Tejano Talks

There was never a pure taco. José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly's taco editor — the first at an American publication

Ralat has spent almost seven years tracing the origins of the best tacos. Lebanese immigrants brought a shawarma spit to Puebla and Mexicans adapted it into tacos árabes, then al pastor. Japanese and Mexican fishermen worked out the Baja fish taco together, tempura batter and all. Korean tacos came from Koreans and Mexicans living side by side in California. For his newest list he covered 14,000 miles and 437 taquerías to pick 25 of the best new or improved in Texas.

Hiram and Domingo sit down with José R. Ralat to argue flour versus corn, explain why burritos are tacos, and make the case that a French tire company has no business telling Texas what tastes good.

José R. Ralat’s work at Texas Monthly:
https://www.texasmonthly.com/contributors/jose-r-ralat/


🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• Texas Has Two Supreme Courts. You’ve Never Heard of This One:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMnEN8wIku8&t=8s
• Can Ericka Ledferd Fix Our Schools?:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m0_hNj6KcSk&pp=ugUEEgJlbg%3D%3D

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IN THIS EPISODE

— Why nearly every taco he traces turns out to be a record of somebody else's migration
— How al pastor got from a shawarma spit in Puebla to a trompo in Monterrey
— What he judges first — the tortilla — and why "flour or corn" is a trick question
— What 14,000 miles and 437 taquerías cost him, including a shattered ankle
— His account of being stopped by ICE and by a state trooper on the same reporting trip
— The Michelin star a Mexico City taquería won and then lost
— "New Tejano" cuisine, the term he coined in 2024 — and why a Puerto Rican gets to define it

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome — Texas Monthly's taco editor
01:16 Seven years on the beat; 1,000 taquerías for the book
03:05 Judging a lonchera against fine dining
04:14 How to judge al pastor: trompo, adobo, the slice
04:41 Lebanese immigrants, tacos árabes, and the road to al pastor
05:54 "Nothing is perfect until Mexicans get a hold of it"
07:03 The Baja fish taco and Japanese tempura
08:02 Fajitas: the cut nobody wanted
09:35 A shattered ankle in Veracruz
11:45 14,000 miles, 437 taquerías, 25 spots
12:22 "I had a run-in with ICE"
15:57 The criteria: tortilla, filling, salsa, story
17:39 Flour or corn — the trick question
19:15 Tradition versus innovation
20:55 Burritos are tacos
22:38 Korean tacos and fusion that works
24:17 His favorites from the 25
29:02 Austin versus San Antonio breakfast tacos
33:01 Big Red and barbacoa on Sundays
34:17 Mesquite, marinades, store-bought tortillas
37:49 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
38:20 Taco trends: birria, ribeye, wagyu
41:11 The taquería that lost its Michelin star
45:00 Why a French tire company can't judge Texas
46:59 "New Tejano" cuisine, coined in 2024
50:18 Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and the gateway taco
52:49 The teacher who saw his breakfast tacos
56:26 Where to find José Ralat

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ABOUT THE GUEST

JOSÉ R. RALAT is the taco editor at Texas Monthly — the first job of its kind at an American publication. He is the author of American Tacos: A History and Guide (2020) and won James Beard Awards in 2022 and 2023 for his Tex-Mexplainer column. In 2024 he introduced the idea of "New Tejano" cuisine alongside the magazine's 50 Best Tacos in Texas list, and his most recent project is "The 25 Best New (Or Improved!) Taquerías in Texas." He serves on the advisory board of Foodways Texas. Originally from Puerto Rico, he lives in Oak Cliff, Dallas.

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #Tacos #TexasFood

"I was declared dead about 4 months ago," Domingo Garcia says. His Texas voter registration had been suspended, and he had to get it reinstated.
 
His isn't the only registration with a problem. More than 1.2 million Texas voters are on the state's voter suspense list, according to KERA News. October 5 is the last day to register or update your address for the November 3 election. Being on the list doesn't mean you can't vote — but check now, not on Election Day.
 
Hiram and Domingo sit down, just the two of them, to talk about what's on the Texas ballot this November: the race for U.S. Senate between James Talarico and Ken Paxton, the governor's race between Gina Hinojosa and Greg Abbott, the cost of living, and why both hosts say turnout — not persuasion — is what decides Texas elections.
 
