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2023 Election Results Are In

Forward Times is providing you with the results of the November 2023 election Drumroll please……. the November 2023 election concluded last week, and the Forward Times is here with the results of the 2023 City of Houston races and surrounding areas, as well as the outcome of the local propositions and State of Texas Constitutional […]
The post 2023 Election Results Are In first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 years ago

November 15, 2023

Forward Times Staff

Forward Times is providing you with the results of the November 2023 election

Drumroll please……. the November 2023 election concluded last week, and the Forward Times is here with the results of the 2023 City of Houston races and surrounding areas, as well as the outcome of the local propositions and State of Texas Constitutional amendments.

HOUSTON MAYOR RACE

As Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s second and final term concludes at the end of the year due to term-limits: U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee (36%) and John Whitmire (43%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to become Houston’s next mayor.

HOUSTON CITY CONTROLLER RACE

As Houston City Controller Chris Brown’s second and final term ends at the end of the year due to term-limits: Chris Hollins (45%) and Orlando Sanchez (27%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to become Houston’s next city controller.

HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE RACES

Here are the results of the Houston City Council At-Large races:

At-Large, Position 1: Melanie Miles (25%) and Julian Ramirez (25%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
At-Large, Position 2: Willie Davis (32%) and Nick Hellyar (23%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
At-Large, Position 3: Richard Cantu (22%) and Twila Carter (21%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
At-Large, Position 4: Incumbent Council Member Leticia Plummer (48%) and Roy Morales (33%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election to serve on Houston City Council.
At-Large, Position 5: Incumbent Council Member Sallie Alcorn (60%) wins a second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.

HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT RACES

The results of the City Council District races are:

District A: Incumbent Council Member Amy Peck (100%) was unopposed and wins second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District B: Incumbent Council Member Tarsha Jackson (63%) wins second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District C: Incumbent Council Member Abbie Kamin (73%) wins second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District D: Incumbent Council Member Carolyn Evans-Shabazz (49%) and Travis McGee (17%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election to serve on Houston City Council.
District E: Fred Flickinger (57%) wins open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District F: Incumbent Council Member Tiffany Thomas (100%) was unopposed and wins second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District G: Incumbent Council Member Mary Nan Huffman (49%) and Tony Buzbee (41%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election to serve on Houston City Council.
District H: Mario Castillo (46%) and Cynthia Reyes Revilla (25%) were the top two vote getters and will face off against each other in the December runoff election for the open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District I: Joaquin Martinez (59%) wins open seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District J: Incumbent Council Member Edward Pollard (63%) wins second term and retains his seat to serve on Houston City Council.
District K: Incumbent Council Member Martha Castex-Tatum (100%) was unopposed and wins second term and retains her seat to serve on Houston City Council.

LOCAL BALLOT INITIATIVES

Harris County Hospital District, Proposition A: (PASSED | 72%)
City of Houston, Proposition A: (PASSED | 83%)
City of Houston, Proposition B: (PASSED | 65%)

STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURES

Proposition 1: Voters decided whether Texans will have the right to farm, ranch, and garden on property they own. (PASSED | 79%)
Proposition 2: Voters decided whether cities and counties will be allowed to give property tax breaks to child-care businesses. (PASSED | 65%)
Proposition 3: Voters decided whether to prevent any future lawmakers from imposing a “wealth tax” on Texas residents without voter consent. (PASSED | 68%)
Proposition 4: Voters decided whether to raise the school homestead exemption in Texas and reduce the amount that Texas homeowners will take off the taxable value of their primary residence for school property taxes from $40,000 to $100,000. The proposition will also put a temporary cap on the appraisal growth on residential properties and small businesses that do not have homestead exemptions, such as second homes and rental properties, from year-to-year. Lastly, it will create new elected positions on appraisal boards in Texas counties with a population of 75,000 or more. (PASSED | 83%)
Proposition 5: Voters decided whether to send up to $100 million in interest, dividends, and other investment earnings every year from the state’s rainy-day fund to the Texas University Fund to help support research at state universities. (PASSED | 66%)
Proposition 6: Voters decided whether to approve the creation of the Texas Water Fund, which will receive $1 billion to begin updating pipe systems and developing new water sources. (PASSED | 78%)
Proposition 7: Voters decided whether to authorize the creation of a Texas Energy Fund, which will receive $5 billion to help officials to distribute loans and grants to companies with the aim of building new natural gas-fueled power plants. (PASSED | 65%)
Proposition 8: Voters decided whether to create the Broadband Infrastructure Fund to expand Internet and broadband access across Texas. (PASSED | 69%)
Proposition 9: Voters decided whether to allow $3.3 billion from the general revenue fund to be moved to the Teacher Retirement System of Texas to provide some retired Texas teachers with cost-of-living raises to their monthly pension checks. (PASSED | 84%)
Proposition 10: Voters decided whether to give a property tax break to biomedical companies by exempting the value of any equipment used to manufacture personal protective equipment, pharmaceuticals, or other medical devices. (PASSED | 55%)
Proposition 11: Although it didn’t affect Houston-area voters directly, this proposition asked Texas voters to decide whether to give conservation and reclamation districts in El Paso County the power to issue bonds to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities. (PASSED | 63%)
Proposition 12: Although it didn’t affect Houston-area voters directly, this proposition asked Texas voters (in Galveston County only) to decide whether to abolish the office of Galveston County treasurer and instead authorize the Commissioners Court to hire or contract with someone to do the job. (PASSED | 53%)
Proposition 13: Voters decided whether to raise the mandatory retirement age for Texas state judges from 75 years of age to 79. (REJECTED | 63%)
Proposition 14: Voters decided whether to establish a Centennial Parks Conservation Fund, which will receive $1 billion to purchase land for new state parks and improve existing state parks. (PASSED | 77%)

