Paul Cobler

2 weeks ago | houstonlanding.org | Paul Cobler |Hillary Ma

Running for office is expensive, time consuming and stressful. Bryan Chu wants to do it anyway to show others they can, too. The 57-year-old arrived in the United States as a refugee from Vietnam when he was 14. The next 30 years of his life were spent going to school, working as an engineer, then a dentist, and dreaming of a return to his homeland. “The first 10, 20 years, Vietnam was still my country because everybody wanted to go back,” Chu said.

3 weeks ago | houstonlanding.org | Paul Cobler

State of H-Town is a weekly column wrapping up the latest in Houston-area politics. Mayor John Whitmire spoke to riders at the start of the 18th Annual Tour de Houston on Sunday and was met with a chorus of boos heard in a video posted on X. The incident comes on the heels of multiple clashes between advocates for alternative transit and the Whitmire administration.

1 month ago | houstonlanding.org | Paul Cobler

A viral bug has been spreading among Texas Republicans since 2018, and a new outbreak has infected the state’s race for the U.S. Senate. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is the latest to display symptoms of Hidalgo Derangement Syndrome, a political affliction brought on by an intense dislike of Democratic Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. A similar ailment, TDS, related to President Donald Trump, is said to affect many Democrats.

1 month ago | houstonlanding.org | Paul Cobler

The special election to fill the Congressional seat left vacant by Sylvester Turner’s death will be held on Nov. 4, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Monday. Abbott’s proclamation settles weeks of speculation about the timing of the Congressional District 18 election and concerns from Houston Democrats that Abbott was intentionally leaving the seat vacant to advantage Congressional Republicans.

1 month ago | houstonlanding.org | Paul Cobler

State of H-Town is a weekly wrapup of Houston-area politics. The recall effort against Houston Mayor John Whitmire may be finding its way into the headlines, but Houstonians frustrated with his leadership probably should not hold their breath. Whitmire himself does not appear to be concerned about the campaign’s chances of success, dismissing them during a testy press conference on Wednesday. “I think it’s silly. Doesn’t even deserve a response, quite frankly.