Check your registration, find your polling place, and see voting dates:
https://www.votetexas.gov/
 
Registered online through a DPS driver's license transaction? A state error left tens of thousands of those applications unsent to counties. Confirm with your county elections office.
 
🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• "No Te Dejes": Gina Hinojosa on running for governor:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KzQWSZMkpo&t=84s
• Nathan Johnson Scored 67 Episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Now He's Running for Texas Attorney General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3r7EO2nHU&t=29s
 
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IN THIS EPISODE
— Why October 5 matters, and how to check whether your registration is current
— What the voter suspense list is, who ends up on it, and what to do if you're flagged
— Talarico vs. Paxton for U.S. Senate, and why the hosts say the race comes down to turnout
— Hinojosa vs. Abbott, and why Hiram and Domingo think the governor's race has tightened
— Gas, groceries, rent, health care: how the hosts connect the cost of living to the ballot
— Faith, values, and a direct appeal to young and conservative Latino voters
— Hiram's closing case: elections change when turnout changes, not when minds do
 
KEY DATES
Register or update your address: October 5
Early voting: October 19–30
Mail-ballot applications (eligible voters) must be received by: October 23
Election Day: November 3
 
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CHAPTERS
00:00 What's at stake on November 3
00:37 Step one: register by October 5
01:19 "I was declared dead": check your registration
01:52 Redistricting and the fight over who votes
02:58 "My vote doesn't count": the 2018 Senate margin
03:23 Talarico vs. Paxton for U.S. Senate
05:49 Why some Latino conservatives still back Paxton
06:49 Diesel, tariffs, and the cost of living
08:31 Big money in Texas elections
09:51 Hinojosa vs. Abbott: why the governor's race tightened
11:46 The rest of the ticket
12:41 How to vote early and find your polling place
13:41 A message to people who don't vote
15:11 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
15:26 Marijuana, health care, and "small government"
16:38 Faith, history books, and Matthew 25
20:42 "Republicans win on fear. Democrats win on hope."
22:03 Take nine people to vote with you
22:26 Why turnout, not persuasion, decides elections
 
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YOUR HOSTS
 
DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.
 
HIRAM GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.
 
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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS
Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.
 
Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.
 
Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.
 
#TejanoTalks #TexasVotes #RegisterToVote

"No power is ever given. It is always demanded." That's Matthias Early, running for the Texas House the same year his father runs for Congress. Also here: a city councilman chasing a newly redrawn open seat, Opal Lee's granddaughter taking Juneteenth to Congress, and a Houston broker betting on "purple" politics. Five Texas Democrats, live from the convention floor in Corpus Christi.

Justin Early for Congress (TX-31): votejustinearly.com
Matthias Early for Texas House (HD-20): votematthiasearly.com
Dan Barrios for Congress (TX-32): danbarriosforcongress.com
Dione Sims for Congress (TX-25): dionesimsforcongress.com
Melissa McDonough for Congress (TX-38): melissaforcongress.com

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CHAPTERS
00:00 Welcome: live from the Texas Democratic Convention, Corpus Christi
00:21 Justin Early and Matthias Early: a father and son, both on the ballot
01:08 ★ Justin Early on affordability and his run for Congress in TX-31
02:49 ★ Matthias Early: from pre-med to a run for the Texas House
05:56 Regulating AI, and who new data centers are targeting
09:59 The data-center fight in Hutto, Taylor, and Temple
11:36 Operation Lone Star, ICE, and the immigration question
14:43 Justin Early's military background, from Fort Bragg to the Pentagon
17:08 Two campaigns, one family — and demanding a seat at the table
21:27 ★ Dan Barrios: a Richardson city councilman running for the newly open TX-32
22:50 From an 82-vote loss in 2019 to Richardson City Council
23:31 Why TX-32 is now in play, after redistricting
25:08 Term limits, dark money, and the "Take Back Congress" platform
28:04 "Breakfast with Barrios": bringing government back to the people
31:48 Meet the opponent — and a challenge to debate
34:27 ★ Dione Sims: Opal Lee's granddaughter, running for TX-25
35:37 Juneteenth, and the history most Texans were never taught
38:09 Mexico, slavery, and the Underground Railroad South
40:33 Redistricting, and why she decided to run herself
42:10 Coalition-building, and her first days in Congress
45:42 Getting Juneteenth passed: a case study in coalition-building
47:27 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
47:46 ★ Melissa McDonough: from professional flutist to candidate for TX-38
51:11 30 years in real estate, and why she calls Congress "checks and balances"
54:29 "Who are you working for?" — accountability and corporate money
57:50 "Backward town halls": McDonough's listening tours across the district
1:00:47 Purple politics, and talking with disenfranchised Latino voters
1:03:38 A border tour, SpaceX complaints, and a 400-page bill that stalled
1:06:05 Closing: five races, one election on November 3rd