Other items on the November ballot that may impact some of you include:

ALDINE ISD BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: New School Buildings and Sites (PASSED | 68%)
Proposition B: District Technology Equipment (PASSED | 65%)
Proposition C: Arts and Events Center (PASSED | 55%)

CITY OF JERSEY VILLAGE BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: $19 million for a pool and parks improvements (REJECTED | 59%)
Proposition B: $15.86 million for water, sewer, and drainage (PASSED | 55%)
Proposition C: $18 million for streets, roads, and bridges (PASSED | 51%)

CLEAR CREEK ISD BOND ELECTION AND TAX RATE RAISE

Propositon A: Tax rate raise to 0.9746 per $100 in property value (PASSED | 59%)
Proposition B: $265 million for school infrastructure and safety (PASSED | 55%)
Proposition C: $37 million for technology equipment and instructional tech (PASSED | 54%)

CONROE ISD BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: $1.82 billion for eight new schools (PASSED | 61%)
Proposition B: $40 million for technology devices (PASSED | 58%)
Proposition C: $112.9 million for PE and ag barn improvements (PASSED | 59%)
Proposition D: $22.9 million for pool revamp/natatorium (REJECTED | 51%)

CROSBY ISD BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: School Facilities (REJECTED | 65%)

FORT BEND COUNTY BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: $712.6 million for mobility (PASSED | 64%)
Proposition B: $153 million for parks (PASSED | 52%)

FORT BEND ISD TAX RATE ELECTION

Proposition A: Raise tax rate to 98.92 cents per $100 in property value (PASSED | 57%)

KATY ISD BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: $723 million for new schools, renovations, security upgrades (PASSED | 59%)
Proposition B: $83.6 million for technology (PASSED | 57%)
Proposition C: $4 million for natatoriums (REJECTED | 54%)
Proposition D: $30 million for athletic facilities (REJECTED | 56%)

LAMAR CISD BOND ELECTION

Proposition A: $15M Traylor Stadium bonds (REJECTED | 55%)

PEARLAND ISD TAX RATE ELECTION

Proposition A: Change tax rate to $1.1373 per $100 in property value (PASSED | 57%)

STAFFORD MSD TAX RATE ELECTION

Proposition A: Change tax rate (PASSED | 56%)

So Forward Times readers, here is a simple, but necessary recap:

Runoff Election Day is Saturday, December 9
Early voting for the runoff will be from Monday, November 27 through Tuesday, December 5
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. except on Sundays, when they’ll be open from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sample ballots for the December runoff election will not be available until November 22
If you didn’t get a chance to vote in the November 7^th general election, you can still vote in the December runoff election.
The last day to receive a ballot by-mail application is November 28.
IMPORTANT: Election Day polling locations may change up until Election Day.
Current Election Day polling location information is available at:
Harris County: harrisvotes.com
Montgomery County: https://elections.mctx.org
Fort Bend County: https://www.fortbendvotes.org

These are the races that will be on the ballot for the December runoff election ballot for the City of Houston:

Mayor
City Controller
Council Member, District D
Council Member, District G
Council Member, District H
Council Member, At-Large Position 1
Council Member, At-Large Position 2
Council Member, At-Large Position 3
Council Member, At-Large Position 4

For any information, such as finding your nearest polling location, sample ballot, and much more, please visit HarrisVotes.com.

