Texas Take

On this episode of the Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace asks Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton about taking a European vacation as conservatives, like TV host Jesse Watters, blast him for not being more visible this summer. “Where’s Paxton?” the Fox News host said on Wednesday just before Paxton took the stage in Houston for his first big rally in Texas' largest city since winning the primary in May. Reporters Casey Murray and John Moritz join Wallace to break down how Paxton is trying to win over Republicans who supported Cornyn, while Democrat James Talarico dives into some of the most purple areas of the state. Plus, Democratic candidate for governor Gina Hinojosa stops by the show to warn Democrats that there is almost nothing stopping the GOP from eliminating more Black and Hispanic representatives from Congress and the Legislature if she doesn’t defeat Gov. Greg Abbott. Finally, while vacationing in Maine, Wallace stopped in Biddeford to see how the community is responding to an ICE shooting that happened just days after a similar incident in Houston’s East End.

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On this episode of Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace examines the fatal ICE shooting of an unarmed Houston construction contractor that has reignited debate over immigration enforcement, transparency and accountability in Texas. Jeremy speaks with U.S. Representative Sylvia Garcia and Houston Chronicle reporter Julian Aguilar about the conflicting accounts of the shooting, the calls for an independent investigation, similarities to the shooting in Maine, and the broader political fallout. He also breaks down the renewed effort by Texas Republicans to ban THC products after Governor Greg Abbott’s vetoed their ban last year. Plus, a rare public campaign stop from Senate candidate Ken Paxton shows how he’s going to use a classic GOP line of attack in his battle against Democratic challenger James Talarico in one of the hottest races in the nation.

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On this episode of Texas Take, Jeremy Wallace is joined by Texas Politics Reporter Haajrah Gilani, Chief Politics Reporter John C. Moritz and reporter Isaac Yu to unpack a week of political reversals. They discuss why Texans are being pulled into the Graham Platner controversy in Maine, why Gov. Greg Abbott is handing the comptroller’s office to former rival Don Huffines, and how the Dallas RNC convention could shape Ken Paxton’s tightening race against James Talarico.

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This week on the Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace is joined by Austin American-Statesman’s John Moritz to break down the Texas Democratic convention in Corpus Christi and James Talarico’s big test as a potential new face of the party. The episode also features an exclusive interview with U.S. Sen. Cory Booker on Democratic tensions over Israel and Gaza, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro on ICE detentions across Texas. Finally, Wallace and Moritz dig into the fallout from ICE detaining a nun in McAllen and what it could mean for U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz’s South Texas reelection fight. And there’s no way to do a show partly from Corpus Christi without some Selena and Robert Earl Keen tunes.

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Can the party the says it believes in freedom of religion also ban people from worshiping how they want? That’s exactly the line Texas Republican Party is trying to walk. On this week’s Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace pushes one of the leaders of the anti-Islam push in Texas, Alan Schoolcraft, about his claim this isn't about religion.

The Democrat running to lead the biggest county in Texas isn’t buying it. Harris County Judge candidate Letitia Plummer, a Muslim, joins the Take for an exclusive interview to explain how the GOP's latest culture war won’t distract her from what she says is the real work of dealing with affordability and public safety.

"When people are having culture wars, we are bringing hope," Plummer says.

Plus, D’rinda Randall, fresh off her victory to become the new chair of the Republican Party of Texas stops by the show for an exclusive 1-on-1 interview to talk about her plan for fixing how the state party operates. And yes, we have elephants peeing and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick in more leather than you’ve ever seen him. Reporters John Moritz and Haajrah Gilani join this week’s episode.

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James Talarico is getting an unexpected boost from shifting political winds in South Texas and Houston as he seeks to become the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas in over 30 years. National Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha and Houston Chronicle reporter John Lomax join Texas Take host Jeremy Wallace to explain it all. But Talarico faces hurdles too, specifically a looming $100 million problem. Reporter Benjamin Wermund joins the program to explain how Gov. Greg Abbott's huge campaign war chest could become a valuable resource for Republican Ken Paxton as he looks to fend off Talarico in the U.S. Senate race. And red alert, we are just 5 months away until Election Day and 3 months from the first absentee ballots going out.

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On this episode of Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace breaks down a primary night that ended major Texas political careers, including Sen. John Cornyn’s long run in statewide office. Joined by Gromer Jeffers of The Dallas Morning News and John Moritz of the Austin American-Statesman, Wallace digs into Ken Paxton’s victory, MAGA’s strength in Texas, and what Democrat James Talarico would need to do to compete in November. The episode also looks at other major runoff results and the generational shift reshaping Texas politics.

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Is this U.S. Sen. John Cornyn’s last hurrah? Host Jeremy Wallace and Brad Johnson of the Texas Bullpen break down President Donald Trump's endorsement of Ken Paxton, including why he made it now, just days before the May 26 primary runoff, and how much trouble Cornyn is in. Plus, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz joins Wallace for an exclusive interview on his continued concerns over China, drawing a contrast with what Trump told Chinese Leader Xi Jinping. Finally, John Moritz of the Austin American-Statesman stops in to talk about why President Obama ordering tacos near UT Austin with James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa was such a big deal. And don't worry, Jeremy and John defend the honor of potato, egg and cheese tacos, no matter what the national media says.

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It’s time to vote again in Texas. With in-person early voting starting statewide on Monday, journalists Bayliss Wagner and John Moritz join host Jeremy Wallace to break down the hottest races on the runoff ballot. The whole nation is watching the state because what happens here could have a huge impact on which party ultimately controls the U.S. Senate for Donald Trump’s last two years in office. Has Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton done enough to knock out 24-year incumbent John Cornyn? Plus, Republican Chip Roy joins the program for an exclusive interview about how he’s trying to overcome Mayes Middleton’s barrage of attack ads against him as he seeks to become the Republican nominee to replace Paxton in the attorney general’s office. The episode also highlights Wagner's reporting on elderly donors in Texas who say WinRed and ActBlue signed them up for repeated campaign contributions without their full understanding.

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On this episode of Texas Take, host Jeremy Wallace looks at how President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown is affecting Texas politics, Latino voters and families held at the Dilley detention facility. Houston Chronicle immigration reporter Julián Aguilar explains the cases of detained children and families, while Democratic strategist Laura Barberena breaks down how backlash over the crackdown could reshape South Texas congressional races. Plus, they’ll get into why Texas music star Kacey Musgraves is helping shine a bigger spotlight on it all with her new tour. Finally, after seeing Post Malone in a Texas-themed anti-litter ad, Wallace counts down the five best "Don’t Mess with Texas" ads in history. Sure, Willie Nelson is guaranteed to make the cut, but will George Strait, Matthew McConaughey, Warren Moon and Earl Campbell?

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