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THE CANDIDATES

Justin Early (TX-31): Army veteran (Fort Bragg, Pentagon) and Dell cybersecurity architect. Faces Rep. John Carter (R).

Matthias Early (HD-20): Justin's son, former EMT and ER tech, studied political science at UT Arlington. Faces Rep. Terry Wilson (R).

Dan Barrios (TX-32): Richardson City Council member since 2023, running for an open, newly redrawn seat. Faces Jace Yarbrough (R).

Dione Sims (TX-25): Granddaughter of Dr. Opal Lee, co-producer of Juneteenth Fort Worth since 2015, founder of Unity Unlimited. Faces Rep. Roger Williams (R).

Melissa McDonough (TX-38): 30-year real estate broker, running for the seat Rep. Wesley Hunt left open to run for the Senate. Faces Jon Bonck (R).

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DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer  in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS
Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia, blending cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. 

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Subscribe, and tell us in the comments which of these five races you'll be watching closest. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #TexasDemocrats #Election2026

Holly Taylor is running for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. It's the highest criminal court in Texas, and most voters have never heard of it. 

The Texas Supreme Court handles civil cases. This one has the final word on criminal convictions in the state, including death penalty cases.

Taylor has worked on both sides of the system. She spent 17 years as a Travis County prosecutor. Then she joined the Conviction Integrity Unit where she reviewed cases for wrongful convictions, including one that helped free a woman after more than 20 years in prison. "I actually had worked to put this person behind bars," she says, "only to find out later that she was completely innocent." 

Today she's a defense attorney.

Hiram and Domingo sit down with Holly Taylor, Democratic candidate for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9, to talk about what it looks like to reopen a case you won, why she says a wrongful conviction creates two injustices instead of one, and what she means by "smart on crime."

Holly Taylor's campaign:
https://www.hollytforjudge.com/

🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• Texas is sitting on $28 Billion in won't spend, Sarah Eckhardt for Texas Comptroller:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNk55x1O3l8
• Can Ericka Ledferd Fix Our Schools?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0_hNj6KcSk


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IN THIS EPISODE

— What the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals is, and why most voters have never heard of it
— Why Texas is one of only two states with two courts of last resort
— What a conviction integrity unit does — old evidence boxes, witnesses nobody called, science that has since changed
— The case she prosecuted herself, then worked to overturn when the evidence fell apart
— Why she argues a wrongful conviction creates a second injustice, not just one
— "Smart on crime" versus "tough on crime," and what she says the difference buys you
— Judicial independence, and why she says it matters who appoints Texas judges

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Who Holly Taylor is and what she's running for
00:44 What the Court of Criminal Appeals actually does
01:00 Why Texas has two high courts — and only Oklahoma does too
01:38 Free speech, digital privacy, and what's inside your phone
01:58 254 counties, 54,000 miles
02:32 25 years in criminal law, 17 as a Travis County prosecutor
03:09 Joining the conviction integrity unit
03:42 How a wrongful-conviction investigation actually works
05:05 The case she prosecuted — and later helped undo
07:18 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
07:38 Why she moved to criminal defense
08:19 How to reach the campaign
08:52 "No county is too red, no Texan is too conservative"
09:32 The second injustice — when the real predator walks free
10:09 "We need to be smart on crime"
10:56 Judicial independence and pressure on the courts
11:48 Vote November 3 — and go all the way down the ballot

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ABOUT THE GUEST

HOLLY TAYLOR is the Democratic candidate for Judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 9, facing Republican John Messinger in the November 2026 general election. She has practiced criminal law for more than 25 years. She is board certified in Criminal Appellate Law. She holds degrees from Rice, UT Austin School of Law, and the LBJ School. She and her husband John have four children who attended Austin public schools. She was the Democratic nominee for Presiding Judge of the same court in 2024.

