The Future
Oops. Commentary goofed yesterday and referred to Cong. Al Green as Cong. Al Edwards. Sorry. I apologize. What was I thinking?
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Commentary will get to cast one more vote in CD 18. That will be in the runoff whenever I get my mail ballot. I will be in the redrawn CD 7 for the upcoming Democratic Party primary next March. I am going to go out on a limb and say the future of CD 18 is in the featured photo from the Chron hard copy front page today.
Whoever wins the CD 18 Special Runoff will head into the March 3, 2026, Democratic Party primary with enthusiasm and momentum. Whoever comes in second will be deflated. CD 18 Democratic Party primary voters will get to pick between a 43-year-old Amanda Edwards, a 37-year-old Christian Menefee, or a 78-year-old Al Green.
Age is a factor in political campaigns these days. Thanks to Joe Biden and Donald Trump. There are a lot of hard-core Democratic Party voters that believe we need younger Democrats in congress. I am one of these hard-core Democratic Party voters.
An Edwards, Menefee, and Green primary won’t have the look of two young Turks taking on an incumbent. Mid-decade redistricting changed up the narrative. CD 18 Democratic Party primary voters will get to decide if they want highly qualified 30 something or 40 something year-olds or a fella in his late 70s.
Here is what Alison Leland, the widow of Cong. Mickey Leland, said a couple of days ago:
“Amanda is the future as far as I’m concerned.”
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On a related note, this morning, Nancy Pelosi announced she is not seeking reelection.
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Here is from today’s Chron E-Board take:
In just five years, the conservative majority leading Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s school board banned books, censored state‑approved textbooks, fired half of the district’s librarians and turned meetings into messy, public meltdowns.
Voters, we’re relieved to say, have seen enough. A decisive pro-public school slate swept the board election, delivering a wave of relief across the state’s third-largest district.
As early totals showed them ahead across the board, Lesley Guilmart, Kendra Camarena and Cleveland Lane Jr. broke out the bubbly. The positions are officially non-partisan but conservatives held a 6-1 majority on the board. They will now be outnumbered 4-3.
“We’re your voice. We are here for you,” said Lane Jr. at PO’s Icehouse in Cypress. “This is the community’s campaign.”
The difference between the two slates was stark. The new trustees – all current or former educators with kids in the district – campaigned on the “boring,” necessary work of budgeting, raising student achievement and keeping great teachers. Their victory came against a Republican-backed opposition whose platform was defined by fighting phantom ideological threats, policing teachers and injecting their personal religion into public schools. Even a last-ditch effort by Gov. Greg Abbott to boost the GOP-backed candidates couldn’t staunch the party’s self-inflicted wounds.
If he couldn’t help Republicans hold these three seats, we’re curious to see how he plans to turn all of Harris County “dark red” in 2026 as promised. Our advice: Run moderate Republicans who can differentiate themselves from the MAGA wing that Houston voters clearly rejected.
Here is the entire E-Board take: Why Harris County election results should make Trump nervous | Editori.
The Harris County MAGA Party has not responded to media requests for comments on their Cy-Fair ISD board losses. That is all you need to know. If I am a MAGA candidate planning to run countywide here in Harris County, I am not feeling good about my prospects.
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This is from The Hill:
Ohio GOP gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy said Tuesday that Republicans need to prioritize messages of affordability and avoid talking about “identity politics” if they want to win elections in the future.
Ramaswamy, a biotech engineer and former presidential candidate, outlined what he sees as two key takeaways for Republicans after Democrats triumphed in key races across the country on election night.
“We got our a‑‑es handed to us in New Jersey, Virginia and New York City. Democrats swept all three. There’s two key lessons for Republicans. Listen carefully,” the conservative media pundit said in a video posted to the social platform X.
“No. 1, our side needs to focus on affordability. Make the American dream affordable. Bring down costs — electric costs, grocery costs, health care costs and housing costs — and lay out how we’re going to do it,” he continued.
“And No. 2: Cut out the identity politics,” Ramaswamy said. “It doesn’t suit Republicans. It’s not for us. That’s the woke left’s game, not ours. We don’t care about the color of your skin or your religion. We care about the content of your character. That’s who we are.”
I just don’t see MAGA addressing the affordability issue. Not with their position on health care and tariffs. MAGA has taken identity politics to extreme levels with their ICE thugs sweeping up Latino folks and violating due process. It is a horrible look that is turning off and frightening voters. Nope.
Another takeaway from Tuesday night is that if MAGA wants to try to paint the Democratic Party as one that is beholden to Mamdani, AOC, and Gavin Newsom, good luck, go on ahead. It is not going to resonate with voters. Come on, Newsom just punked Gov. Abbott. Just saying.
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Four weeks from today, Great Britain plays Mexico and Brazil plays the USA in the World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park.