Tag Archives: Senate

Three Dem Congressional candidates lead in TSU polling

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: A new poll by Texas Southern University shows Tejano music star and TX-15 congressional candidate Bobby Pulido leading incumbent Monica De La Cruz 50% to 45% in a district Donald Trump won by 18 points in 2024. It is … Continue reading →

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

Talarico seeks to unseal Paxton depositions about his past security fraud charges

Posted on August 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is some Holy Grail stuff right here. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico’s campaign on Wednesday asked a court to unseal transcripts of a pair of years-old depositions given by his opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, as part of … Continue reading →

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

TPOR poll: Talarico 48, Paxton 42

Posted on August 28, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Expect these TPOR polls monthly now. Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR)—a nonpartisan polling initiative dedicated to exploring Texans’ beliefs and priorities—today released a new poll of likely Texas general election voters, focused on the 2026 statewide races, including the contests … Continue reading →

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

Drag ban ruled unconstitutional again

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe this time it’ll stick. Texas once again cannot enforce its restrictions on some public drag shows after a federal judge on Tuesday declared a 2023 law unconstitutional for the second time. U.S. District Judge David Hittner initially declared Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

UT/Texas Politics Project poll: Talarico 42, Paxton 39

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Back with more polls. A new poll from the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project shows 42% of registered voters surveyed would vote for Democratic state Rep. James Talarico if the election for the U.S. Senate were held today. That compares to 39% who would … Continue reading →

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

There will not be a special election in CD23

Posted on August 26, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This event of omission happened without any news story that I could find, so I’m going to start with a tweet. The election code dictates that if you must order a special election to be placed on the general election … Continue reading →

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

Don’t expect that Abbott data center “audit” any time soon

Posted on August 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Insert cliched expressions of shock here. The sweeping data center audit that Gov. Greg Abbott ordered earlier this month won’t be completed until late this year, potentially punting a politically volatile issue to after the November midterms. The Public Utility … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How many Congressional seats in Texas do Republicans really think they can flip now?

Posted on August 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Two recent articles on that topic. Number one, from the Chron: Texas Republicans’ controversial move last summer to redraw the state’s congressional maps with the aim of flipping five Democratic seats this fall may be complicated by President Donald Trump’s low approval … Continue reading →

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

SD22 special election set

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Not the one we’ve been waiting for. Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday set a special election to replace former Texas Sen. Brian Birdwell for Election Day after the five-term Granbury Republican resigned in May to serve as a U.S. assistant … Continue reading →

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

The empty audit

Posted on August 17, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From an empty suit. Tech companies are lining up to voice support for Gov. Greg Abbott’s audit of data centers seeking to connect to the power grid, although little is known about what the audit will entail or what it means for … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The empty audit

Emerson College poll: Paxton 47, Talarico 46

Posted on August 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Paxton’s best result in awhile. A new Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey of Texas likely voters finds the U.S. Senate race in a dead heat: 47% support Republican Ken Paxton, while 46% support Democrat James Talarico. Five percent are undecided, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Emerson College poll: Paxton 47, Talarico 46

Even Greg Abbott’s pollster thinks the Governor’s race is close

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Via Michael Adams-Hurta on Twitter, the most wild poll result so far this cycle may be this one. DATE: Tuesday, August 4, 2026 TO: Interested Parties FROM: Mitchell Brown, Partner & Pollster, Cygnal RE: Survey of n800 Likely General Election … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Even Greg Abbott’s pollster thinks the Governor’s race is close

Ken Paxton’s cell tower

Posted on August 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the “how did he get so rich on a government salary?” files. Over the course of Ken Paxton’s decade-long rise to prominence, through scandal and turmoil, questions about his finances have followed him. Opponents scrutinized his real estate holdings … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Ken Paxton’s cell tower

Texas Pulse poll: Talarico 47, Paxton 43

Posted on August 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The good poll results keep on coming. In the race for US Senate, State Rep. James Talarico, the Democrat, now leads Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican, by four points, 47-43%, from a tied race, 46-46%, in June, according to … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Texas Pulse poll: Talarico 47, Paxton 43

254 Labs poll: Talarico 48, Paxton 45

Posted on August 7, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: A new 254 Labs poll of the Texas U.S. Senate race, conducted July 15-31 among 1,001 registered voters, weighted to likely voter targets provided by 254 Labs, finds Democratic candidate James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton in … Continue reading →

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

Two South Texas stories

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Turns out that ICE raids aren’t so popular there either. Leaders within the construction industry in South Texas delivered a clear message to lawmakers: Stop the mass deportation of workers or risk losing in November. During a gathering Wednesday hosted … Continue reading →

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

TSU poll: Talarico 47, Paxton 45

Posted on August 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

That’s the headline, but this is the bulk of the story. Fewer than one in 10 Black voters in Texas say they are less likely to vote in November’s midterm elections due to U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett’s defeat in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on TSU poll: Talarico 47, Paxton 45