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, and wherever you enjoy your podcasts.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #TexasCourts #WrongfulConviction

State Sens. Cesar Blanco and Royce West join Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia on Tejano Talks. Blanco on stopping the Big Bend border wall and El Paso's fight over AI data centers and water. West on 33 years in the Texas Senate, his Talarico endorsement, the body-camera law he authored. Domingo Garcia tells of how he was declared dead and purged from Texas voter rolls.

🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• Jon Rosenthal on Fixing the Texas Railroad Commission:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQKpsZBECA&t=77s
• Sarah Eckhardt for Texas Comptroller:
[PASTE FULL WATCH URL ON THIS LINE — CONFIRM LIVE BEFORE PUBLISHING]

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IN THIS EPISODE

— Why the Trump administration is building a border wall through Big Bend National Park, and the bipartisan pushback it's drawn
— AI data centers, water use, and the fight over Meta's data center in El Paso
— Sen. Royce West on the body-camera law that changed Texas policing, and 33 years representing Dallas in the Texas Senate
— Building political coalitions "based on interest, not race"
— The stakes of Texas's 2026 elections — the U.S. Senate race, redistricting, and a wave of voter-roll purges
— How co-host Domingo Garcia was mistakenly declared dead by the Texas Secretary of State and purged from the voter rolls

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome: introducing State Sen. Cesar Blanco
00:41 Representing "the most beautiful part of Texas" — El Paso to Big Bend
01:23 The fight over the Big Bend border wall
02:31 Real border security vs. a wall that "doesn't work"
05:15 Protecting Big Bend's dark skies, ranches, and ecosystem
06:38 Winning back Latino voters who turned to Trump
07:28 Why economic policy, not immigration, is hurting Latino workers
10:02 The 2026 fight for West Texas: Cornyn, and the vacant TX-23 seat
13:15 AI data centers, water use, and the fight in El Paso
16:02 Looking ahead: insurance reform and broadband for West Texas
17:31 Chico's Tacos: the important questions
18:11 Closing: how to reach Sen. Blanco
19:08 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
19:42 Welcome: introducing State Sen. Royce West
20:36 33 years in the Texas Senate — and counting
21:38 From the DA's office to Austin: how he got here
22:24 Body cameras: the law that changed Texas policing
23:41 Racial profiling reports, and founding the University of North Texas at Dallas
25:10 Building coalitions "based on interest, not race"
26:38 Can Democrats win Texas in 2026? Talarico, Crockett, and the U.S. Senate race
31:54 Redistricting, a resigning Secretary of State, and "a legal army" for 2026
34:41 Domingo's own brush with a wrongful voter purge
36:21 Getting men back into the Democratic Party
37:47 Dallas Cowboys (obviously)
38:27 Closing: the barbershop, where politics happens

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ABOUT CESAR BLANCO

Cesar Blanco represents Texas Senate District 29 (El Paso and far West Texas, including the Big Bend region), sworn in for his third Senate term in January 2025. He previously served three terms in the Texas House (District 76, 2015–2021), including as Democratic Caucus whip and chairman of the House Border Caucus. A U.S. Navy veteran and UTEP graduate, he serves on the Senate committees covering business and commerce, health services, and natural resources and water.

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ABOUT ROYCE WEST

Royce West has represented Texas Senate District 23 (Dallas) since 1993 — the second-most senior member of the Texas Senate. A former Dallas County assistant district attorney, he authored the state's 2015 statewide police body-camera law and legislation strengthening racial profiling reporting requirements, and led the effort to establish the University of North Texas at Dallas and its law school, the first public law school in Dallas. He was the Democratic runner-up in the 2020 U.S. Senate primary.

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DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#BigBend #BorderWall #CesarBlanco #RoyceWest #TexasSenate #TexasPolitics #TexasElections2026 #TejanoTalks

Texas is sitting on $28 billion it won't spend. State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller, joins Tejano Talks to explain what the Comptroller actually does — and why she says Austin is "stuffing money in a mattress" instead of investing in Texans.

