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Republican luminaries continue kvetching that in choosing Ken Paxton over John Cornyn, Texas GOP primary voters have endangered that seat for Republicans - but will lifelong rural conservatives, in the privacy of the voting booth, actually vote against him in favor of James Talarico? Karl Rove discovers that speaking up out of step with MAGA carries real-world complications. And, maybe some of those Texas Republicans - the ones who have developed an appreciation for cannabis products - will be swayed by Paxton's years and years of trying to stamp THC out of Texas.
The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/sep/27/republican-tillis-trump-paxton
Associated Press on new poll: https://apnews.com/article/rural-voters-trump-economy-midterms-healthcare-poll-8098dfa7a9534551203dfa4a8c27564c
Dallas Morning News: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/article/bo-french-jon-rosenthal-debate-22449614.php
Associated Press on Paxton record: https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/elections/2026/years-of-scandals-havent-stopped-ken-paxton-can-james-talarico-change-that/
Marijuana Moment: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/texas-gop-senate-candidate-ken-paxton-took-more-than-half-a-million-dollars-in-alcohol-industry-donations-while-opposing-cannabis-reform/
Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org.
Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexas
Progress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Find YOUR local station carrying In Progress, and make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative, at https://progresstexas.org/radio.
Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org
Here comes another TribFest talk that, in our opinion, clearly demonstrates the overall quality of the Democratic ticket this year. When you vote all the way down your ballot in a few weeks, these are some of the Democrats you have a chance to put into statewide office after 30 years of Republican stranglehold. Democratic nominees for Lt. Governor, State Comptroller and Railroad Commission - Vikki Goodwin, Sarah Eckhardt and Jon Rosenthal, respectively - are hosted here by Lauren McGaughey of the New York Times. Can a Democrat win Texas? We're about to find out.
Learn more about Vikki Goodwin at https://www.vikkigoodwin.com/.
Learn more about Sarah Eckhardt at https://www.saraheckhardt.com/.
Learn more about Jon Rosenthal at https://jonrosenthaltx.com/.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Great to be back at the historic Clay Pit in downtown Austin for another live podcast with our friends at the Asian Texans For Justice Action Fund last night! Thanks to BallotReady for presenting our event.
Who knew the job of County Judge could be this sexy? We heard from four genuine Texas political rock stars nominated for that key role in four of our state's most densely-populated counties on the challenges that lie ahead for those major urban areas, and specifically the role that Asian Texans - the fastest-growing group of Texas voters - will play in 2027 and beyond.
Learn more about Asian Texans For Justice Action Fund at https://www.atjactionfund.org/.Learn more about Commissioner Dexter McCoy of Fort Bend County at https://www.dextermccoy.com/.
Learn more about former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg of Bexar County at https://voteron.com/.
Learn more about former Houston City Councilwoman Dr. Letitia Plummer of Harris County at https://www.drletitiaplummer.com/.
Learn more about Commissioner Alisa Simmons of Tarrant County at https://votealisasimmons.com/.
Learn more about BallotReady at https://www.ballotready.org/.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Our adventures at TribFest 2026 continue with "The Battle For South Texas" - a panel hosted by Texas Tribune reporter Berenice Garcia, featuring congressional nominee Bobby Pulido and Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño on how the political realities in South Texas are changing - and how Latino voters in Texas have unique power in shaping the nation's future.
Learn more about Bobby Pulido and his campaign for Congress at https://www.bobbypulidofortexas.com/.
Learn more about Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño at https://www.cameroncountytx.gov/county-judge-eddie-trevino-jr/.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Both Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa gave major live interviews during the first day of the 2026 Texas Tribune Festival on Thursday. Donald Trump's suprise attendance at this weekend's Texas vs Tennessee football game is a pain for everyone, including the coaches, the players and the fans - though ticket prices have dropped considerably as a result. And two prominent MAGA Texas Tech leaders are suspected of misusing their official university titles in a fundraiser for Ken Paxton.