The post 2023 Election Results Are In appeared first on Forward Times.

The post 2023 Election Results Are In first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring Review — Is This $136K EV Sedan Worth It?

AUTONETWORK ON BLACKPRESSUSA — Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, but it still feels elegant instead of trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Published

2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

Oakland Post

The 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring is the kind of luxury EV that makes people stop and ask a simple question: Is this really better than a Tesla Model S, Mercedes EQS, or BMW i7? At $136,150, it has to do more than look futuristic. It has to feel special every time you get in it.

Finished in Stellar White Metallic with the Tahoe Grand Touring interior, this Lucid makes a strong first impression. The shape is sleek and low, yet it still feels elegant rather than trying too hard. Features like soft-close doors, powered illuminated door handles, 20-inch Aero Lite wheels, and the Glass Canopy Roof help the car feel expensive before you even start it.

Inside is where the Air Grand Touring really makes its case. The 34-inch Glass Cockpit Display and retractable Pilot Panel screen give the cabin a clean, modern look that still feels different from other EVs. The Tahoe Extended Leather and Lucid Black Alcantara headliner lifts the sense of occasion, and the front seats are a highlight. They are 20-way power-adjustable, heated, ventilated, and include massage. That matters because luxury buyers at this price expect comfort first.

Rear passengers are not ignored either. You get 5-zone heated rear seating, a rear center console display, and power rear and rear side window sunshades. Add in the Surreal Sound Pro system with 21 speakers, and the Air feels like a true long-distance luxury sedan.

Lucid also gives this car serious EV hardware. The dual-motor all-wheel-drive system, 900V+ charging architecture, and Wunderbox onboard charger are big talking points. Buyers in this segment care about range, charging speed, and everyday ease, not just raw performance. That is where the Lucid continues to stand out.

On the technology side, the Air Grand Touring includes DreamDrive Premium, with 3D Surround View Monitoring, Blind Spot Warning, Automatic Park In and Out, Automatic Emergency Braking, and a Driver Monitoring System with distracted and drowsy driver alerts. This one also has DreamDrive Pro, which adds future-capable ADAS hardware.

There are still some real-world annoyances. Based on your notes, the windshield wiper control is hard to find and use, and that matters more than people think in a high-tech car. When controls become less intuitive, even a beautiful interior can feel frustrating.

Still, the 2026 Lucid Air Grand Touring succeeds where it matters most. It feels luxurious, advanced, comfortable, and thoughtfully engineered. For buyers who want an EV sedan that feels truly premium and less common than the usual choices, this Lucid makes a very strong case.

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Snoop Dogg Celebrates 10 Til’ Midnight at the Compound

LOS ANGELES SENTINEL — The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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Snoop Dogg celebrated the premiere of 10 Til’ Midnight at his Inglewood recording studio & multipurpose facility, The Compound, but the night felt like much more than an album release. It felt like Los Angeles. It felt like legacy. And it felt like another major move from one of the city’s greatest cultural architects as he continues to prove that he is not just dropping music — he is building moments, shaping narratives, and pushing the culture forward in real time.

What made the event so powerful was the clarity behind the vision. During a panel conversation with DJ Hed, Snoop opened up about the heart behind 10 Til’ Midnight, explaining that the project was created to help bridge older and younger generations while also speaking to the long-standing divisions between Bloods and Crips in a unique way through film. That alone gave the project a different kind of weight. This was not just about songs. This was about using creativity as a tool for connection. This was about taking a story rooted in Los Angeles and telling it in a way that could bring people together.

Snoop Congratulated By Rapper & Fellow 10 Til Midnight Cast Member G Perico (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

The album is paired with a film that stars Snoop Dogg, Hitta J3, G Perico, and Ray Vaughn, and one of the strongest elements of the whole project is that the production stayed rooted right here in Los Angeles. The film was shot in the city, including at WePlay Studios in Inglewood, which gave the entire project an even deeper hometown feel. It was not just a West Coast story in content — it was a Los Angeles-made production from the ground up.

That matters because, in a city like this, authenticity still carries weight. Snoop understands how to make sure that what he creates does not just represent Los Angeles on the surface, but actually comes from it.

What also makes 10 Til’ Midnight significant is that it represents another major step in Snoop’s evolution as both an artist and executive. Public reporting around the project identifies it as his 22nd studio album, but the bigger story is what it represents in this season of his life. This is one of several consecutive moves he has made in his 50s that show he is still building, still expanding, and still finding new ways to reinvent what the next chapter looks like.

