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What does the Texas agriculture commissioner do, and why should the race matter to families who have never set foot on a farm?

I sit down with Clayton Tucker, candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, to talk about rising grocery prices, the pressures facing farmers and ranchers, and concerns about what’s in our food.

We also discuss the rapid growth of data centers, their demands on Texas land and water, and what an agriculture commissioner could realistically do about it.

It’s a conversation about the future of Texas agriculture, but also about the choices that shape what ends up on our tables and what happens in our communities.

I’m working hard to bring the candidates and other news makers directly to you. You dont get these long form conversations in the 24 hour news cycle. Its done by independent media and journalists. If you can, become a paid subscriber today. It costs less than a gallon of diesel and it allows me to bring these important conversations and updates to you every day.

I grew up in deep red Lubbock, Texas. That background shapes the questions I ask now, especially when I talk with Texans who are reconsidering their relationship with the Republican Party.

Ahead of Together in Texas, I sat down with Ali Velshi , host of The 11th Hour on MS NOW and the network’s chief data reporter for the 2026 midterms. We talked about crossover voters and the gap some people see between the values they were taught to associate with conservatism and what their elected leaders are doing.

Our conversation also turned to the everyday issues Texans are facing, from the cost of living to agriculture, education, and data centers. For me, those issues belong in the same conversation as democracy and personal liberty. They’re part of how people decide whom they trust to represent them both at the state and the national level.Our authentic, accessible approach to the stories shaping our world are only possible because readers like you have decided that free and independent journalism is important enough to fund directly. If that matters to you, subscribe, upgrade, or send this to someone who needs to see it. Our work is YOUR work - covering stories in the public interest so you have a voice in the world we build together

InternalGOP data reported by the Quorum Report shows democrats leading republicans in Tarrant County, Texas by large margins. Tarrant County is a bellwether county and reflects broader trends in Texas mostly because it is the last urban/suburban county in Texas that remains under republican control.In 2024, Tarrant County was a +17 Trimp district but Quorum reports that democratic Senate candidate James Talarico now leads republican nominee Ken Paxton by +11. All told this represents as massive 28 point swing.The bad news for republicans doesn’t end there. Down ballot races also show wide margins for democrats.Gina Hinjosa leads Governor Greg Abbott by +9 points. 49-40Vicky Goodwin leads sitting Lt. Governor Dan Patrick by +3 points. 46-43As political analysts often say, As Tarrant county goes, so goes Texas and as Texas goes, so goes the nation.

I recently sat down with four women in Abilene, Texas, all of whom identify as republicans but say they plan to vote democratic down the ballot in the 2026 midterms.

Going into the conversation, I expected to hear a lot about why they had become dissatisfied with the Republican Party.

They spoke candidly about Donald Trump, Ken Paxton, and what they perceive as a growing culture of extremism, corruption, and disregard for the kind of character and integrity they once expected from Republican leaders.

But what struck me most was their excitement to talk about voting for James Talarico.

They described him as representing what they have been looking for in a political candidate: integrity, decency, clear values, and a sense of vision for what government and public service ought to be.

They found him refreshing.

And, perhaps more importantly, they saw him as an example of the kind of politics they want to support rather than simply an alternative to the politics they oppose.

These women don’t believe their own values have changed nearly as much as they believe the Republican Party has. But their political evolution isn’t simply a story about disillusionment with Trump or Paxton.

Throughout our conversation, they talked about character and integrity, and also about very practical concerns: the economy, the national debt, public education, school vouchers, healthcare, data centers, and what they see as an erosion of checks and balances in government.

And when they talked about Talarico, those issues became part of a larger conversation about what they want political leadership to look like.

These are not lifelong Democrats explaining why they oppose Republicans. They are longtime Republican voters in one of the most conservative areas of Texas, who are not only reconsidering the candidates they are willing to vote for, but in some cases reconsidering the political assumptions they have carried for years.

Four women cannot tell us what every Republican voter in Texas is thinking. But they can tell us that crossover voters exist, even in deeply Republican communities.

They offer an important reminder that those voters may not simply be motivated by anger at the party they are leaving. Sometimes they are genuinely excited about the candidate they are moving toward.

I wanted to give these women the space to explain that in their own words.

Watch the full conversation above, and then I’d genuinely like to hear from you.

If you’re in Texas — particularly if you have traditionally voted Republican — do their concerns sound familiar?

And just as importantly: what qualities are you looking for in the candidates you support now?

Leave a comment and tell me what you’re seeing in your own family, community, or part of the state.

If you found this conversation valuable, sharing it helps tremendously. I’m an independent, self-funded journalist, and every share helps this work reach people outside the usual political bubbles.

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Thank you for watching — and for being part of the conversation.