Talarico at TribFest: https://www.youtube.com/live/sn5BYAbOczQ
Houston Chronicle: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/abbott-ad-hinojosa-property-tax-22444137.php
Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/24/james-talarico-tribfest-2026/
Associated Press: https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/sports/ncaaf/sarkisian-communication-issues-trump-texas-tennessee/4082427/?amp=1
Knoxville News Sentinel: https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2026/09/24/tennessee-football-texas-ticket-prices-donald-trump-neyland-stadium-security/91919764007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z111808p115850l001550c115850e003500v111808d--72--b--72--&gca-ft=11&gca-ds=sophi
Texas Public Radio: https://www.tpr.org/news/2026-09-24/texas-tech-leaders-face-questions-over-their-role-in-ken-paxton-u-s-senate-race-fundraiser
Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfest
Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org.
Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexas
Progress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE.
Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org
We had one hell of a Day One at Tribfest 2026, capturing live talks with Gina Hinojosa (one click back) and James Talarico (coming shortly) - but we had to get an In Progress report in from the center of the action at Austin's Omni Hotel, where we enjoyed an unplanned pop-in from Congressman Greg Casar! Stay tuned for Day Two.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa was interviewed before a packed house at St. David's Episcopal Church in Austin this morning as TribFest 2026 got underway. She talked about ending corporate welfare in Texas, fully funding public education and ending high-stakes testing, economic populism, and - has an exciting fundraising update to share!
Our TribFest journey has just begun - stay tuned! Learn more at https://festival.texastribune.org/.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
A major DPS failure has left an unknown number of Texas voter registration applications and updates stranded for nearly a year, and the state has dumped tens of thousands of records onto already-overburdened county election offices just weeks before the election. Under pressure, counties must now sort and verify the backlog, while ensuring old or duplicate information doesn't overwrite newer voter records. As this DPS failure dates back to October of 2025 (at least), it may already have affected primary voters in March and May. With the scope still unknown and state assistance limited, this terribly-timed failure creates additional uncertainty and a heightened risk for administrative errors - in short, it's a trainwreck.
Texas Tribune: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/09/23/texas-voter-registration-application-failure-dps-elections-2026/
The New Republic: https://newrepublic.com/post/215767/error-unknown-number-texas-voter-registrations
ABC News: https://abcnews.com/amp/US/wireStory/state-error-texas-creates-huge-backlog-voter-registration-136701823
Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfest
Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org.
Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexas
Progress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE.
Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org
Pete Buttigieg, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation - known affectionately to many as “Mayor Pete" and already with early 2028 presidential buzz, traveled to North Texas over last weekend for the annual Johnson/Jordan Dinner to fire up the already hot-as-hell and motivated-as-hell Texas Democrats at the end of a scorching summer, in the most competitive position they’ve been in, going into a midterm in decades. Buttigieg spoke to elected officials, county chairs, precinct chairs, and activists, as well as our Executive Director Kathleen Thompson in a one-on-one, so stick around for that at the end!
Follow Pete Buttigieg at https://www.instagram.com/pete.buttigieg/?hl=en.
Thanks for listening! Learn more about Progress Texas and how you can support our ongoing work at https://progresstexas.org/.
An apparent error with a Texas Department of Public Safety online portal used since from 2020 to 2024 by around 6 million Texans - a full third of our entire voting electorate - has compromised the voter registration of an unknown number of Texans. It would appear that Ken Paxton has finally and fully chickened out of a debate with James Talarico. And as more details emerge in the ICE shooting in Austin of Wilber Rafael Garcés Pérez, the picture of what happened only becomes more complicated.
VoteBeat: https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/09/22/voter-registration-applications-unprocessed-dps-error/
WFAA Dallas: https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/ken-paxton-james-talarico-senate-debates/287-0588ef4a-f71f-46a2-8e12-c550f0a88b47
The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/09/austin-ice-shooting-body-camera/688738/
Austin American-Statesman: https://www.statesman.com/news/local/article/austin-ice-shooting-new-police-video-dhs-response-22444465.php
Join Progress Texas and BallotReady for another LIVE podcast recording session with Asian Texans For Justice during this year's TribFest in Austin! Sponsor and RSVP:https://act.progresstexas.org/a/atjtribfest
Confirm your registration and make your voting plan NOW at GoVoteTexas.org.
Check out the Substack version of the Daily Dispatch, which delivers each pod to your inbox and frequently includes extra video goodies: https://substack.com/@progresstexas
Progress Texas is now part of the lineups at KPFT-FM in Houston, Empower House Radio in San Antonio, and KZSM True Community Radio in San Marcos! Make a tax-deductible contribution to our radio initiative HERE.
Find our web store and other ways to support our important work at https://progresstexas.org
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