Hiram and Domingo talk with Eckhardt — former prosecutor, Travis County Commissioner, and first woman elected Travis County Judge — about the $28B Economic Stabilization Fund, Texas refusing Medicaid expansion, the paused HUB certification program, and her Republican opponent Don Huffines in the November 2026 general election.

Learn more or get involved: saraheckhardt.com

🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• Nathan Johnson on Running for Texas Attorney General:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3r7EO2nHU
• Jon Rosenthal on Fixing the Texas Railroad Commission: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQKpsZBECA

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IN THIS EPISODE

— What the Texas Comptroller's office actually does — tax collection, state purchasing, revenue certification, and more
— The $28 billion Economic Stabilization Fund ("rainy day fund"), and Eckhardt's case for spending some of it now
— Texas's decision not to expand Medicaid, in a state with the highest uninsured rate in the country
— The Comptroller's Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certification program, paused amid controversy and litigation
— Meet Don Huffines: his business background, his 2022 primary challenge to Gov. Abbott, and his ownership of Jeffrey Epstein's former New Mexico ranch
— Why Eckhardt says down-ballot races like Comptroller matter as much as the top of the ticket

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome: introducing State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt
00:47 From prosecutor to county commissioner to Travis County Judge
01:51 Six years in "the heart of darkness": Dan Patrick's Senate
03:48 The first woman elected Travis County Judge
05:22 What does the Texas Comptroller actually do?
07:14 The $28 billion Rainy Day Fund Texas won't spend
09:44 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
10:04 One-party rule, pay-to-play, and no-bid contracts in Austin
13:36 Meet Don Huffines, her Republican opponent
14:38 Huffines and Jeffrey Epstein's former ranch
16:37 "DOGE-ing" the Comptroller's office
17:33 Crony capitalism after 27 years of one-party rule
18:22 How to get involved, and why the down-ballot vote matters

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Sarah Eckhardt represents Texas Senate District 14 (Austin/Travis County), where she has served since 2020. Before the Senate, she served five years as Travis County Judge — the first woman ever elected to that role — after eight years as a Travis County commissioner and eight years as an assistant county attorney. She holds a J.D. and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin. She is the Democratic nominee for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts in the November 2026 general election. Learn more: saraheckhardt.com

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.


HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.


Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TexasComptroller #SarahEckhardt #DonHuffines #TexasPolitics #RainyDayFund #TexasDemocrats2026 #TexasElections #TejanoTalks

Get to know Ericka Ledferd, a candidate for Texas State Board of Education, in this exclusive interview on Tejano Talks.

Fifteen people set the curriculum standards for every public school in Texas. Most voters can't name one. Ericka Ledferd who wants one of those seats. She is a mom, a twelve-year classroom teacher, and the candidate in District 9 — and on what she says is happening to Tejano, Black and Native history in Texas textbooks: "They are completely erasing."

The board is nine Republicans to six Democrats, and she says three seats is all it would take: "We only need three Democrats and we flip them."

Hiram and Domingo sit down with Ericka Ledferd — a mom, a twelve-year classroom teacher, and a candidate for the Texas State Board of Education — to talk about what the board actually controls, what she says is being cut out of Texas history books, where she stands on privatization and AI in schools, why the race at the bottom of your ballot may be the one that reaches your kid first — and, in Spanish, where her accent comes from.

Ericka Ledferd's campaign:
https://www.ledferd4texas.com/

🎙️ More Tejano Talks:
• Texas Is the 8th Largest Economy — So Why Is It Last in Health Insurance?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQnKL-WQTJc
• Nathan Johnson Scored 67 Episodes of Dragon Ball Z. Now He's Running for Texas Attorney General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3r7EO2nHU

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IN THIS EPISODE

— What the State Board of Education actually does — and why most voters can't name the person holding their district's seat
— The three-seat math: how a 9–6 board becomes a different board
— Her three pillars, in her words: privatization, the AI era, and curriculum "rooted in real opportunity"
— Why she says Tejano, Black and Native contributions are being cut out of Texas textbooks
— What twelve years in a Texas classroom shows you that a policy briefing does not
— The Spanish-language exchange about her accent, and where she's originally from
— The down-ballot problem — the race people skip on the way to the top of the ticket
— What parents can do before November 2026

