Panel to discuss the NASA experience for women in the 1960s and '70s
Throughout the 1960s and '70s, women often encountered barriers and bias, whether in the workplace or their personal lives. Even NASA, a respected institution synonymous with innovation and progress, was not immune to such prejudice.
At the July Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting, hear from a panel of women as they share their experiences working in NASA's space program at a time when the idea of women contributing meaningfully to such projects was often met with skepticism. Guest speakers are Candy Anderson, Poppy Northcutt, Ann Hammond and Marion Hulen. The panel will talk about what it was like for women working at NASA during the 1960s and 1970s.
The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 15, followed by the program at 7 p.m. BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Jon Haire to explore why any Americans vote Republican
Jon Haire, former candidate for Congress in District 36 and a nuclear engineer and scientist, says we must answer the above question if Democrats expect to win elections. At the April 15 BAND meeting, he will discuss how to talk to our friends, neighbors and relatives who vote differently and may even be MAGA Republicans.
The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Could you pass the citizenship test?
Please join us at the March 18 Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting when we welcome Magdalena Alvarado and Mary Longoria, co-founders of the Ser y Hacer (“to be and to do”) Citizenship Program, based in Texas City.
Their non-profit organization provides material, classes and informational forums where permanent residents can ask questions to feel more confident and prepared to pass the citizenship test. At the BAND meeting presentation, our guest speakers will discuss the barriers to passing the test and the naturalization interview. They will also give us an opportunity to take a small section of the naturalization test ourselves.
BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7 p.m.
Director of Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Houston to speak at meeting Feb. 18
William White, director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Houston, will be our guest speaker at the Feb. 18 meeting of Bay Area New Democrats (BAND).
BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
First BAND meeting of year moved to Zoom
Because of the freezing weather, the Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) board has decided to hold our first meeting of the year on Zoom. Meanwhile, our usual meeting site at Bay Area Community Center will be serving as a warming center.
Our guest speaker scheduled for our holiday party was Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. Because of a mixup in dates, she did not appear, but she has agreed to speak at our Zoom meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
BAND usually meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. We hope to see you this time on Zoom. Click:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87644696554?pwd=oIOt68uLhx8bp9tvaA2p2REVw4T4Dz.1, or join with:
Meeting ID: 876 4469 6554
Passcode: 806755
It's time to renew your BAND membership for 2025
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) membership comes up for renewal at the end of each year. Dues are $20 per person, $30 per family or $15 for students. Checks can be made payable to Bay Area New Democrats and delivered in person at a BAND meeting or mailed to the address on this website, or you can renew here. Click on "member signup."
First BAND meeting of year on Tuesday, Jan. 21
Our guest speaker scheduled for our holiday party was Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. Because of a mixup in dates, she did not appear, but she has said she will speak at our first BAND meeting of the year on Tuesday, Jan. 21.
BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. We hope to see you there!
Join us as BAND and BAAD Women celebrate the holidays!
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) and Bay Area Association of Democratic (BAAD) Women are celebrating the season together from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 19 with a potluck dinner party. Our guest speaker will be Carla Anne Holeva, director of development for the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Texas. The event will be at the Bay Area Community Center, our usual meeting place, at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Clear Lake Park in Seabrook.
Holiday party participants are asked to contribute food to the potluck dinner. BAND secretary Melissa Courteau will coordinate meals with Cheri Germain of BAAD Women. Contact Melissa Courteau to tell her what you plan to bring to the holiday meal at mcourteau@live.com or 409-392-0711. Attire is holiday festive.
The Democratic ticket for Clear Lake area residents in Harris County
The shortcut option to vote a straight ticket no longer exists. When you get to the polls, please vote individually for the Democrats all the way down your ballot. The county positions listed below are for Harris County.
