Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Under pressure from both Donald Trump and Ken Paxton - after years of defending the filibuster in the U.S. Senate - Senator John Cornyn, desperate for Trump's endorsement, has changed his position on a primary safeguard for the minority party in that body: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/11/john-cornyn-filibuster-save-america-act-texas-senate-runoff-voter-id/ ...For now, the actual end of the filibuster seems unlikely - but Donald Trum...
Mar 12, 2026•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: New polling from Texas Public Opinion Research shows Senator John Cornyn eight points behind Ken Paxton in the Republican primary runoff in May - a deficit too wide to be overcome by a Trump endorsement. Cornyn now faces a choice: eliminate Paxton from the race by helping kill the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act in the Senate, or head into a runoff he's likely to lose: https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-senate-runoff-cornyn-paxton...
Mar 11, 2026•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Gámez-Cuéllar family, including their two sons who are members of the acclaimed McAllen High School mariachi troupe, were released by ICE yesterday after a significant public outcry: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/09/texas-antonio-gamez-cuellar-monica-de-la-cruz-ice/ Laredo Congressman Henry Cuellar was one of four Congressional Democrats to vote against a blocking of Donald Trump's Iran war funding last week - that resolution wou...
Mar 10, 2026•11 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As we reported Friday morning, Texas DPS released footage related to the federal border officer-involved killing of 23 year old Ruben Ray Martinez last year in South Padre Island, and it does not appear to justify lethal force: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/06/south-padre-immigration-officer-shooting/ ...Meanwhile outrage is building over the ICE detention of a family including two celebrated teenaged mariachi musicians who have rece...
Mar 09, 2026•9 min
Every week, we marvel at the insanity of the week prior in Texas politics, and the primary election - especially Tuesday's Election Night, complete with Republican-orchestrated voter suppression in a major Texas city - certainly did not disappoint in that regard. We once again gather to self-therapize, celebrate a bit, and steel ourselves for the long, uphill fight to come. Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org...
Mar 06, 2026•32 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: At the behest of Donald Trump, Ken Paxton is mulling dropping out of the race for the U.S. Senate - on condition that Senate Republicans kill the filibuster and pass the SAVE America Act, which would help Trump suppress voters ahead of the midterm election: https://www.khou.com/article/news/politics/elections/ken-paxton-texas-senate-race-drop-out-trump-endorsement/285-de54f29c-0c5b-41f9-a687-617aa373c535 West Texas Republican Congressman To...
Mar 06, 2026•8 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Following a second night of celebration in Austin for James Talarico, his story, well known in Texas, is permeating nationally: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/us/politics/james-talarico-texas-senate.html ...Talarico's win suggests a shift among the Texas electorate away from partisan vitriol to political pragmatism: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/04/texas-primaries-democrats-texas ...The Talarico's campaign strategy target...
Mar 05, 2026•21 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: After an election night that saw chaos unfold in both Dallas and Williamson Counties due to Republican hijinks, including late interference by Attorney General Ken Paxton and the Republican Texas Supreme Court, Austin State Rep. James Talarico has officially won the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/03/texas-jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-us-senate-democratic-primary/ ...Dallas Congresswoman Ja...
Mar 04, 2026•10 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Election Day arrives amidst a variety of strong indicators for a strong Democratic performance in the midterm: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/03/texas-march-primary-election-day-senate-attorney-general-abbott-5-things/ ...The outcome of the contest between Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico for the Democratic Senate nomination serves as a test of national Democratic campaign doctrine: https://www.salon.com/20...
Mar 03, 2026•8 min
Monday March 2 marks the 190th anniversary of the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence from Mexico, which kicked off in earnest the Texas Revolution - a chunk of history that has been manipulated and whitewashed over time as a major component of what has become the "Texas Myth", which is the central theme of the groundbreaking 2021 book Forget The Alamo . Jason Stanford is one of that book's three authors, and he joins us to talk about the real story of Texas' origins, and how Texans...
Mar 02, 2026•32 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: A host of Texas U.S. Representatives, including Jasmine Crockett, Lloyd Doggett and Julie Johnson, are calling for the Congress to place limits on Donald Trump's ability to unilaterally wage war - but the partisan divide is likely to place its own limits on that possibility: https://www.npr.org/2026/03/02/g-s1-112092/iran-war-powers-congress-trump The mass shooting at an Austin bar over the weekend may have been motivated by U.S. military a...
