Raising Campaign Cash: Candidates for Harris County Judge, Orlando Sanchez and Letitia Plummer

July 17, 2026

Neither have great fundraising numbers.

The Houston Chronicle has a good article on the two candidates running for Harris County Judge if you like the 30,000 ft level. Here are some more details. You can review campaign finance reports for Harris County candidates at https://ethics.harrisvotes.com/CampaignFinanceReports/COR.aspx. The amounts are not very impressive. In 2022 Alex Mealer spent about $10 Million in his losing effort against Lina Hidalgo. Abbott has pledged $20 Million to win seats in Harris County.

Orlando Sanchez
Sanchez raised $107,165, spent $141,418, and has a Cash on Hand balance of $32,527. He has an outstanding loan of $234,513. In this period he added a personal loan of $15,000 to this total but I cannot find any report going back 8 years where this $234,513 loan was reported. I can only assume it came from his own pocket and spent it along the way. In 2018 he ran for County Treasurer, spent most of this loan, and lost. He carries this balance to be able to be reimbursed at a later date. That usually happens after a candidate wins. They continue to fundraise, paying off their loan first. Of the $107,165 $75,000 came from the 9 individuals below.

DonorAmount
Joseph Swinbank$25,000
Simon Kukes$10,000
Carey McNair$10,000
Kriss Cloninger$5,000
Lisa Cloninger$5,000
CM Carver$5,000
Kevin Matocha$5,000
Terry Shaikh$5,000
Richard Weekley$5,000
$75,000

Letitia Plummer
Plummer raised $145,881, spent $70,492, and has a Cash on Hand balance of $70,161. She has a personal loan of $45,000. Out of the $145,881 raised $75,000 came from 8 individuals/PACs below.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis$25,000
Judge Lina Hidalgo$10,000
Dr. John Calhoun$10,000
Loeb Margery$10,000
Across the Track PAC$5,000
Husch Blackwell LLP$5,000
Linebarger Goggan Blare & Sampson$5,000
Sabouni Mourhaf$5,000
$75,000


Not Raising Campaign Cash: Scott Bowen for State Representative

July 16, 2026

Bowen is the heir of the throne.

Former CCISD Trustee Scott Bowen, after being ousted from the Board, is now the republican nominee for State Representative of the Bay Area. In March he easily beat his Republican conservative, Robert Mitchell, even though Mitchell was a far better candidate. In that period Bowen financed his campaign with a $50,000 personal loan and major donations from out of district PACs. Bowen is the new PACMAN of the Bay Area. Bowen raised over $200,000 for his primary race but for the general election he has raised significantly less.

His mid year report filed on 7/15/2026 shows he raised only $12,000 with more than half coming from various out of district PACs. He also added $15,000 to his personal loan amount. He has only $16,000 cash on hand. For Bowen winning the primary was all he needed to win the general election. He probably thinks he is entitled to be the heir to the throne held by a Republican for over 30 years. He doesn’t need to raise money to earn the votes of those in the Bay Area, after all he is PACMAN and his devotion will be to Greg Abbott and his PAC buddies not to the citizens of the district.

Bowen is running against Albert Wittliff who is depending on donations from those in the community. Wittliff has met with the business community as well as voters in the district. If you listen to Albert speak on any issue affecting the community, insurance, electricity prices, education, vouchers, etc you will leave very impressed. Wittliff has applicable experience for the job. He is an excellent speaker. Bowen, on the other hand, is awkward, has a failed record of leadership on the CCISD Board, and stands out in a crowd like a duck doing the chicken dance.

There are a number of forums scheduled between the town where voters will see the difference between the two.

BTW. I donated to Wittliff. Take 4 minutes and watch a video of him speaking about his background.


Will Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey vote for an Independent Investigation?

July 14, 2026

Many believe he will not vote to fund an independent investigation of the ICE killing. I beg to differ.

According to Fox26 Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis seeks to fund an independent investigation into the murder of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by ICE. It seems like all Commissioners are onboard except for Commissioner Tom Ramsey. He has been silent, as every Republican in the State. But Ramsey is a “Republican”conservative” and the only Republican on Harris County Commissioners Court. In the past if a member of a Federal agency shot and killed people in Harris County Conservatives would be yelling about “Jack booted thugs”. Unfortunately this is a new Republican Party and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was a Mexican. (Republicans don’t like Mexicans. Or Jews. Or Muslims, gays, teachers, etc etc) If Lorenzo was a Larry and had a boatload of guns Ramsey would jump on this investigation like Ken Paxton jumping the bones of his christian, married, mistress. (eww)

So will the real conservative vote to reign in ICE? Will he vote in favor of funding an independent investigation into the senseless shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo? Needless to say ICE investigating ICE is a non starter and a no brainer. Anytime someone is murdered in the County the County is in charge of the investigation NOT the agency responsible for the shooting.