President / Vice President - Kamala D. Harris / Tim Walz
United States Senator - Colin Allred
United States Representative , District 36 - Dayna Steele
Railroad Commissioner - Katherine Culbert
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 - Dasean Jones
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4 - Christine Vinh Weems
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 - Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals - Holly Taylor
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 7 - Nancy Mulder
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 - Chika Anyiam
State Representative, District 129 - Doug Peterson
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 2 - Brendetta Scott
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 6 - Sarah Beth Landau
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 7 - Julie Counties
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 8 - Richard Hightower
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 9 - Amber Boyd-Cora
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 3 - Velda Renita Faulkner
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 4 - Charles Spain
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 5 - Frances Bourliot
Justice 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 6 - Meagan Hassan
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 8 - Margaret “Meg” Poissant
District Judge, 11th Judicial District - Kristen Hawkins
District Judge, 61st Judicial District - Fredericka Phillips
District Judge, 80th Judicial District - Jerilyn Manor
District Judge, 125th Judicial District - Kyle Carter
District Judge, 127th Judicial District - Denise Brown
District Judge, 129th Judicial District - Michael Gomez
District Judge, 133rd Judicial District - Nicole Perdue
District Judge, 151st Judicial District - Erica Hughes
District Judge, 152nd Judicial District - Takasha Francis
District Judge, 164th Judicial District - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
District Judge, 165th Judicial District - Ursula A. Hall
District Judge, 174th Judicial District - Hazel B. Jones
District Judge, 176th Judicial District - Nikita “Niki” Harmon
District Judge, 177th Judicial District - Robert Johnson
District Judge, 178th Judicial District - Kelli Johnson
District Judge, 179th Judicial District - Ana Martinez
District Judge, 215th Judicial District - Elaine Palmer
District Judge, 333rd Judicial District - Tracy D. Good
District Judge, 334th Judicial District - Dawn Rogers
District Judge, 337th Judicial District - Colleen Gaido
District Judge, 338th Judicial District - Allison Jackson Mathis
District Judge, 339th Judicial District - Te’iva Bell
District Judge, 351st Judicial District - Natalia “Nata” Cornelio
District Judge, 486th Judicial District - Vivian King
District Judge, 487th Judicial District - Stacy Allen Barrow
District Judge, 488th Judicial District - Carvana Cloud
District Judge, 507th Judicial District - Lillian Henny Alexander
District Attorney - Sean Teare
Judge, County Criminal Court No. 16 - Ashley Mayes Guice
Judge, County Probate Court No. 5 - Franshenka “Fran” Watson
County Attorney - Christian D. Menefee
Sheriff - Ed Gonzalez
County Tax Assessor-Collector - Annette Ramirez
County School Trustee, Position 3, At Large - Richard Cantu
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 8, Place 1 - Carissa Grady
Constable, Precinct 8 - no Democrat running
Harris County Flood Control District Election to Approve Tax Rate - Vote for or against:
“Approving the ad valorem tax rate of $0.04897 per $100 valuation in Harris County Flood Control District for the current year, a rate that is $0.01581 higher per $100 valuation than the voter approval tax rate of Harris County Flood Control District, for the purpose of operating and maintaining the district’s flood risk reduction infrastructure. Last year, the ad valorem tax rate in Harris County Flood Control District was $0.03105 per $100 valuation.”
Air quality and VP Harris' nomination to be topics at next BAND meeting
Our guest speaker, environmental activist Leticia Gutierrez, will talk about air quality regulation, or the lack thereof, and its effect on underserved communities at the August BAND meeting. The meeting will be on Tuesday, Aug. 20, the same night that Democrats at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago are scheduled to formalize the nomination of Vice President Kamala Harris for President. If the timing is compatible with our meeting, we plan to watch the roll call vote at our meeting as well.
The BAND meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. at Bay Area Community Center, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Former Olympian to be guest speaker at July BAND meeting, now on Zoom
The Summer Olympic Games 2024 begin July 26, and Tommy Z. Haynes, U.S. Olympic track and field team captain in 1976, will be the guest speaker at the Tuesday, July 16 Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting. The retired Army major and author of Lead, Love and Laugh, will discuss patriotism. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the meeting at 7, now on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84322798079?pwd=kbyuOV1xMKB0WojXZDdWdeVWydB64u.1. The Bay Area Community Center is unavailable for the meeting, because it is serving temporarily as a cooling and charging center.
BAND to discuss Deep in the Pockets of Texas documentary at June meeting
Jon Haire and David Jones, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) members, will present a discussion of the July 30, 2022 CNN documentary Deep in the Pockets of Texas at the next club meeting on Tuesday, June 18. The documentary traces the recent history of the transformation of the state government through donations from the super wealthy. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time, followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
Candidate Annette Ramirez to speak at April BAND meeting
Tax attorney Annette Ramirez, endorsed by BAND and the Houston Chronicle, is in a runoff against Desiree Broadnax for the Democratic nomination for Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector. She will be our guest speaker at the next Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting on Tuesday, April 16.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. The program begins at 7 p.m.
