September 21, 2025
NEWS DIGEST
by Brandon Waltens
Good morning,
Texas A&M University President Mark Welsh has stepped down. But another A&M campus could be soon hiring another DEI activist president.
Texas A&M University has named Christian Hardigree as the sole finalist for president of Texas A&M–Victoria.
Hardigree currently serves as regional chancellor of the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus, where she’s been outspoken about continuing diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and improving related graduation rates.
Her résumé makes clear where her priorities lie. A review of her curriculum vitae shows more than a dozen references to “diversity” and nearly twenty mentions of “sustainability.” She has received awards for DEI efforts, consulted on diversity training, and previously worked as an attorney specializing in employment discrimination cases. Hardigree has also spoken and written extensively about sustainability, particularly in the hospitality industry.
Regent chairman Robert Albritton praised Hardigree as “exactly the kind of leader who can help Texas A&M–Victoria thrive.”
But the decision comes as the A&M System faces intense scrutiny. At the flagship campus in College Station, President Mark Welsh announced his resignat after weeks of backlash over his handling of an LGBT course for children’s literature. Like Hardigree, Welsh had a long record of support for DEI programs prior to his hire.
Texas A&M–Victoria was only recently transferred from the University of Houston system. It officially became part of the A&M System on September first.
The Board of Regents, which is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate, must still finalize Hardigree’s appointment.
Featured
The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into whether the City of Austin is violating federal law by engaging in discriminatory employment practices tied to its diversity, equity, and inclusion agenda.
In a notice sent Thursday to Mayor Kirk Watson, the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said it is examining whether Austin is involved in a “pattern or practice of discrimination” based on race, color, sex, or national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Real Texans
In this week's edition of Real Texans, Michael visits with State Sen. Joan Huffman as she seeks the GOP nomination to be the next attorney general of Texas. They discuss her background as a Harris County prosecutor, accomplishments in the Senate, and what she'd do as the A.G.
New interviews with REAL TEXANS every Sunday!
State
Texas Signs Voter Roll Crosscheck Agreements With 9 States
Secretary of State Jane Nelson said voter registration data-sharing provides “a critical tool to detect and prevent potential voter fraud.”
Texas Launches New Office To Cut Red Tape
Gov. Greg Abbott has announced Jerome Greener will lead Texas’ new DOGE-style agency.
Is the Texas Ethics Commission’s Very Existence a Threat to Texans?
The TEC has a history of targeting “the little guy,” but even a former legislator is no match for the commission’s power.
Local
Serial Ballot Harvester Arrested in Starr County for 2022 Election Crimes
South Texas politiquera Modesta Vela has been arrested four times since 2010 on similar charges.
Attorney General Investigates Claims of Political Pressure Against Stratford High’s TPUSA Club
Members in a private Facebook group were urged to target teachers over sponsorship of a student organization.
Whitesboro Officials Say City Can Raise Property Taxes Despite New Law
City Council members plan to adopt a tax rate on September 29 that could increase homeowners’ tax bills by 61 percent.
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