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Who Ericka Ledferd is and what she's running for
00:42 "Number one, I'm a mom" — why she's running
01:20 Her three pillars: privatization, AI, curriculum
01:53 On what's being cut from Texas history books
02:26 "We only need three Democrats and we flip the board"
03:06 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
03:25 What she says has hurt Texas kids most
04:05 Domingo asks about her accent — "I immigrated from Argentina"
04:56 What the State Board of Education actually does
05:31 Go down the ballot — the race voters skip
05:48 How to reach the campaign

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ABOUT THE GUEST

ERICKA LEDFERD is a candidate for the Texas State Board of Education in District 9. She taught for twelve years at Royse City ISD, where she taught dual credit courses and served as ESL testing coordinator and director. She has also worked with East Texas A&M's TRIO Programs, Baptist Immigration Centers, and SMU's Upward Bound program, and brings more than fifteen years of board experience with community organizations. She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in Spanish literature. She and her husband David have three children who attend or have attended Texas public schools. She is originally from Argentina.

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.  @abogadodomingo  

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, TikTok, and wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #TexasEducation #SBOE

People froze to death in Texas during Winter Storm Uri — and it was preventable. 

Jon Rosenthal, the only mechanical engineer in the Texas Legislature and a 25-year oil field engineer, explains how weatherizing natural gas facilities would have kept the power on, why Texans are still paying for Uri years later, and why he's running to fix the Texas Railroad Commission.

Hiram and Domingo sit down with Rosenthal to talk about what the Railroad Commission actually does (it doesn't regulate railroads — it regulates oil and gas), why he says it's "owned by industry," his plan to mandate weatherization and make AI data centers bring their own power and water — and his race against Republican Bo French, whose social media poll asking whether Jews or Muslims pose a bigger threat to America drew public condemnation from Texas Republican leadership, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Learn more or get involved: jonrosenthaltx.com

🎙️ More from Tejano Talks:
• Gina Hinojosa's Fight to Be Texas's First Latina Governor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KzQWSZMkpo&t=64s
• Nathan Johnson, The Dragonball Z composer Running for Texas Attorney General: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL3r7EO2nHU

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IN THIS EPISODE

— What the Texas Railroad Commission actually regulates (hint: it's not railroads)
— How the statewide grid failure during Winter Storm Uri still hasn't been fully fixed, and who's paying for it
— Why a 25-year oil field engineer says Texas energy policy needs an engineer in the room, not just industry lobbyists
— The documented, widely-reported controversy surrounding his Republican opponent, Bo French — who Rosenthal says won his primary on "a campaign of hate"
— AI data centers, and Rosenthal's plan to make them provide their own power and water
— How Rosenthal plans to win a statewide race for "an office a lot of people wouldn't touch"

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Welcome: introducing Jon Rosenthal
00:40 What does the Railroad Commission actually do?
01:36 25 years as an oil field engineer, now the Legislature's only mechanical engineer
02:09 The 2018 upset: defeating a 24-year Republican incumbent
02:29 Winter Storm Uri: the freeze that killed Texans
03:47 Why the grid still isn't fixed — and who's paying for it
06:11 An industry-owned commission vs. one that works for Texans
06:48 Meet the opponent: Bo French
09:40 The poll, the rhetoric, and why Republicans are alarmed too
10:04 Zombie wells and West Texas Republicans who want real regulation
10:34 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
10:44 AI data centers: who pays for the power and water
12:50 The statewide game plan: rural Texas and energy workers
14:16 Talking to Democrats who fear losing their energy jobs
17:56 Closing: get informed, get involved

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Jon Rosenthal represents Texas House District 135 (Cypress and northwest Harris County) and is not seeking reelection to focus on his campaign for Texas Railroad Commissioner. A mechanical engineer with 25 years in the oil and gas industry — including work on drilling rigs, production platforms, pipelines, and chemical plants — he holds a graduate certificate in subsea engineering from the University of Houston. In 2018, he defeated a 24-year Republican incumbent to flip his district, and has since served four terms as the Legislature's only mechanical engineer and a recognized subject-matter expert on energy policy. He is the only Jewish member of the Texas Legislature. Learn more: jonrosenthaltx.com

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. We're here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

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Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We're on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TexasRailroadCommission #JonRosenthal #WinterStormUri #TexasPowerGrid #ERCOT #TexasPolitics #BoFrench #TejanoTalks #TexasOilAndGas #TexasBlackout

A Texas state representative’s base pay is $600 a month — the same as it was decades ago. These four Texans are running anyway.