But will Ramsey return to being a conservative with conservative values or will he stick his nose up Trump’s ass and vote no on funding an independent investigation?


What Progressives Could Learn from Lindsey Graham

July 13, 2026

Just one important thing.

There is little if anything I can agree on with Lindsey Graham. Even prior to Trump Graham wasn’t the best human being in the Senate. As someone said he was a political parasite much like some of the progressives always performing for a camera, always looking for attention, always looking for the sound bite. But unlike progressives Graham was successful in creating relationships on both sides of the aisle which in the end helped move legislation.

Don’t get me wrong. I think Graham was an incredible ass kissing, bottom feeding, coward. He will always be remembered as the Senator who made awful, truthful, comments about Trump calling him a kook, unfit for office, a coward. That was until Trump was elected in 2016 then Graham sewed his lips to Trump’s ass. He briefly took a breath after the Jan 6 riots then reattached himself voting against removing him from office. Graham will never get that stain off of his nose.

But as John McCain’s wife said on MSNOW shortly after his death, Graham forged relationships with members of both sides of the aisle, when it suit his needs. He created friendships that lasted even after insulting one another in a “respectful” manner. He created gatherings with other Senators and their spouses. He fought them every step of the way on legislation then arranged for dinner. It’s hard to make personal insults towards another knowing you will be eating at their table along with both families.

And that is what progressives could learn from Graham. (it’s the only thing) You can’t be the lightning rod of the party spewing insults and then expect the other side or even your side to work with you on significant legislation. It’s like kicking someone in the balls and then asking them to shake hands and be friends. That’s not how politics works. Ask Bernie Sanders who has worked for over 40 years on universal healthcare or single payer, or medicare for all, or whatever he calls it now. Ask the members of The Squad who has a horrible record of legislative accomplishments much like the extreme right of the Republican Party.

Progressives could learn one thing from Graham to help them make progress. If you can’t make progress you can’t call yourself a progressive.


The Who’s Who of Who has been Harassed by La Marque City Councilman

July 12, 2026
Ain’t that some SHIT

Before tomorrow’s city council meeting I thought I would compile this list. I will not name names except for the obvious. These are the people La Marque Councilman Joseph Lowry has harassed over the last few years. Some have filed for protective orders. Some have sued. Some are expected to do so in the near future.

I am sure I missed some.


Harassment Charges by La Marque Councilman are Dropped

July 10, 2026

You can smell a lawsuit a mile away.

As I wrote a few days ago, Harvey Freebird was arrested on July 4th for a harassment complaint by La Marque City Councilman Joseph Lowry. It probably was due to the incident in the parking lot of the Galveston County Courthouse which Harvey recorded. Lowry called the police who investigated Harvey, viewed his video, and cleared him. Later Lowry entered the courtroom with a police escort much like a whiny ass little bitch.

But today those charges have been dropped by the District Attorney’s Office, but not forgotten. There are a lot of questions remaining to be answered. Was law enforcement illegally using the FLOCK cameras to track Harvey? Who signed the warrant for his arrest? Who wrote the warrant? Why was a warrant approved? What was the basis for granting a warrant in the first place? And what did Lowry and/or his wife have to do with this?

If I was Harvey I would be asking these questions and demanding answers.


WTF ICE? Houston Mayor MIA in ICE Shooting

July 9, 2026

I rarely agree with Congressman Al Green but he is spot on this issue.

According to the Houston Chronicle Mayor Whitmire declined to get involved in the investigation concerning the shooting by ICE agents of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo. The Mayor claims the city is powerless in a federal investigation. I have to join many on City Council and across the County and Congressman Al Green. This is an all hands on deck moment and our city needs the resources of all levels of government because we have seen how ICE conducts their investigations.

ICE is corrupt and must be reformed to a functioning immigration agency. They are simply out of control. They are killing people because they have botched so many enforcement raids. In Salgado’s situation they could have waited till he was in the open, or at his house. Or they could have simply made a phone call requiring him to turn himself in. Salgado wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t dangerous. Regardless of his immigration status he did not deserve to die.

If Whitmire is not going to take action then we should. We should learn the identities of those involved in the shooting. We should find videos documenting the incident. We should crowdsource an investigation into these individuals to learn their background, training, and experience. There needs to be an open, transparent investigation and charges brought if warranted.

ICE is dangerous. They should be given a choice. Take off your face masks, put on a name tag, follow the law, and stop killing human beings or leave the g**damn city. It should be that simple.


La Marque Councilman Loses Lawsuit Against the City (Again)

July 8, 2026

UPDATE: Looks like Lowry has to pay the appeals court costs. See page two below.

What an incredible waste of tax dollars.