Judge Richard Hightower to speak at Feb. 20 BAND meeting
Judge Richard Hightower, the BAND-endorsed candidate for re-election as Justice at the Court of Appeals for the First District of Texas, Place 8, will be our guest speaker at the Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 20. His court serves Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Grimes, Harris, Waller and Washington Counties. A fifth-generation attorney, Judge Hightower has been licensed for 40 years and worked in small and large counties.
Another BAND-endorsed candidate, Doug Peterson, will also speak briefly. He is the sole Democratic candidate running for state representative from House District 129.
The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. with social time, followed by the program at 7 p.m. Join us at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Parkway in Seabrook.
BAND votes to endorse 2024 Democratic Primary candidates
Bay Area New Democrats met Tuesday, Jan. 30 to vote to endorse candidates in the 2024 Democratic Primary, listed below. While state rules prohibit our PAC from endorsing formally a candidate for federal office, many of our members individually support President Joe Biden.
Texas Railroad Commissioner - Bill Burch
Texas Supreme Court, Place 2 - Dasean Jones
Texas Supreme Court, Place 4 – Christine Vinh Weems
Texas Supreme Court, Place 6 - Bonnie Lee Goldstein
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals –-Holly Taylor
Court of Criminal Appeals, Pl. 7 – Nancy Mulder
Court of Criminal Appeals, Pl. 8 – Chika Anyiam
Texas State Rep. District 129 - Doug Peterson
1st Court of Appeals, Place 2 - Gordon Goodman
1st Court of Appeals, Place 6 – Sarah Beth Landau
1st Court of Appeals, Place 7 – Julie Countiss
1st Court of Appeals, Place 8 - Richard Hightower
1st Court of Appeals, Place 9 - Peter Kelly
14th Court of Appeals, Place 3 - Jerry Zimmerer and Chuck Silverman
14h Court of Appeals, Place 4 - Charles Spain
14h Court of Appeals, Place 5 – Francis Bourliot
14h Court of Appeals, Place 6 - Meagan Hassan
14h Court of Appeals, Place 8 – Margaret “Meg” Poissant
11th Civil District Court – Kristen Hawkins
61st Civil District Court – Fredericka Phillips
80th Civil District Court - Jeralynn Manor
125th Civil District Court - Kyle Carter
127th Civil District Court - R.K. Sandill
129th Civil District Court - Michael Gomez
133rd Civil District Court - Nicole Perdue
151st Civil District Court - Mike Engelhart
152nd Civil District Court - Robert K. Schaffer
164th Civil District Court - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
165th Civil District Court - Jill Yaziji
174th Criminal District Court – Hazel B. Jones
176th Civil District Court – Nikita “Niki” Harmon
177th Criminal District Court – Robert Johnson
178th Criminal District Court - Kelli Johnson
179th Criminal District Court - Ana Martinez
215th Civil District Court - Elaine Palmer
333rd Civil District Court – no endorsement
334th Civil District Court – Dawn Rogers
337th Criminal District Court - Colleen Gaido
338th Criminal District Court - Allison Jackson Mathis
339th Criminal District Court – Te’iva Bell
351st Criminal District Court – Natalia “Nata” Cornelio
486th Criminal District Court - Gemeyal G. Haynes
487th Criminal District Court – Stacy Allen Barrow
488th Criminal District Court – Carvana Cloud
507th Family District Court - Lillian Henny Alexander
Harris County District Attorney - Sean Teare
Harris County Criminal Court #16 – open seat - Juan J. Aguirre
Harris County Probate Court 5 - Franshenka “Fran” Watson
Harris County Attorney - Christian D. Menefee
Harris County Sheriff - Ed Gonzalez
Harris County Tax Assessor Collector – open seat - Annette Ramirez
Harris County Department of Education, Place 3 - Richard Cantu
Harris County Constable, Pct. 2 - Jerry Garcia
Local endorsements available for pre-voting research
The Bay Area Democratic Movement (BADM), a local Democratic club, has screened candidates for the upcoming Nov. 7 election and endorsed in most races in Houston, Harris County and Clear Creek Independent School District. Although BAND has not endorsed candidates in this election, the BADM endorsements are printed below to assist in your pre-voting research. Early voting begins Oct. 23.
Mayor - Sheila Jackson Lee
City Controller - Chris Hollins
City Council at Large 1 - Conchita Reyes
City Council at Large 2 - Nick Hellyar
City Council at Large 3 - Donnell Cooper
City Council at Large 4 - Letitia Plummer
City Council at Large 5 - Sallie Alcorn
City Council, District E - no endorsement
The two candidates are Republicans, but some believe Martina Lemond Dixon is less extreme than the other.
14 Texas Constitutional Amendments
Prop 1 no
Prop 2 yes
Prop 3 no
Prop 4 no
Prop 5 yes
Prop 6 yes
Prop 7 no
Prop 8 yes
Prop 9 yes
Prop 10 no
Prop 11 yes
Prop 12 neutral
Prop 13 neutral (Note: All Democratic legislators voted for this one.)
Prop 14 yes
CCISD Propositions
Prop 1 for
Prop 2 for
Prop 3 for
Houston City Propositions
Prop 1 yes
Prop 2 yes
Harris County Health Bond
yes
Kimberley Yancy of NAACP to speak at October BAND meeting
Kimberley Yancy, NAACP Texas Education chairwoman and a City Council member in La Marque, will be BAND's guest speaker at the Oct. 17 meeting. Her presentation will be "The Time Is Now; Speak Up or Shut Up."
BAND meets on the third Tuesday of each month at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. This month, we will gather for a home-cooked dinner at 6:30 p.m., and the program will follow at 7 p.m.
Let's have a crowd at the Bay Area Community Center!
At the August Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) meeting, our guest speakers will be two candidates in this fall's City of Houston election. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, candidate for mayor, and Donnell Cooper, candidate for City Council at-large position 3, will join us on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month, with social time beginning at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Join us for discussions on 2 Million Texans and the CCISD board election
Bay Area New Democrats' guest speaker Sri Kulkarni, two-time Congressional candidate and now chief strategist for 2 Million Texan Voters, will provide training on his voter outreach program at the March meeting. (Bring your cell phones!) Jamieson Mackay, a candidate for Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) board trustee in District 2, will also join us. (The three authors previously scheduled for the March BAND meeting had to cancel, because one of them contracted COVID.) The event starts with social time at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 21 at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. The program begins at 7 p.m.
BAND to welcome guest speaker Jon Haire
At our February BAND meeting, Jon Haire, former candidate for the 36th Congressional District, will give us a summary of his 2022 campaign experience. Sherrie Matula will update us on the current legislative session, and Clear Creek school district board member Arturo Sanchez will talk about his campaign for re-election. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, followed by the program at 7 p.m. As usual, the meeting place is the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Celebrating the holidays in a new way, Tuesday, Dec. 20!
BAND members often celebrate the holidays each year at a restaurant, but this year, we might start a new tradition by asking members to bring a dish to share for a potluck event at Bay Area Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 20.
Please let us know if you plan to join us so we can set up enough tables and coordinate to have just the right quantity and variety of food. Contact BAND secretary Melissa Courteau at mcourteau@live.com with the number of people from your household attending and what kind of dish you plan to bring. The dish may be purchased or one you prepare yourself.
We'll see you at our regular meeting spot in the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Attire will be holiday festive.
As is our custom, we will honor a charity with donations from members. We will have baskets available for this year's chosen charity, Bay Area Turning Point, which provides services to survivors of family and sexual violence. Please bring cash or your checkbook and look for the baskets. See you there!
Chris Hollins to be our guest at August meeting
Invite your Democratic friends from the other clubs and those who are not members anywhere else for our special guest at the next BAND meeting. Chris Hollins, who revolutionized voter turnout in Harris County in 2020, is a candidate for Houston mayor in 2023. He will be our guest speaker at the Tuesday, Aug. 16 BAND meeting.
Hollins served temporarily as Harris County Clerk when the elected clerk resigned for health reasons, and he helped citizens dealing with a pandemic find innovative ways to cast their votes with drive-through voting, 24-hour voting and increased numbers of voting centers, among other things. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Morehouse College and completed a joint program with Yale Law School and Harvard Business School, earning a J.D. and Master of Business Administration degrees.
The meeting will begin with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. BAND meets the third Tuesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook.
Join us at the fall campaign headquarters
The three local Democratic clubs, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND), Bay Area Association of Democratic (BAAD) Women and Bay Area Democratic Movement (BADM), are working together to open our fall campaign headquarters in the shopping center at 1215 Bay Area Blvd. at Diana Lane, the same second-floor facility used in the 2020 campaign.
The headquarters opens on Monday, Aug. 1 and will celebrate a grand opening on Sunday, Aug. 21. In the first month, the campaign headquarters is open, the hours will be 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and closed on Sunday. We will need staff that can work half-day or full-day shifts, one day a week or more.
Johnny Peden to speak at Tuesday BAND meeting
Longtime Democratic activist Johnny Peden will be the guest speaker for the Tuesday, June 21 meeting of Bay Area New Democrats (BAND). His topic will be Gay Pride Month and issues affecting the LGBTQ community, including teen suicide, counseling, marriage, self awareness and political targeting.
A former Southern Baptist minister, Peden was a church staff member when he was outed. Soon afterward, he was elected to the board of directors of the Houston Gay and Lesbian Political Caucus. He has volunteered in election campaigns for Gov. Ann Richards and Houston Mayors Kathy Whitmire and Annise Parker, among others. Now a wedding officiator, he also fills in for pastors at the Bay Area Unitarian Universalist Church and other Unitarian churches.
The hybrid in-person and virtual meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m. The in-person meeting will be at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park at 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. See the BAND Facebook page for the Zoom link to the meeting.
Beto O'Rourke to appear locally at Multicultural Center
You are invited to see gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke at a "Beto Townhall" at 5:30 p.m. Friday, June 17 at the Multicultural Center (MCC), 951 Tristar Dr., Webster 77598. The event will include five food trucks, so if you'd like to buy dinner there too, come no later than 5:30 p.m. Please use this link to register for the event: mobilize.us/betofortexas/event/463420/.
BAND endorses nine runoff candidates
At the April 19 BAND meeting, members voted to endorse the following candidates in the Democratic Primary runoff election on Tuesday, May 24:
Lieutenant Governor - Mike Collier
Attorney General - Joe Jaworski
Comptroller - Janet T. Dudding
General Land Office Commissioner - Jay Kleburg
District Judge, 185th Criminal Court- Jason Luong
District Judge, 208th Criminal Court - Beverly Armstrong
District Judge, 312th Family Court - Teresa D. Waldrop
Judge, Harris County Civil Court #4 - M.K. Monica Singh
State Board of Education, District 4 - Coretta Mallet-Fontenot
Runoff candidates and school board candidate to speak at April 19 BAND meeting
At this month's BAND meeting, the club will host a Democratic Primary Runoff candidates forum ahead of the May 24 Democratic Primary Runoff Election. Also appearing at the meeting will be Clear Creek ISD
school board candidate Kyrsten Garcia, running for At-Large Position B in the school district election on Saturday, May 7.
A majority of candidates in the nine runoff races appearing on local ballots have confirmed they are attending. After the candidates speak briefly, they will depart so that the club can deliberate and vote on the candidate screening committee's recommendations for Runoff endorsements.
The Tuesday, April 19 meeting will be on Zoom only, because our meeting place, the Bay Area Community Center, will not be available that evening. See BAND Notes or the BAND Facebook page for the link. As usual, social time begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the program at 7 p.m.
Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) to gather in person for the first time in two years at community center
After two years of meeting on Zoom, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) members will at long last meet in person at our previous gathering spot, the Bay Area Community Center, on Tuesday, March 15. Mike Collier, candidate for Texas lieutenant governor, will also appear in person as one of our guest speakers. Lindsey Murff, who has recently returned from Ukraine and teaches students there remotely, will talk to us about the crisis in Ukraine. On the agenda will be new endorsements for the Democratic Primary runoff election.
Because our regular meeting date is no longer available, we are now meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at the community center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. in Seabrook. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m., and we'll have refreshments and a door prize drawing. The program begins at 7 p.m.
BAND endorses 39 Democratic Primary candidates by acclamation
At a specially called meeting on Jan. 26, Bay Area New Democrats voted by acclamation to endorse 39 candidates in the March 1 Democratic Primary. All endorsed candidates appeared for recent screening interviews and are in contested races. To see a full sample of your ballot, visit harrisvotes.com.