At the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi, Hiram and Domingo sit down with four candidates for the Texas House — three first-time nominees and one incumbent — from four corners of the state: San Antonio, Austin, the Rockwall area, and Dallas. Different districts, different lives, same questions: why run, what’s broken, and what would you actually do in Austin?

MEET THE CANDIDATES (in order of appearance)

ADRIAN REYNA — House District 125, San Antonio (0:28)
A 15-year San Antonio ISD classroom teacher (8th-grade U.S. history), teachers-union leader, and AFL-CIO executive board member. Says he’s ready for the Capitol: "I’ve had 42 eighth graders in a classroom."
Learn More: voteadrianreyna.com

MONTSERRAT GARIBAY — House District 49, Austin (6:56)
Came to the U.S. as an undocumented child, became a citizen in 2012, taught bilingual pre-K for eight years, rose to first Latina secretary-treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO, and served in the U.S. Department of Education. Now the nominee for the Austin seat Gina Hinojosa is leaving.
Learn More: montserratfortexas.com

ORLANDO LOPEZ — House District 33, Rockwall area (29:53)
A construction project manager from the Rio Grande Valley ("we’re 956") running in a traditionally Republican district, with a wife who’s an educator and a daughter about to turn two. "I’m not pretending to be someone like them. I am someone like them."
Learn More: lopezfortxhd33.com

REP. VENTON JONES — House District 100, Dallas (38:16)
The incumbent, born and raised in Oak Cliff, seeking a third term. Vice chair of the Corrections committee, a leader in the Legislature’s LGBTQ caucus, and one of the members who broke quorum to Illinois in 2025.
Learn More: ventonfor100.com

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome from the Texas Democratic Convention
0:28 ADRIAN REYNA (HD125, San Antonio): the teacher ready for the Capitol
1:55 Vouchers, and what he says classrooms are losing
3:07 A history teacher on how Texas history gets taught
4:13 His first bills: school funding and the consent-law story
5:16 Uninsured Texans and the affordability crisis
6:20 How to join the Reyna campaign
6:56 MONTSERRAT GARIBAY (HD49, Austin): organizer at heart
7:32 An undocumented childhood, and citizenship in 2012
8:38 The pre-K funding fight that taught her to organize
9:51 First Latina secretary-treasurer of the Texas AFL-CIO
10:38 The call from Washington
12:12 Deciding to run for the Austin seat
14:25 4,000 doors and 15 pounds
16:32 "We won. We won more than 60%."
18:20 Her priorities: schools, housing, transportation, health care
21:13 Listening to UT students
22:38 Domingo, the DREAM Act, and what comes next
24:52 Identify, educate, mobilize
26:27 A former state rep’s warning about lobbyists
28:06 How to support the Garibay campaign
29:18 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
29:53 ORLANDO LOPEZ (HD33, Rockwall area): from the 956
30:47 Why he stepped up — a rally, and a daughter turning two
31:53 His pitch in a traditionally Republican district
33:00 A working family’s math
33:52 "Real Tejano values"
35:21 Schools closing, and what he’d do about it
36:48 How to join the Lopez campaign
37:39 One last question: Selena
38:16 REP. VENTON JONES (HD100, Dallas): the incumbent
38:55 Running for the ignored parts of Dallas
39:35 The quorum break, from inside
40:36 What the next session is really about
41:37 Corrections, immigration enforcement, and public safety
43:13 The 2026 ticket, from where he sits
44:25 Hope, ancestors, and LGBTQ Texans
46:12 "$600 a month": why they do it
46:29 Closing: get involved

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DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.

HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.

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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. 

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Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We’re on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #TexasPolitics #TexasHouse #TexasLegislature #2026Elections

"When Governor Richards was governor, we ranked seventh in the nation in education. Today, we rank 40th." That’s Vikki Goodwin’s case — and she says the fix starts with the most powerful job in Texas most voters never think about.

