Good morning,

The attorney general has joined the Texas GOP in asking a federal court to strike down laws letting Democrats help select Republican nominees. The governor's secretary of state is opposing that effort. In today's One Click Survey, we want to know what you think.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, October 13, 2025.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas GOP Approves Censures of Five House Republicans

• While declining to remove any incumbent lawmakers from the primary ballot in 2026, Brandon Waltens reports that the State Republican Executive Committee voted on Saturday to censure five lawmakers.
      
• The SREC had considered ten potential censures against GOP lawmakers. Under party rules, local GOP committees may censure a Republican officeholder who has taken three or more actions in opposition to the party’s principles or legislative priorities.
       
• After hours of discussion, the SREC voted to concur with five resolutions: those targeting State Reps. Dade Phelan, Angelia Orr, Jared Patterson, Stan Lambert, and Gary VanDeaver. Phelan and Lambert are not seeking reelection.
          
• The SREC declined to concur with censure resolutions against Speaker Dustin Burrows and State Reps. Angie Chen Button, Cody Harris, Jeff Leach, and Morgan Meyer.
       
• Chairman Abraham George said forty-three bills aligned with party priorities were passed during the 2025 session, a marked improvement over prior sessions. He also noted that, despite early conflicts with Speaker Burrows, the party ultimately worked with House leadership to advance measures on border security, foreign land ownership, and restoring the attorney general’s authority to prosecute election fraud.

Redistricting Trial

Three-judge Federal Panel Begins Map Deliberation

• At the federal courthouse in El Paso on Friday, both sides rested their cases in a contentious nine-day trial over the state's new congressional boundaries approved by lawmakers this summer. As Travis Morgan explains, at stake are five new GOP opportunity seats in the U.S. House from Texas.
      
• Democrat-aligned groups are asking the court to block the use of the map in 2026, claiming the lines discriminate against minority voters. The State has argued that the process was strictly guided by partisan objectives.
     
• Ryan Kercher, chief of special litigation for the Texas attorney general’s office, noted that the Plaintiffs’ own witnesses failed repeatedly to prove intentional racial discrimination. He also warned against a legal double standard that allows Democrats to racially gerrymander seats for their purposes but asserts racism when anyone else seeks an electoral advantage.
      
• It is now up to the three-judge panel to determine if a preliminary injunction is to be issued, with both Plaintiffs and the State asking for a ruling before the candidate filing period opens next month. An appeal to the Supreme Court is expected regardless of the judges’ decision.
      
• Travis Morgan covered every day of the trial live from the El Paso courtroom. You can find the full series of articles on the Texas Scorecard website.

UT-Austin To Host Teaching Seminar on Horrors of Communism

• A teaching seminar at the University of Texas at Austin will train faculty members to instruct students on the horrors of communism. Adam Cahn has the story.
    
• UT-Austin’s School for Civic Leadership partnered with the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to host “Teaching the Twentieth Century: Communism and Dissent.” The program will take place later this week.
     
• For example, one session will include a discussion of communism and literature. Historian Sean McMeekin, who has argued against whitewashing communist history, will deliver the event's keynote address.
      
• Scott Yenor, a Heritage Foundation scholar who has previously criticized UT-Austin, described the conference as “inspired.”

Texas Tech Faculty Union Criticizes Leadership for Upholding Biological Reality

• A professor’s union at Texas Tech published a letter last week attacking the university system for upholding biological reality. The union demanded that their employers backtrack and give faculty input in policymaking. Robert Montoya has the details.
       
• The Texas Tech chapter of the American Association of University Professors is upset by a statutorily required system-wide curriculum review as well as by Tech's chancellor reminding faculty of its duty to follow state and federal law.
       
• A new state law enacted earlier this year asserts the biological and scientific reality that there are only two sexes: male and female. The law's author, State Rep. Ellen Troxclair (R–Lakeway), said the Texas Tech leadership correctly explained the obligation of universities to act in accordance with it.
     
• A separate new state law has ended the practice of "shared governance" in which unaccountable faculty were allowed to make policy decisions for the state's universities. Now, all of those decisions must be made by the regents and campus presidents.

A&M Regents Appoint DEI Advocate as Victoria Campus President

• Despite a history of advancing DEI, Texas A&M University System regents unanimously appointed Christian Hardigree as the president of the institution's new Victoria campus during a special meeting on Friday.
      
• She comes to A&M from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, where she had described herself as working to sustain the momentum behind diversity, equity, and inclusion programming. Previously, Hardigree was a multi-year recipient of the "Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award" by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine.
     

• The Victoria campus was previously part of the University of Houston system and was transferred to the Texas A&M system on September 1.

Magnolia's $1 Billion Debt Package

• Residents in the Magnolia Independent School District will vote on three bond propositions as part of the upcoming November General Election. Addie Hovland reports that the principal and interest of the combined measures would cost taxpayers more than $1 billion.
      
• The bonds cover new and existing schools, a new sports facility, and a swimming complex.
        
• Magnolia ISD currently has $430.9 million in outstanding debt, including interest.

Today In History

On October 13, 1845, the Republic of Texas' voters accepted annexation into the United States, 4,174 to 312.

Quote-Unquote

"Texas will again lift its head and stand among the nations. It ought to do so, for no country upon the globe can compare with it in natural advantages."

– Sam Houston​

One Click Survey

Attorney General Ken Paxton has sided with the Republican Party of Texas in urging a federal judge to strike down the state laws that let Democrats vote in the GOP primary. Gov. Greg Abbott's Secretary of State, Jane Nelson, is opposing the GOP's legal fight.

The GOP argues that the constitutional principle of freedom of association means Republicans should be able to choose nominees without Democrat participation. Opponents say Texas law should continue requiring open primaries. 

Which position most closely matches yours?

Once you’ve clicked an answer, reply to this email with any thoughts you’d like to share!

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