The 18th
On “What’s Your Point” yesterday, panelist Nyanza Moore called out Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee for filing a committee to run for the 18th Congressional District of Texas with the Federal Elections Commission on the same day former Mayor Sylvester Turner was buried. Nyanza went on to endorse State Rep. Jolanda Jones for the 18th District on the day after the funeral.
Commentary said it a couple of days after Sylvester died that folks were strategizing for this position once they heard the former H-Town mayor had left us. I don’t have a problem with the timing of Menefee filling out his federal paperwork.
I am thinking that Menefee will probably have the backing of the folks who supported Sylvester and the late Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee. Cong. Jackson Lee’s daughter, Erica Lee Carter, is Menefee’s campaign chair.
I was thinking the other day that the 18th District was left vacant when my friend Cong. Mickey Leland died in a plane crash in 1989. It was left vacant when Cong. Jackson Lee died last year and vacant again in 2025. That is three vacancies in the 18th District in 36 years.
If a special election were to be called for May 3, early voting in person would begin five weeks from tomorrow.
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From an online story on the U.S. Senate vote on Friday:
Ahead of the vote, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada were among the first Democrats to publicly back the Republican funding bill, arguing that a shutdown would only strengthen Trump’s hand. They were joined by six more Democrats—Dick Durbin of Illinois, Brian Schatz of Hawaii, Gary Peters of Michigan, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, and Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire—as well as Angus King, a Maine independent who caucuses with Democrats.
Democrats in Congress are in disarray, but you know that.
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Baylor, Houston, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech are in March Madness. I remember when they were all part of the Southwest Conference together.
In the Men’s Tournament, the only games that will be played in Texas are in the Final Four in San Antonio.
In the Women’s Tournament, first round games will be played in Austin, Fort Worth, and Waco.
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Framber Valdez will be our Opening Day starter. We are still waiting for a team decision on Cam Smith. MLB returns to The Yard a week from today.
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This is Saint Patrick’s Day, and I will have Saint Arnold that is in the featured photo in a green can.