Mar 02, 2026•10 min
State House District 138 in the northwest Houston area has been under GOP control for over 20 years - but in a 2026 seeing very high Democratic confidence, that race is interesting for sure. And, even as the primary silly season rages on, HD 138 already has a Dem nominee in Tyler Smith, a local community leader and gun safety advocate with extensive experience in politics from his Houston area home all the way to Washington D.C. Learn more about Tyler Smith and his campaign at https://tylerfortx...
Mar 01, 2026•19 min
Early voting is over - so, only Election Day, Tuesday March 3, remains for Texas progressives to make their voice heard in the 2026 primary (runoffs notwithstanding)! And the day AFTER that, on Wednesday March 4th, the Texas Democratic Party is set to launch the “Texas Together Campaign” - a historic, coordinated statewide effort to turn Texas blue - and YOUR help is needed. To tell us all about it, we welcome back TDP Chair Kendall Scudder, and for the first time, Texas Majority PAC’s Executive...
Feb 28, 2026•28 min
Legendary in Dallas, the Brewer Storefront is the community-service and pro bono arm of the national law firm Brewer, Attorneys & Counselors, established in 1995 to provide high-level legal advocacy to individuals and organizations who would otherwise likely be unable to access the "big law" resources they provide. Attorneys Ian Shaw and Josh Harris join us to tell the story of the Storefront, the amazing impacts they've achieved, and their plans to continue making a tremendous difference in...
Feb 27, 2026•30 min
We always say, it's been a wild week in Texas politics - but between the high of unbelievable Democratic turnout in the primary, and the low of a potential sweeping away of justice for Ruben Ray Martinez, this one's been extra wild. We welcome Progress Texas board member Dick Lavine for this weekend's roundtable. Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas at https://progresstexas.org/ .
Feb 27, 2026•31 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: You're not experiencing deja vu - the U.S. military has again recklessly deployed their new laser technology without coordinating properly with the FAA, who have again imposed an airspace shutdown near El Paso: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/26/texas-el-paso-border-drone-laser-airspace-closure/ ...We hope some courageous reporter asks Donald Trump about that, and the Epstein files, and our tariff refunds, during his visit to Corpus Ch...
Feb 27, 2026•10 min
Texas is at the center of the battle for equal voting rights in America today. As the March primaries continue for the 2026 Midterm elections,we’re here to discuss a pending Supreme Court case that you might not have heard about yet, but will be crucial for the future of voting rights for Black and Brown voters in the South. PTI Board Chair, Louis Bedford, joins the podcast to discuss Louisiana v. Callais and how to protect your right to vote in Texas. You can find more information at https://ww...
Feb 26, 2026•17 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Dueling polls late in the 2026 primary season fail to clearly identify a leader in the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/texas-primary-conflicting-polls-show-how-several-key-races-too-close-call ...The new poll from the UT Politics Project: https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/competition-remains-fierce-in-both-u-s-senate-primaries-in-texas-according-to-latest-ut-texas-politics-project-poll...
Feb 26, 2026•10 min
MeidasTouch and MoveOn hosted an alternative to the Donald Trump State Of The Union address last night on the National Mall, featuring a lineup of lawmakers, activists, and just regular folks whose lives have been upended by Trump and his reckless, racist policies. Austin Congressman Greg Casar was one of the speakers, and we bring you his remarks from the People's State Of The Union event here. Watch the entire event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oArKZutSbF0 . Thanks for listening! Learn m...
Feb 25, 2026•5 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Establishing a new tradition, Houston Congressman Al Green was booted from the Trump State Of The Union address last night in response to his protests for the second consecutive year: https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/24/trump-state-of-the-union-address-2026/al-green-escorted-out-00797132 ...Texas Reps Veronica Escobar and Greg Casar both skipped the SOTU, opting instead to appear at the "People's State Of The Union" event on th...