Governor
Beto O’Rourke
Lieutenant Governor
Mike Collier
Attorney General
Joe Jaworski
Comptroller of Public Accounts
Janet T. Dudding
Commissioner of the General Land Office
Jay Kleberg
Commissioner of Agriculture
Susan Hays
Justice 14th Court of Appeals, Place 2
Kyle Carter
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals, Place 9
William Demond
District Judge, 183rd Criminal Court
Chuck Silverman
District Judge, 184th CriminalCourt
Abigail Anastasio
District Judge, 185th Criminal Court
Jason Luong
District Judge,189th, Civil Court
Scot “Dolli” Dollinger
District Judge, 208th, Criminal Court
Greg Glass
District Judge, 228th Criminal Court
Samuel “Sam” Milledge II
District Judge, 230th, Criminal Court
Chris Morton
District Judge, 245th, Family Court
Tristan Harris Longino
District Judge, 248th, Criminal Court
Hilary Unger
District Judge, 263rd Criminal Court
Amy Martin
District Judge, 270th, Civil Court
Denise Brown
District Judge, 280th, Family Violence Court
Barbara “Babs” Stalder
District Judge, 312th, Family Court
Paul Antonio Calzada
District Judge, 313th, Juvenile Court
Natalia Oakes
District Judge, 315th, Juvenile Court
Leah Shapiro
District Judge, 482nd, Criminal Court
Alycia Beth Harvey
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #2
Ronnisha Bowman
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #3
Staci Biggar
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #5
David Fleischer
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #6
Kelley Andrews
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #7
Andrew Wright
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #8
Franklin Bynum
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #10
Thuy Le
Judge, Harris County Criminal Court #14
David L. Singer
Judge, Harris County Civil Court #4
David Patronella
Judge, Probate Court 2
Michael Newman
Harris County Judge
Lina Hidalgo
Harris County Commissioner, Pct. 2
Adrian Garcia
Harris County District Clerk
Marilyn Burgess
Harris County Treasurer
Dylan Osbourne
State Board of Education, District 4
Coretta Mallet-Fontenot
Judge Scot Dollinger to be guest speaker at first BAND meeting of the year
Judge Scot Dollinger of the Harris County 189th Civil District Court will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday, Jan. 12 meeting of Bay Area New Democrats (BAND). The judge, who goes by "Dolli" and makes pies for his juries, will tell us about what civil court judges do.
At the meeting, the club will also discuss plans for the upcoming election year, including how we will decide on club endorsements and distribution of voter information in time for early voting. The meeting begins with social time at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom, followed by the program at 7 p.m. See your BAND Notes for the link.
No November BAND meeting
We don't yet have enough statistics from last week's election to have a meaningful discussion about local election outcomes, so we will not have a monthly meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Because of COVID-19, our usual holiday gathering will not take place, but we hope to celebrate our President-elect, Vice President-elect and newly elected Harris County office holders at a monthly meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Meanwhile, get some rest and be ready to lend a hand in the Georgia Senate race runoffs in early 2021.
How to shorten your time at the polls
Because we are in the middle of a pandemic, you want to be at the polls for the shortest time possible to minimize any possible exposure. You should bring your photo ID and wear a mask, but also:
1. Choose a time of day, preferably during early voting, when lines are the shortest, usually mid-morning or mid-afternoon, or the extended hours offered this week.
2. If you live in Harris County, print out a sample ballot for your precinct at harrisvotes.com. Other counties have comparable websites. Mark your choices on the sample ballot. If you are not voting a straight ticket and wish to study the individual candidates, see lwvhouston.org/voters-guide/#access for guidance about the individual candidates. Those in line behind you will be grateful when you vacate the voting machine long before that person who did not come prepared. Please pass this on to your first-time voting friends.
3. If you vote a straight ticket in the partisan races, you can get through the ballot in less than five minutes. Just look for the word "Democrat" after the candidate's name.
4. Make your decision about the nonpartisan races at the bottom of the ballot ahead of time.
Don't go to the library to vote!
