Harris County

Finally. The Chron tried to get a handle on MAGA Gov. Greg Abbott’s effort to turn Harris County “dark red” in 19 days. See this from the Chron’s Sam González Kelly:

Abbott’s biggest splash in Harris County has come from more than $16 million in advertisements across the Houston media market, most of which have promoted his own campaign, according to the political advertising tracker AdImpact. 

His spending in downballot races has been more grassroots. Campaign finance reports show Abbott has spent at least $1.5 million more in Harris County cities directly, though the rest of his pledged $25 million investment is difficult to independently verify, as campaign vendors working here can be based anywhere. 

Abbott said his campaign has hired “team captains” for every Texas House district in Harris County, whose job is to recruit and organize precinct chairs who will “turn out voters in every single precinct, whether it be red or blue or otherwise.” 

“We want to win from the top of the ballot to the bottom of the ballot,” Abbott said at an event in Pasadena last month. “The way we do that is through our voter turnout program.”

Those employees range from retired legislators like former state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, to current candidates such as Helen Zhou, who is challenging state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, in House District 137. Campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission show the Abbott campaign has paid its captains thousands of dollars each, with several making upwards of $40,000. 

Local Republican consultant Jessica Colón’s firm has been paid more than $255,000 to lead Abbott’s operation in Harris County, the filings show. 

Much of the campaign’s local turnout efforts are channeled through state House districts, but Carney said these races account for just 10% of the campaign’s overall efforts in Harris County.

Every Republican vote these local candidates turn out is a boon to the entire ticket, he said.

“Are they all going to win?” Carney said. “F— no, but they’re going to get more votes than anybody else has ever gotten, which adds to the pot.” 

Here is the entire read: Inside Greg Abbott’s push to turn Harris County red.

The effort is something, but certainly not unusual and overwhelming. In all fairness to MAGA Abbott, last December he probably didn’t think he would be facing a ferocious opponent as in the featured photo.  Abbott and MAGA are fixing to get their arses kicked in Harris County.

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I went out to pick up my Chron hard copy this morning. There was a delivery snafu. The Wall Street Journal was delivered instead. Well, at least I got to read a front-page piece on one of the queens of the grift. I am talking about Kimberly Guilfoyle. She honed her craft from the Trump family grifters.

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I said this yesterday about the Astros giving manager Joe Espada permission to interview with the Mariners:

You don’t let your manager go interview with another team if you are planning to keep him around. We can start speculating as to who will be our next manager. I am sure Astros bench coach Omar López will get a look.

I was spot on. The Astros announced yesterday that Espada would not be returning.