Fox News poll: Talarico 51, Paxton 48

Posted on August 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. President Donald Trump won the Lone Star state by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, but a new Fox News Poll of Texas registered voters suggests this year’s Senate race is far less settled. Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fox News poll: Talarico 51, Paxton 48

July 2026 campaign finance reports: Senate and Congress

Posted on July 31, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We have our finalized field for Congress, managing to avoid a catastrophic outcome in what is now one of the better-funded races, and we’re seeing a decent amount of activity across the board. The April 2026 reports are here, the … Continue reading →

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

TPOR poll: Talarico 45, Paxton 40

Posted on July 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

First poll in a month, it’s a solid one for James Talarico. The latest survey of the U.S. Senate race from Texas Public Opinion Research shows Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton, 45% to 40%, marking the Austin state … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Talarico’s data center plan

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Seems perfectly fine. Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico on Wednesday called for a broad set of tighter regulations on data centers in Texas, seizing on what has become a potential political liability for Republicans who until recently had embraced … Continue reading →

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

Of course Paxton got paid in the Sorsby saga

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

The sun rises in the east, Texas is hot in July, Ken Paxton is for sale, etc etc etc. Last month, Attorney General Ken Paxton waded into the explosive college football saga involving Brendan Sorsby, the Texas Tech University quarterback … Continue reading →

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

July 2026 campaign finance reports: State legislature

Posted on July 21, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

PREVIOUSLY: Statewide candidates As was the case with statewide candidates, I haven’t taken a close look at the finance reports for legislative races of interest so far, and for the same reason – there wasn’t much to say in January, … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on July 2026 campaign finance reports: State legislature

July 2026 campaign finance reports: Statewide candidates

Posted on July 20, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s July of an election year – which is to say, it’s July – so you know what that means: Campaign finance reports! You can just feel the excitement in the air, can’t you? I’m going to do a thorough … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on July 2026 campaign finance reports: Statewide candidates

A small bit of insight into the mind of Cornyn voters

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

What will they do? For months, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn battered each other in a nasty and expensive race for the Republican U.S. Senate nomination in Texas. Now that Paxton has emerged victorious, GOP leaders from … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A small bit of insight into the mind of Cornyn voters

New SOS appointed

Posted on July 18, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

He’s some guy. Robert Howden, a senior adviser to Gov. Greg Abbott, will be Texas’ interim secretary of state, Abbott announced Friday. Howden is a longtime Texas politico who worked for GOP governors going back to Bill Clements, serving as … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on New SOS appointed

Complaint filed against Paxton for alleged illegal voting

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Love the move, don’t expect anything to come of it. The Collin County Democratic Party filed a formal complaint Tuesday against Attorney General Ken Paxton, accusing him of violating state law for the past two years by reporting the wrong … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Complaint filed against Paxton for alleged illegal voting

A brief reminder about Ken Paxton

Posted on July 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s not forget that the main thing about Ken Paxton is that he will always wield the power he has to hurt people he doesn’t like. In March 2023, we became two of the first women to sue Texas over its abortion bans. … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A brief reminder about Ken Paxton

Ken Paxton, voting scofflaw

Posted on July 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Absolutely brilliant. Two weeks before this year’s primary elections, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced the creation of a tip line for the public to report people or groups suspected of voter fraud. “Free and fair elections are a cornerstone … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Abbott names Schatzline as senior adviser on election policy

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Whatever the hell that means. State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, resigned from the Texas House Thursday to take a new position as Gov. Greg Abbott’s senior adviser on election policy. Schatzline, who was among the most hardline conservative members … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Abbott names Schatzline as senior adviser on election policy

Abbott appoints Huffines as acting Comptroller

Posted on July 3, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s your periodic reminder that it could always be worse. Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday appointed Don Huffines, a former Republican state senator, to be comptroller of public accounts for the rest of the year, after the agency’s acting head, … Continue reading →

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

Comptroller Hancock to resign

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Bye bye. Acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock will step down from his post as Texas’ chief financial officer at the end of July, according to a resignation letter he submitted to Gov. Greg Abbott Wednesday. Hancock’s departure notice, first reported by … Continue reading →

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

Siena/NYT: Talarico 47, Paxton 47

Posted on July 1, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Another pollster heard from. The Democratic Party has a serious chance to win a Senate seat in Texas for the first time in a generation, as James Talarico, a Democratic state legislator, begins the summer locked in a tied race … Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2026 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Siena/NYT: Talarico 47, Paxton 47

Surely the TDP convention will have better vibes than the Republican one

Posted on June 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is not a high bar to clear. After a contentious primary, Texas Democrats will host their state convention in Corpus Christi this week and look to rally the party behind their ticket ahead of what they hope will be … Continue reading →

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