Welcome to Election Day 2008

Today is Tuesday, November 4, 2008...Election Day.

Today, all across the United States, millions of Americans will be casting their votes in a historic election that aims to set public policy for the next generation. There are many scenarios that will arise from today's vote, which will aim to shape the destiny of the United States in the coming years.

In America, we will be deciding a new president, the 44th President of the United States. Democrats will look to make history with Senator Barack Obama, who will aim to become the first African American President of the United States, while Republicans will look to move on after the Bush years with Senator John McCain. In addition, a third of the United States Senate (including two special elections), all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives, and eleven governorships along with an assortment of ballot initiatives will be at stake. In addition, control of state legislatures is at stake in all 50 states.

In Fort Bend County (my home base), these are the races in my jurisdiction:

• Special election for an open State Senate Seat. This is SD17 which used to be the Kyle Janek seat; former Congressman Chris Bell will attempt to pick up the seat against another Democrat (even though Bell is viewed by the Democratic establishment as the only true Democrat in the race) and four Republican opponents; the leading GOP candidates are former Bush 41 staffer/Republican activist Austen Furse and former State District Judge Joan Huffman. Whether or not a runoff ensues depends on tonight.
  
• The Presidency (of course).
• U.S. Senate (John Cornyn will fight back a dark horse challenge from Rick Noriega).
• Congress (Nick Lampson will attempt to fend off a strong challenge from Pete Olson).
• Various statewide offices, judicial offices and county offices, as well as State Representative (My State Representative, Charlie Howard, is unopposed).
• Four bond proposals related to a new Cultural Entertainment District in Sugar Land, including a minor league baseball stadium, an indoor concert venue, and other facilities along with tax adjustments to pay for the project.
  

Finally, in other parts of Fort Bend, a competitive County Commissioner's race is ongoing, and the community of Weston Lakes is looking to build its inaugural municipal government, among other initiatives.

I will be updating this blog to let you know what is going on...stay tuned!