If you visit Freeman Library on Diana Lane in the near future, don't go there to vote. For years, Clear Lake area voters have flocked to the Freeman Branch Library to vote early and sometimes mistakenly to vote on Election Day. Because of COVID-19, Harris County election officials are choosing voting locations with enough space to socially distance voters and voting machines. The small room where early voting usually occurs at the library did not qualify. Clear Lake area early voting sites include:
Multicultural Center, 951 Tristar Dr., Webster 77598 (near the former DPS site)
Pipers Meadow Community Center, 15920 Pipers View Dr., Webster 77598
University of Houston - Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston 77058
Clear Lake Islamic Center, 17511 El Camino Real, Houston 77058
Visit harrisvotes.com to see your sample ballot, print it out and mark it up to bring with you to the polls. Also on the Harris County site, search for the many other early voting locations in Harris County. Early voting continues until Friday, Oct. 30. See our website calendar to the left for dates and times.
Black Lives Matter Is Topic for October Meeting
The next BAND meeting will feature Ashton Woods, organizer of the Black Lives Matter Houston chapter. The club is again gathering on Zoom for the event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. Register to obtain the meeting link here.
Straight ticket voting not really gone
You may have heard that you can no longer vote a straight ticket. What that really means is that the shortcut to vote a straight ticket is gone. You will have to mark all the Ds all the way down the ballot in order to cast a straight ticket vote.
Recent big defeats by Democrats in large Texas counties had a lot to do with the move by Republicans to delete the shortcut from your ballot. This makes voting by mail even more attractive. Ballots in Presidential years are long and include not just the exciting races at the top. They include races for U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, the Texas Senate, the Texas House of Representatives and a host of judges at the state and local level, as well as some other county positions such as constable and district attorney. Clear Lake area ballots include nonpartisan races for the Clear Creek ISD school board and Clear Lake City Water Authority directors. Often, those local races have more of a profound effect on your life than those at the top of the ballot.
In-person voters who wait until Election Day will be waiting longer than usual for a booth to open up because of the missing straight ticket shortcut. To save time, you can print out your sample ballot from harrisvotes.com and carry your marked up ballot to the polls where you can easily copy your choices on the eSlate.
Timely video interview with John Dean to be shown at BAND September meeting
The Wednesday, Sept. 9 BAND meeting on Zoom will include Barbara Radnofsky's taped interview with John Dean, of Watergate fame, on authoritarianism. The video is from the Harris County Democratic Lawyers Association. The meeting, which requires registration at bandtexas@gmail.com, begins at 7 p.m.
BAND continues with virtual meetings this election year
Join Bay Area New Democrats as they continue to meet on Zoom during the pandemic. Our next monthly meeting will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12. We will talk about how we will reach voters in the era of COVID-19 and an upcoming all-important election. Send an email to bandtexas@gmail.com to request a link for the meeting.
BAND votes to endorse runoff candidates at Zoom meeting
At a specially called Zoom meeting on June 3, Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) members voted to endorse seven candidates appearing on area ballots in the upcoming Democratic Primary Runoff Election. Some voters already have mail-in ballots, and early voting begins June 29 for the July 14 election. The candidates endorsed by BAND are:
U.S. Senate - Royce West
Texas 14th Court of Appeals - Cheri Thomas
Texas Railroad Commissioner - Chrysta Castañeda
State Board of Education, Position 6 - Michelle Palmer
Harris County 164th Civil Judicial District Court - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
Harris County 339th Criminal Judicial District Court - Te'iva Bell
Constable, Precinct 2 - Lt. Jerry Garcia
Bay Area New Democrats to meet on Zoom on Wednesday, June 10
Bay Area New Democrats' next monthly meeting will again be virtual. Join our Zoom meeting a little before 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10 so we can honor our guest speakers' time constraints.
City Council member Letitia Plummer will discuss her proposal for reforms in the Houston Police Department. Olivia Stitillis, Texas Democratic Party organizing director, and Sam Zuniga, Harris County Democratic Party organizer and data director, will talk about Coordinated Campaigns and big plans for turning Texas blue.
Email bandtexas@gmail.com for a link to the meeting.
In-person attendance not encouraged at Senate District 11 convention
The Senate District 11 Harris County convention is set for Saurday, March 21 at the IBEW Local 66 union hall at 4345 Allen Genoa in Pasadena, but attendance is no longer required for those who wish to become delegates at conventions at the state or national level. In fact, it is better if you stay home, especially if you are immuno-compromised in any way, to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Following the Democratic Primary, Texas Democrats who wish to continue their involvement would ordinarily have to attend the Senate District convention in their area. Local planners have decided that they will hold only an abbreviated meeting of the Harris County Senate District 11 Convention at 9 a.m. Those who do attend will be there for one to two hours or less. Planners intend a small meeting of just the people needed to conduct essential business.
If you wish to attend the state Democratic convention in San Antonio June 4-6 (if it is not postponed), register for the convention at 2020texasdemocrats.org and state a presidential preference. Those who registered before a presidential preference could be indicated, or who chose someone who is no longer running, will be counted as uncommitted unless they update their preference by signing up again.
The Senate District is the district from which voters elect their state senator to represent them in the legislature. Senate District 11 includes parts of southeast Harris County, as well as parts of Galveston and Brazoria County, and the other counties in the Senate District hold their own conventions.
Infectious diseases specialist, to speak on COVID-19 at the March 11 BAND meeting
What is actually known about COVID-19? What can you do to protect yourself? What is happening in Harris County to prevent the spread? Come join us to hear Dr. Michelle Onorato, infectious diseases specialist at the BAND meeting at Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Pkwy. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. and the program begins at 7 p.m.
Plans for headquarters, Harris County judicial system to be topics at February BAND Meeting
Judge Tanya Garrison will be the guest speaker at the Feb. 12 BAND meeting. Her topic will be the Harris County judicial system. Also on the agenda is a discussion of plans for our 2020 Democratic campaign headquarters. The club meets on the second Wednesday of each month at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 E. NASA Parkway in Seabrook. Join us as we gather at 6:30 p.m. for social time, followed by the program at 7.
Club endorses 2020 Democratic Primary candidates
On Jan. 22, Bay Area New Democrats voted to endorse the following candidates for the upcoming March 3 Primary:
Railroad Commissioner - Chrysta Castañeda
Chief Justice, Supreme Court - Amy Clark Meachum
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 - Kathy Cheng
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 7- Brandy Voss
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 8 - Gisela D. Triana
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 3 - William Pieratt Demond
Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 4 - Tina Clinton
Member, State Board of Education, District 6 - Debra Kerner
State Sen., District 11 - Susan Criss
State Sen., District 13 - Borris L. Miles
State Rep., District 128 - Josh Markle
State Rep. District 129 - Kayla Alix
State Rep., District 131- Alma A. Allen
State Rep., District 134 - Ann Johnson
State Rep., District 138 - Josh Wallenstein
State Rep., District 139 - Jarvis D. Johnson
State Rep., District 147 - Garnet F. Coleman
Chief Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District - Jim Evans
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 3 - Dinesh Singhal
Justice, 1st Court of Appeals District, Place 5 - Amparo Monique Guerra
Justice, 14th Court of Appeals District, Place 7 - Wally Kronzer
District Judge, 80th Judicial District - Larry Weiman
District Judge, 164th Judicial District - Grant J. Harvey
District Judge, 164th Judicial District - Cheryl Elliott Thornton
District Judge, 165th Judicial District - Ursula A. Hall
District Judge, 176th Judicial District - Nikita "Niki" Harmon
District Judge, 179th Judicial District - Ana Martinez
District Judge, 333rd Judicial District - Daryl Moore
District Judge, 334th Judicial District - Steven Kirkland
District Judge, 337th Judicial District - Colleen Gaido
District Judge, 339th Judicial District - Te'iva Bell
District Judge, 351st Judicial District - Natalia Cornelio
Harris County District Attorney - Kim Ogg
County Civil Court at Law No. 4 - Lesley Briones
County Attorney - Christian Dashaun Menefee
Sheriff - Ed Gonzalez
County Tax Assessor-Collector - Ann Harris Bennett
County Commissioner Precinct 1 - Rodney Ellis
County Commissioner Precinct 3 - Michael Moore and
Kristi Thibaut (dual endorsement)
Justice of the Peace Precinct 6, Place 1 - Eva Loredo
County Constable Precinct 1 - Alan Rosen
County Constable Precinct 2 - Jerry Garcia (Harris County Lt.) (note: There are two candidates with the same name; BAND has endorsed Lt. Garcia.)
County Constable Precinct 3 - Sherman Eagleton