Feb 25, 2026•9 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Joshua Orta - the passenger in the car of Ruben Ray Martinez when he was allegedly shot by a federal border officer last March and the key witness in the case - himself died in a car crash in San Antonio last weekend: https://apnews.com/article/texas-ice-shooting-martinez-orta-death-eef234709ecea98a9fabaafefb656c07 Texts asking for "sexy pics" and suggesting sexual acts sent by Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales to staffer Regina Santos-A...
Feb 24, 2026•10 min
Marcos Vélez of the Houston area is a longtime union leader and Texas AFL/CIO endorsed candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor - our enlightening talk with Marcos with highlights a broad range of important aspects of the changing world in which working Texans find ourselves. Early primary voting is underway now through Friday February 27th, and Election Day is Tuesday March 3. Learn more about Marcos Vélez and his campaign at https://velezfortexas.com/. Thanks for listening! Learn more about Pro...
Feb 23, 2026•16 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: With only six voting days remaining, Democratic early voting primary turnout continues far outpacing that of the Republicans: https://votehub.com/early-vote-tracker-tx-primary-26?state=tx-sen-26-dem ...All of this is great fun for Dems, but there are reasons to maintain objectivity and focus: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/is-something-happening-in-texas ...Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Dr. Allison Campolo credits new Texas Democrat...
Feb 23, 2026•9 min
Texas Democrats have put up a bumper crop of quality statewide candidates in the 2026 midterm, and among them, Houston's Savant Moore stands out - Army veteran, Howard graduate, Houston ISD trustee (and classroom teacher!) - this is a guy who has contributed to his country and community at a truly exemplary level, and seeks to continue that service as Texas Comptroller. Learn more about Savant Moore and his campaign at https://www.savantmoore.com/ . Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progres...
Feb 20, 2026•20 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Almost a year ago, a 23 year old U.S. citizen from San Antonio was killed by ICE agent in south Texas - and it took investigative work from Newsweek to uncover that federal involvement: https://www.newsweek.com/ice-agent-fatally-shot-us-citizen-texas-dhs-records-11544225 The Trump administration is set to sidestep 28 federal regulations in order to build over 100 miles of "smart wall" along the border areas in Big Bend National Park: https:...
Feb 20, 2026•8 min
Chris managed not to get kicked out of the Senate Gallery at the Texas State Capitol long enough to see Taylor Rehmet become the first Democrat sworn in to represent Tarrant County's 9th Senate district since shoulder pads were hot. Early voting has shown Democratic voters in Texas fired up to hit the polls - but it's still gonna be an uphill battle. Lots more to talk about, and we do, on this week's weekly weekend roundup. Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can su...
Feb 20, 2026•31 min
As early voting in the primary gets underway, another Texas candidate running for the Texas State House, in this case for the seat representing HD 50 - the space made by James Talarico as he runs for the U.S. Senate. Samantha Lopez Resendez is an RGV native and longtime staffer at the Capitol, notably in the office of State Rep. Donna Howard. Learn more about Samantha Lopez Resendez at https://www.samanthafortexas.com/ . Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can suppo...
Feb 19, 2026•24 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The first two days of early voting have seen a near-doubling of the 2022 pace of Democratic primary voter turnout in Texas - but, with only a 20% jump, Republicans still lead in total ballots cast: https://votehub.com/early-vote-tracker-tx-primary-26?state=tx-sen-26-dem Keeping it real and local appears to have been the secret sauce for "normie" Tarrant County candidate Taylor Rehmet, providing a potential winning strategy statewide for Dem...
Feb 19, 2026•9 min
On Presidents’ Day in Dallas, Next Generation Action Network kicked off Social Justice Week 2026 with with a powerful conversation on what democracy truly means and who it is supposed to serve, at the John Lewis Social Justice Academy. In a time when rights are under attack, truth is being distorted, and power is being challenged, the community came together to have a real conversation about reclaiming power and democracy. This is a great panel featuring Progress Texas Institute Board Chair and ...
Feb 18, 2026•1 hr 21 min
Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Last night's debate between Republicans seeking to replace Ken Paxton as attorney general was an unbridled hate-fest, targeting Muslim Texans, Black Texans, and liberal Texans: https://republicanags.com/news/texas-attorney-general-the-2026-republican-primary-debate/ Right-leaning fear and hate have risen in Frisco, where Indian immigrants have become a popular target for conservatives: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/17/texas-attorney-...
Feb 18, 2026•10 min