Snoop Dogg at the Premiere of 10 Til Midnight (CreativeLB/KreativeKapturez)

Now, as the head of Death Row Records and the newly aligned leader of Death Row Pictures, he is taking the brand into a new dimension. That is what made this moment feel bigger than music. Snoop is not just protecting the legacy of Death Row — he is stretching it. He is expanding it beyond records and into film, visual storytelling, and larger creative worlds that can continue carrying the label’s impact forward. Public reporting has noted that this project arrives as part of that broader cinematic push.

That is a major Los Angeles move because the city has always been built on the intersection of music, film, neighborhood identity, and cultural storytelling. With 10 Til’ Midnight, Snoop is leaning all the way into that intersection.

The room at The Compound reflected that. It felt like a private premiere, but it also felt like a statement — a reminder that Snoop Dogg’s staying power has never been based only on nostalgia. It comes from his ability to remain connected, remain visionary, and remain in tune with how to move the culture without losing the essence of who he is.

That is why this premiere mattered. It was not just about celebrating another album. It was about witnessing a Los Angeles legend continue to evolve, continue to unify, and continue to use art to tell stories that hit deeper than entertainment alone.

In that sense, 10 Til’ Midnight became more than a project launch. It became another example of how Snoop Dogg is still taking Los Angeles to the next level — using music, film, and legacy together to build something bigger than a moment.

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OP-ED: Small Businesses Need Minnesota to Act on Pass-Through Tax Policy

MINNESOTA SPOKESMAN RECORDER — A Twin Cities immigrant entrepreneur who built several businesses including grocery stores in underserved neighborhoods is calling on Minnesota lawmakers to extend the Pass-Through Entity tax option before it expires, warning that its loss would hit small businesses already recovering from Operation Metro Surge with higher federal tax bills.

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2 weeks ago

May 3, 2026

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A Twin Cities Small Business Owner Is Urging Minnesota to Extend a Tax Policy That Could Save Thousands of Businesses

By Daniel Hernandez | Minnesota Spokesman Recorder

I came to the United States as a teenager with a clear goal: to build something meaningful through hard work. I put in long days in construction, restaurants, and landscaping; doing whatever it took to learn, save, and eventually start my own business.

Over time, I built and ran several successful ventures, including an event photography company, a magazine, a tax and accounting firm, and now grocery stores serving neighborhoods across the Twin Cities where other retailers chose not to invest. I’ve created jobs, supported families, and committed to communities that deserve stability and opportunity.

That’s why I’m speaking out now.

Small business owners in Minneapolis and the communities we serve are recovering from serious disruptions, including the impacts of Operation Metro Surge. That event hit immigrant communities especially hard. In my own case, I lost nearly half of my 60 employees and saw revenue drop by about 85%. While I worked to provide competitive wages, health benefits, and paid time off, the real hardship fell on the people who lost their jobs and income.

Even as we rebuild, small businesses are facing another challenge. The Minnesota Legislature is considering letting an important tax policy expire: the Pass-Through Entity tax option.

Here’s what that means in plain terms.

Many small businesses, including mine, are pass-through businesses. That means the business itself doesn’t pay income tax. Instead, the owners report the income on their personal tax returns. But under current federal rules, there’s a limit on how much state tax we can deduct. That often leads to higher federal tax bills.

The Pass-Through Entity option fixes that. It allows the business to pay the state tax directly, which means the business can fully deduct those taxes on its federal return and lower the total amount of income taxed federally. The result is straightforward: small business owners pay less in federal taxes, without reducing what the state collects.

This policy is not new or controversial. Thirty-six states already offer it. It doesn’t cost Minnesota anything, it’s revenue neutral. And it benefits more than 66,000 businesses across the state.

In a state where the cost of doing business is already high, it’s hard to understand why we wouldn’t offer the same basic tax treatment as states like California and Illinois.

Small businesses have carried a heavy load in recent years, through a pandemic, rising costs and public safety disruptions. We’ve adapted, reinvested and stayed committed to our communities. What we need now are practical policies that support that work, not make it harder.

If the Minnesota House does not act soon, many businesses will face significantly higher federal tax bills. That’s money that could otherwise be used to hire workers, raise wages or reinvest in local neighborhoods.

I urge Gov. Tim Walz and members of the House Tax Committee to pass House File 3127 and extend the Pass-Through Entity election.

Small businesses are the backbone of our communities. We’ve proven our resilience. Now we need our state leaders to show the same commitment to us.

Daniel Hernandez is the owner of Colonial Market located at 2100 E. Lake St.

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