A four-term state representative from Travis County and a real estate broker by trade, Goodwin flipped a Republican-held seat in 2018 and is now the Democratic nominee for Texas Lieutenant Governor, challenging incumbent Dan Patrick on November 3. She has walked out of the state twice to break quorum — the second time to Chicago — and she’ll tell you exactly why.

Hiram and Domingo sit down with her at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi to talk about the school-board mom who got her into politics, what the lieutenant governor actually controls, her case on vouchers and school funding, the quorum breaks, data centers and the grid, and her housing agenda for a state where young people can’t picture owning a home.

Learn more about her campaign: goodwinfortexas.com

🎙️ More Texas politics:
• Nathan Johnson on Running for Texas Attorney General: [PASTE FULL WATCH URL ON THIS LINE]
• Gina Hinojosa on the Fight to Flip Texas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KzQWSZMkpo&t=56s


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IN THIS EPISODE

— Why she says the lieutenant governor — not the governor — holds the real power
— The school-board mom whose complaint became her daughter’s campaign
— Two quorum breaks, one bus to Chicago, and what it cost
— Her math on vouchers, charter schools, and your property taxes
— Data centers, water, and the billion dollars she says Texas gave away
— A real estate broker’s answer for the generation that can’t buy a home

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome: Rep. Vikki Goodwin (HD47)
0:53 The school-board mom who started it all
1:17 Flipping a four-term Republican seat
1:57 Why lieutenant governor: "the most powerful position in Texas"
2:30 Her case against Dan Patrick: vouchers and school funding
3:16 From 7th to 40th: her numbers on Texas schools
3:32 Health care: the uninsured and maternal mortality
4:17 Gerrymandering, and quorum break #1
5:12 Quorum break #2: the bus to Chicago
6:17 Vouchers, charters, and your property taxes
7:27 Immigration: "we are not treating people like humans"
9:28 A Texas plan for the uninsured — and telehealth
11:43 Ad: Domingo Garcia Law Firm
12:01 Data centers: water, incentives, and county authority
13:14 The grid, the freeze, and her renewables answer
14:29 A real estate broker’s housing agenda
15:49 Bullock memories, and the signs she sees for 2026
17:15 Winning back Latino voters
17:49 How to get involved
18:12 Closing: why the lieutenant governor matters

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Vikki Goodwin is the Democratic nominee for Texas Lieutenant Governor in the 2026 election. A state representative for House District 47 in Travis County since 2019, she flipped the seat in 2018, defeating a four-term Republican incumbent. A real estate broker and owner of Goodwin & Goodwin Real Estate, she holds a business degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s in public affairs from UT’s LBJ School. Her campaign centers on public school funding, health care coverage, water and infrastructure, and housing affordability. She faces incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick on November 3, 2026.

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HOSTS

DOMINGO GARCIA is a trial lawyer and one of the most important Latino political figures in Texas. He served on the Dallas City Council and, in 1993, became the first Latino ever elected Mayor Pro Tem of the city. In the Texas Legislature, he co-authored HB 1403 — the Texas DREAM Act. In 2006, he organized the largest march in Texas history, when more than 500,000 people filled downtown Dallas to demand immigration reform. He is a former national president of LULAC and has practiced law for more than 40 years.


HIRAM GILBERTO GARCIA is a journalist, producer, and public affairs strategist based in Austin. His frontline coverage of the 2020 protests drew wide local and national attention.


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ABOUT TEJANO TALKS

Tejano Talks is a podcast hosted by Domingo Garcia and Hiram Garcia that blends cultural conversation, political analysis, and interviews with notable voices in Texas and beyond. The show covers everything from Tejano culture and identity to current events, business, and career development. We’re here for Tejanos like us — to help you build wealth, honor your family, and make well-informed choices for your future.

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Subscribe, and tell us in the comments who you want to see on the show next. We’re on YouTube, Spotify, Instagram, and TikTok.

Views expressed by hosts and guests are their own.

#TejanoTalks #TexasPolitics #VikkiGoodwin #DanPatrick #TexasLtGov #TexasEducation