Tag Archives: Senate

Texas Pulse: Talarico 46, Paxton 46

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

New pollster alert. In an early look at November’s statewide races, State Representative James Talarico (D) is up three points over Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in the race for US Senate, while running for re-election Governor Greg Abbott (R) … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting for the next SOS

Posted on June 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Hoping they’re not terrible. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson’s unexpected departure only a few months before the November midterm election, which includes one of the most hotly contested U.S. Senate races the state has seen in years, has some local election officials and voting … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Paxton’s defense attorney endorses Talarico

Posted on June 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

More amusing than impactful, but still amusing. One of the lawyers who defended Attorney General Ken Paxton during his three-year-old impeachment trial endorsed Democrat James Talarico Monday in Texas’ U.S. Senate race. Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney who represented Paxton in … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

National Dems to help target Texas House seats

Posted on June 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Keep it up. National Democrats on Wednesday unveiled their most ambitious list of targets in the Texas House in years, adding a dozen districts, on top of three previously announced seats, to their battleground docket for the fall midterms. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Jane Nelson stepping down as Secretary of State

Posted on June 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

She was pretty mid at the job, and yet she was almost certainly the best we could have hoped for as long as Greg Abbott gets to pick. Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Tuesday she will resign effective … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

As goes Hood County

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

So goes the battle to have some control over data centers. This is just the beginning of the data center revolution in Hood County, a rural community of 62,000 people about an hour southwest of Fort Worth. Developers have proposed eight … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Paxton divorce trial canceled

Posted on June 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Bummer, at least for those of us who would have enjoyed a spectacle. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, have canceled their scheduled divorce trial just weeks before it was set to begin. According … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fighting back on multiple fronts

Posted on June 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I approve. The top Democrats on three U.S. House committees are going after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing him of ignoring consumer complaints about the Republican organization WinRed’s online fundraising tactics, while filing a lawsuit against the site’s Democratic … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

TPOR: Talarico 47, Paxton 44

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is a slightly weird one. Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) today released a new poll of likely Texas general election voters, surveying their attitudes on the 2026 races for U.S. Senate, Governor, and Attorney General. The survey of 1,670 … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TPOR: Talarico 47, Paxton 44

The Fifth Circuit keeps on doing its thing

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Item one: Texas’ app age verification law allowed to go into effect for now. Texas’ law requiring app marketplace operators like Google and Apple to verify all users’ ages and seek parental permission before minors can download apps or make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Fifth Circuit keeps on doing its thing

Endorsement watch: For Talarico, obviously

Posted on June 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron wastes no time in making their Senate preference known. The contest is set. The storyline, straight out of Hollywood. It’s as if, as President Donald Trump likes to say, the candidates came from central casting. An avowed lout … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on Endorsement watch: For Talarico, obviously

Another case for Talarico’s chances

Posted on May 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Nate Cohn in the NYT: After a decade of big talk from Democrats about Texas, it’s understandable that people could harbor some doubt about flipping the nation’s largest red state. Judging by presidential election results, Democrats barely made any … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

UnidosUS poll of Latino voters as we head to the midterms

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Lots here to think about. One in five Latino Texans who voted for President Donald Trump in 2024 would not support him again if given a redo, according to a new poll released Wednesday. In a survey of 500 registered … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on UnidosUS poll of Latino voters as we head to the midterms

Talarico’s path to victory

Posted on May 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s the pitch. In the end, James Talarico and Democrats got the matchup they had been salivating over for months. Within two hours of Ken Paxton’s GOP primary win on Tuesday, Talarico had hauled in $600,000 — the strongest two … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Some early thoughts about the 2026 primary runoffs

Posted on May 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

A few of my thoughts and a few from other people… – There were 114,059 votes cast in the Democratic runoff in Harris County, with 552,678 in the Lite Guv race. (There’s no way I can see to get the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Primary runoff results: Statewide

Posted on May 27, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This was a total anti-climax. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated veteran U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP runoff Tuesday, toppling the four-term incumbent in a fierce duel that centered on who was more loyal to President Donald Trump. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Primary runoff results: Statewide

Today is Runoff Day for the 2026 primaries

Posted on May 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m basically going to rerun my post from the start of early voting, because it’s the same information with the main difference being that there are more vote centers. Turnout during early voting was pretty good in context, with more … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Today is Runoff Day for the 2026 primaries

Final EV totals for the 2026 primary runoffs

Posted on May 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the Chron: The state’s red-hot Republican primary battles have ignited higher-than-usual voter turnout. Going into Friday, the last day of in-person early voting ahead of Tuesday’s runoff elections, almost 800,000 people had voted in the Democratic and Republican primary … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Final EV totals for the 2026 primary runoffs