Back in April of 2022 City Councilman Joseph Lowry filed suit against the City of La Marque, members of the Council and the Police Chief. He lost that case and appealed it. Today the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals Case #25-40519 affirmed the lower court’s decision against Lowry. In his original lawsuit Lowry alleged under 42 U.S.C. (\S ) 1983 that officials retaliated against and censored him by removing yard signs, verbally attacking him, and banning him from posting on the city’s Facebook page. Yes, he sued the City for someone allegedly removing his campaign signs, probably calling him a fat ass, and banning him from myspace. (LOL)

The United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas Case# 3:22-CV-112 issued a summary judgement against Lowry back in April of 2022. For over 4 years the City had to litigate this case spending tax dollars on such a worthless case. Lowry has a habit of being sued and filing frivolous suits like this one. Lowry likes to mess with peoples campaign signs as well as verbally attacking people and banning them from his own Facebook pages.

Well now he lost. Again. He could be a fool and appeal it to the Supreme Court but what kind of an idiot lawyer would take such a worthless case?


Galveston County Law Enforcement. Is it About Race?

July 8, 2026

You have to wonder.

You have to wonder why Galveston County and La Marque Police ignore complaints filed concerning harrassment by people of color concerning La Marque City Councilman Joseph Lowry but when Mr. Harrassment himself files a complaint they issue a BOLO, jump into action, activates the SWAT team and jumps on the alleged perpetrator like Lowry on a box of cinnamon sugar donuts.

There have been many complaints filed with the La Marque Police Department and the District Attorney’s Office asking for help yet they take no action. People of color have called press conferences asking law enforcement to take action and curb the abuse by Lowry before there is violence. They have filed complaints of being harassed at home, church, on the street, and even while trying to enjoy a family dinner at Roadhouse. Yet they do nothing. Many have spoken at City Council detailing accounts of harrassment by Lowry. There are complaints filed with the DA’s office about impersonating a law enforcement officer and filing false documents with the county. Yet nothing. Suits have been filed against Lowry for harrassment and defamation and yet law enforcement is silent. This abuse been going on for years all documented by The Mark, a Facebook page and yet no action is taken. But….

When they received a complaint concerning harrassment from Mr. Harrassment himself they jump into action. This weekend it looks like Lowry filed a complaint against a 1st Amendment Auditor, Harvey Freebird which resulted in a warrant being issued and an arrest once he crossed the Galveston County border. All of this for a Class B Misdemeanor. Many questions are being asked like which Judge signed the warrant, and what did the warrant say. Also why was the Facebook page “Freebird Exposed and Unhinged” deleted immediately after posting the picture above? This page was managed by members of Galveston County law enforcement. Why did they take such drastic action on behalf of a fat white guy while ignoring the pleas of people of color concerning harrassment by Lowry? It’s almost as if law enforcement in Galveston County is in full support of what Lowry is doing towards the Black community.

You really have to wonder.


La Marque Councilman Files Harassment Charges. Law Enforcement Descends.

July 7, 2026

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to make up stuff like this. Mr Harassment, La Marque City Councilman Joseph Lowry, whined to the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office about….wait for it….being harassed.

But the videos taken of the so called harrassment will probably end in the charges being dropped. Harvey Freebird is a “1st Amendment Auditor”. He follows the police and videos them to make sure they are not abusing their power. Harvey attended the trial against City Councilman Joseph Lowry who was being sued for…..wait for it again…..harrassment. In that suit he settled with one of the plaintiffs, won on a technicality on one, and one was dismissed. Harvey made two videos when he became aware of Lowry sitting in his minivan in the parking lot instead of attending his own trial. He also videoed him walking into the courtroom with a police escort.

His first video was from a distance in the courthouse parking lot. Of course Lowry didn’t like to be harassed much like the dozen of people who he has harassed so he did what he does best, he called the police. Unfortunately for Lowry the police came, talked with Harvey, and cleared him of any wrong doing. They attempted to talk with Lowry but he was ugly crying in his minivan and was too verklempt to talk. (ok I made that up)

His second video was taken in the Courthouse as Lowry was walking down the hall, with a police escort, to enter the courtroom. That video would have shown no one was harassing anyone but the Judge required Harvey to delete the video. Later a member of the media approached the judge and made her aware that she had also taken pictures. She was required to delete those pictures. The Courtroom has signs prohibiting videos or picture but I do not remember signs for the entire Courthouse. Regardless, the video was deleted.

So after settling his suit for harassment Lowry calls his police buddies in Galveston County and files a harassment complaint against Harvey. The Sherriff’s office issues an APB, a BOLO, activates their SWAT team, and alerts the National Guard as the FLOCK cameras detects Harvey’s truck crossing into the County. Law enforcement quickly descended upon Harvey’s location and served a warrant on him for a class B misdemeanor offense all while there was chaos and frivolity abound.

(OK. I made most of that up, except it did take 4 officers, and it was just a Class B misdemeanor) Harvey was arrested, released, and charges will probably be dropped, and then hopefully he will sued the living shit out of the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office for wait for it…..harrassment.


Bay Area Houston

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