she said. “I know sometimes there’s a question of separation between church and state. I am a Christian but even Jesus doesn’t cause us or force us to believe in him or follow him. There’s no reason we should implement those things on our children and our students.”
Edwards, who has called for a “forensic audit” of the district, said he wants to do a deep dive to ensure that the district’s tax dollars are being used efficiently. “Before we request a whole lot of additional money, let’s make certain that our house is in order,” he said.
Radele WalkerGeorge Edwards Jr.
Edwards added that he believes in appropriate homework that students can share with their parents.
“The school can do so much but the parent plays a role in reinforcing what the teachers are teaching in the classroom,” he said. “We’ve got to have that partnership and it’s got to be one that’s focused on continuously.”
Walker, a former school administrator, spoke of the district’s financial crisis and “a crisis of discipline.”
“Teacher retention is directly impacted by the lack of support for teachers,” she said. “The framework has been set. House Bill 6 gave teachers the authority to reclaim their classrooms. As administrators and board members, we need to pass policies that don’t give a lot of subjectivity. Teachers need to be able to handle students who are disrupting the classrooms. They need to have the authority and they need to have the backing of everybody.”
Blasingame, Henry and Lane were asked how they would govern effectively with board members who have different beliefs than they do.
“Guess what? True North,” Blasingame said. “There is not much that we cannot agree on when it comes down to the role of school as far as reading, writing, math, critical thinking, safety, teachers: having their back and their support, and making sure principals have the tools to do discipline. There is much common ground. It just comes down to getting super clear about our goals and working together to do that.”
Henry said it’s the fiduciary responsibility of board members to “do the right thing every single day for our kids and our district.”
“When we work toward the common goal of doing what’s right for our kids, we’re all singing from the same hymn book,” he said. “Are we going to get there differently? Absolutely. That’s OK. We can have our differences of opinion, but at the end of the day, we have to focus on the most important thing, which is academics and safety around those academics.”
“We have to also act like adults and that’s the most important thing at the dais,” he added.
Lane highlighted the district’s diversity and said he wants to ensure that different perspectives are engaged.
“That is going to require having differences of opinion,” he said. “But you’ve got to have each and every person that’s on the board willing to listen. We have to listen to each other, communicate with each other, and then finally, at the end, what is the best decision for the kids? Not ourselves, but overall, for the kids.”