Paxton on a social media suing spree

Posted on May 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

He sued Discord on Friday. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing online messaging platform Discord, accusing the tech company of exposing children to predators using the service and deceiving users about the safety of the platform. Paxton filed the … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Paxton on a social media suing spree

Some Republicans say they disapprove of Trump’s endorsement of Paxton

Posted on May 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Time to put on our Susan Collins Is Very Concerned faces. President Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate primary set off panic among Republicans who worry that keeping the seat will now be a more expensive and potentially … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

One crook endorses another

Posted on May 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Took his time doing it, too. President Donald Trump on Tuesday endorsed Ken Paxton in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas, ending over a year of furious lobbying and giving the attorney general a significant boost in his … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

TSU poll: Talarico tied with Paxton, one point behind Cornyn

Posted on May 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Time for another poll. A new Texas Southern University survey suggests the race for U.S. Senate in Texas could be far tighter than many voters may expect heading into the November election. Early voting for the Texas primary runoff elections … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Texas’ 2023 anti-immigrant law blocked again

Posted on May 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s hope this injunction lasts longer. A Texas law that would allow state and local police to arrest people suspected of having crossed the southern border illegally is once again halted, a day before it was supposed to take effect. … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas’ 2023 anti-immigrant law blocked again

Republican panic update

Posted on May 9, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, my. Texas Republicans are once again sounding alarm bells about the state’s U.S. Senate seat, saying that if Republicans nominate state Attorney General Ken Paxton in the May 26 primary runoff, it will create a drag on the entire Texas GOP ticket. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

New UH/Hobby poll has Paxton beating Cornyn in the Senate runoff

Posted on May 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

As long as they keep beating each other up, it’s all good. Attorney General Ken Paxton leads Sen. John Cornyn by three percentage points in a new poll of Texas’ U.S. Senate Republican runoff, suggesting the May 26 contest will … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New UH/Hobby poll has Paxton beating Cornyn in the Senate runoff

ACLU files another lawsuit against 2023 Texas anti-immigrant law

Posted on May 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, ACLU, and the Texas Civil Rights Project have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction to block several provisions of Senate Bill 4 (88-4) from going into effect May … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra, Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on ACLU files another lawsuit against 2023 Texas anti-immigrant law

What to expect with redistricting in Texas in 2027

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s too soon to say. “When the U.S. Supreme Court rules in the Louisiana v. Callais case that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional, Texas will take up redistricting again (Congressional, Texas Senate and Texas House),” Rep. … Continue reading →

Posted in That's our Lege | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on What to expect with redistricting in Texas in 2027

Ligon wins SD04 special election

Posted on May 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. The only question was by how much. He was up 75-25 in early voting and was at that margin with a bit over half of the precincts reporting, running ahead of the Trump 2024 margin. I had … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ligon wins SD04 special election

Today is Election Day for the SD04 special election

Posted on May 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: Election Day for the May 2, 2026, Special Election to fill the vacancy in Texas Senate District 4 is tomorrow. The district includes all of Chambers County and portions of Galveston, Harris, Jefferson, and Montgomery counties. There … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Today is Election Day for the SD04 special election

Texas Politics Project poll: Talarico leads again

Posted on May 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s becoming a trend. Democrat James Talarico leads both Republicans vying to face him in the November U.S. Senate contest, according to a new poll released Wednesday. Talarico led U.S. Sen. John Cornyn 40% to 33% in a potential matchup, and held … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas Politics Project poll: Talarico leads again

TPOR poll: Talarico leading both Cornyn and Paxton

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This will never get old. Democratic state Rep. James Talarico is leading both of his prospective Republican opponents in a new poll of Texas’ U.S. Senate race — though the result is within the margin of error in either scenario, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early voting for the May 16 District C runoff starts today

Posted on April 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s now time for Election #2 of 3 in the month of May. This one is the runoff for Houston City Council District C, between Joe Panzarella, who led with about 33% of the vote in April, and Nick Hellyar, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Early voting for the May 16 District C runoff starts today

Some insight into Ken Paxton’s finances

Posted on April 27, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. In 2019, hostile attorneys questioned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton about his conduct as a lawyer: Had he turned over a former client’s communications to an attorney suing that client? Paxton acknowledged that he had, one of the nuggets … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Some insight into Ken Paxton’s finances

Some poll news and other tidbits

Posted on April 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Somos Votantes: Today, Somos Votantes released new polling data showing Latino voters in key states and districts are rejecting President Trump and Republicans ahead of the 2026 midterms, driven by mounting economic pain, widespread disapproval of Republican’s tariff and healthcare policies, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment