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Ta l k i n g Po i n t s
WHAT INSIDERS WILL BE WATCHING ON ELECTION NIGHTRACES FOR DISTRICT ATTORNEY, HD134, SHERIFF AND TAX ASSESSOR TAKE CENTER STAGE By David Rosen Special to the Daily Court Review
In campaign offices and war rooms around Harris County, Democratic insiders are cautiously optimistic about this year’s local elections. The first week of early voting was decidedly more Democratic than most observers were expecting, with turnout up in heavily Latino parts of town and among women. If this trend holds through this week and Election Day, Democrats could realistically win every countywide election.
On election night, both parties will be watching the race for Harris County District Attorney. Challenger Kim Ogg, buoyed by a $500,000 television advertising buy from liberal billionaire George Soros, is looking increasingly likely to defeat incumbent Devon Anderson. Of the four races for countywide administrative offices, Democratic insiders are most optimistic about Ogg’s chances and the re-election prospects of Coun-ty Attorney Vince Ryan.
Republicans, meanwhile, are more optimistic about the chances of Tax Assessor Mike Sullivan and Sheriff Ron Hickman. Both men had significant cash-on-hand advantages over their challengers, Ann Harris Bennett and Ed Gonzalez, heading into the final month of the campaign.
Sullivan is a well-known incumbent who has largely avoided scandal, but he might get overtaken by Bennett anyway because of high turnout among women this year. Hick-man, a previous Precinct 4 Constable, is also well-known but might fall to Gonzalez because of increased turnout among Latino voters this year, who lean Democratic.
The 26 countywide judicial races will probably largely go for one party or the other. Female candidates on both sides of the aisle may benefit from increased turnout among women voters. In ten of those races, one female candidate is running against a male candidate – it will be interesting to see if women on both sides of the aisle outperform their parties this year.
Democrats are likely to pick up House District 144, where former State Rep. Mary Ann Perez is running to take back her former spot in the State House. In House District 134, Democratic challenger Ben Rose has a chance to defeat State Rep. Sarah Davis by riding the coattails of Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. House District 134 is one of the wealthiest, most educated districts in Texas, and it’s a part of Harris County where Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is expected to underperform previous GOP candidates.
Another stretch goal for Democrats is to win one or more of the four appellate judicial positions on the ballot this year in the 1st and 14th Courts of Appeals. These positions are elected by voters in Harris County and nine surrounding counties that all lean Republican. If Democratic candidates win any of these races, it will be because of wide margins run up in Harris County.
***David Rosen was the 2014 Democratic nominee for Harris County Treasurer. Previously, he
worked on the campaigns of three members of Houston City Council.
POLICE: SPECTATOR WHO THREW POWDER AT MET IS FROM TEXAS By Verena Dobnik | Associated Press
It wasn’t quite Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera,” but at the Metro-politan Opera, the surprise spectacle was equally ghastly — and real: An opera fan scattered what authorities say may be cremated human remains into the orchestra pit.
Saturday’s scare, which drew the city’s anti-terrorism police to the nation’s premier opera house, was diffused by Sunday. After conducting tests, investigators ruled out anthrax or any other dangerous substance.
But law enforcement authorities did not officially name the powdery substance that stopped the performance of Gioachino Rossini’s “Wil-liam Tell” on Saturday afternoon.
Nearly 4,000 spectators were quickly evacuated after the dramatic intermission incident at about 4:30 p.m. The evening production of another Rossini opera also was canceled as a precaution.
Authorities say powdering the pit may have been meant as a tribute to the spectator’s opera-loving late mentor and friend. The perpetrator is a Texas resident, a police spokesman said.
Authorities did not release his name but know who he is and were reaching out to him, said John Miller, the New York Police Department’s deputy commissioner in charge of intelligence and counterterrorism.
Miller said on Saturday that the disposal of ashes at an opera house may violate city codes but “I don’t believe at this point that we see any criminal intent here.”
He said the possibility that the substance was human ashes “is cer-tainly an area that we are pursuing.”
Met General Manager Peter Gelb said people who had Saturday tickets should call the Met and make arrangements to see a later performance.
FILE - In this Aug. 1, 2014, file photo, pedestrians make their way in front of the Metropolitan Opera house at New York’s Lincoln Center. New York’s Metropolitan Opera stopped a performance Saturday, Oct. 29, 2016, after someone sprinkled an unknown powder into the orchestra pit. Met spokesman Sam Neuman said Saturday afternoon’s performance of “Guillaume Tell” was canceled during the second intermission because of the incident. A police spokeswoman said the person who sprinkled the powder fled and is being sought. (AP Poto/John Minchillo, File) Copyright 2016, The Associated Press
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WATCHING ON ELECTION NIGHT
