| | MustReadTexas.com – @MustReadTexas
BY: @MattMackowiak | Subscribe to the daily email here | | WEEK IN REVIEW: MONDAY 12/15/2025 - FRIDAY 12/19/2025 | | Good Saturday afternoon.
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P.S. We will not be publishing from Dec. 22 - Jan. 2 due to the holiday. | | Some personal news: Amy and I are thrilled to welcome to the world John Lawrence “Jack” Mackowiak (named after our two fathers), born Wed., Dec. 3 at 5:03pm in Austin. Baby and mama are healthy! | | P.S. Since some people have asked, our baby registry is here. Limited, yet critically needed Steelers items remain. | | A WORD FROM SENATOR PHIL GRAMM ABOUT MUST READ TEXAS
“If something of importance is known in Texas, Matt knows it. With a decline in the number of credible news organizations, the Must Read Texas morning email is indispensable for anyone that wants to continue to be informed.” – Former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) | | AUSTIN NEWSLETTER LAUNCHED | Are you one of the 100,000+ subscribers to ATX Pulse, a newsletter that delivers EVERYTHING you NEED TO KNOW about Austin? | | Subscriptions are $5/mo, $50/yr or $199/lifetime here: ATXpulsepremium.com. | > Become a PAID subscriber for $5/mo or $50/yr here. | | | “Mexico agrees to meet obligations to US, Texas under 1944 water treaty” via Texas Public Radio – The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Friday that it had reached an understanding with Mexico to meet current water obligations under a 1944 Water Treaty and repay a water deficit in Texas.
The binational water treaty requires Mexico to deliver 1.75 million acre-feet of water to the U.S. over a five-year cycle. In turn, the U.S. is expected to deliver 1.5 million acre-feet of water to Mexico from the Colorado River.
The federal government and Texas lawmakers allege Mexico has continuously failed to meet those requirements, hurting the livelihoods of South Texas farmers.
The state’s last sugar mill — Rio Grande Valley Sugar Growers, Inc — closed last year following persistent water shortages. | | » Become a PAID subscriber for $7/mo or $70/yr here. | | Under the new understanding, Mexico has agreed to release 202,000-acre feet of water to the U.S.
Deliveries are expected to begin this week with timely repayments of the deficit from the previous water cycle.
The agreement extends to the current cycle and the previous cycle’s water deficit. The U.S. and Mexico continue negotiations over the treaty and are expended to finalize a plan on deliveries by the end of January 2026.
“As Mexico ramps up its water delivery, USDA stands ready to work with Congress, interagency partners, and farmers to ensure producers receive certainty as they plan for the upcoming crop season,” the USDA said in a news release.
The agreement also outlines that both countries acknowledge the critical importance of water sharing obligations and reaffirm the need to increase engagement in order to ensure timely deliveries.
This comes after the Trump administration had threatened to impose 5% tariffs on Mexican products if treaty obligations continued to be unmet. The USDA said those tariffs remain on the table if Mexico violates its commitments.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller applauded the agreement.
“For years, producers in the Rio Grande Basin have been short of the water they are legally owed, causing the loss of crops, jobs, industries, and livelihoods,” Miller said in a statement. “Texas farmers expect Mexico to fully meet its obligations — not just today, but for years to come.”
(TPR) | | | “Texas AG Ken Paxton seeks damages from energy company linked to Texas’ largest wildfire” Texas Tribune’s Ayden Runnels – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday is seeking monetary damages and consumer restitution in a lawsuit against a national utility company, alleging it failed to care for its aging Texas infrastructure that caused the state’s largest wildfire.
Two decayed utility poles owned by Xcel Energy sparked the Smokehouse Creek fire in 2024 that burned through more than 1 million acres in West Texas, killing three people and thousands of livestock and causing more than $1 billion in damages. The lawsuit claims Xcel had marked one of the poles that fell as defective weeks before it started the fire, but that the Minnesota-based company chose not to replace it.
“Xcel ignored the warning and chose to place marginal profits — amounting to only a few thousand dollars — above the safety and wellbeing of Texans, the State’s property, and the natural resources enjoyed by all People,” the lawsuit read.
The lawsuit was filed in district court in Hemphill County.
(TX TRIB)
“Ken Paxton’s office launches tip line to encourage enforcement of Texas’ “bathroom bill”” Texas Tribune’s Ayden Runnels – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is encouraging the public to help enforce the state’s “bathroom bill” via a tip line for suspected violations of the new law designed to restrict which facilities transgender people can use.
Senate Bill 8, also known as the Texas Women’s Privacy Act, requires government buildings, schools and colleges to restrict access to restrooms and locker rooms based on sex assigned at birth. If someone does enter the “wrong” bathroom, institutions, not the individual, are punished by the state, with $25,000 first-time fines and $125,000 subsequent penalties per day. Individuals can also sue agencies if they are in a restroom and are “affected” by a violation of the law.
SB 8 tasks Paxton’s office with investigating complaints and proposing penalty amounts, but only after complaints are initially filed with the accused agency. The complaint form launched Wednesday requires a copy of the original complaint to the accused institution for any submission.
The form also has an option to submit photos to the tip line, however, taking photos inside a restroom is illegal. In 2023, Williamson County GOP Chair Michelle Evans had her phone confiscated by Department of Public Safety officers and was investigated by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza after she posted a photo of a trans woman inside a Texas Capitol restroom. Evans sued Garza to stop the investigation, arguing the photo was not an invasion of privacy, but in early December the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against her.
In a statement about the new tip line, Paxton encouraged those who witness violations to use the tip line and said the necessity for SB 8 stems from “radical leftism” and the danger of “mentally ill men.”
“Together, we will uproot and bring justice to any state agency or political subdivision that opens the door for men to violate women’s privacy, dignity, and safety,” Paxton said.
The restrictions have been long-supported by conservative lawmakers and advocates as a way of restricting trans people’s access to facilities, a move they claim protects women in vulnerable spaces. SB 8, however, has no guidance on how to enforce its restrictions, only mandating that institutions take “every reasonable step” to ensure violations don’t occur, which opponents of the law have said is purposefully vague.
Critics of SB 8 have worried that the vague enforcement guidelines may also encourage people to harass or intimidate people in restrooms if they believe someone is in the “wrong” restroom, even in areas the law doesn’t apply.
(Texas Tribune) | | | Editorial: “Public dollars demand clearer rules at Austin City Hall,” via Austin American-Statesman — “Solo lunches, upgraded flights, event sponsorships and office artwork — all paid with public funds — were among the thousands of dollars in questionable City Hall spending that the Austin American-Statesman revealed this summer. Last month’s defeat of the Proposition Q tax hike reflected widespread voter concerns over city spending and underscored the need for officials to rebuild public trust in how tax dollars are used.
One important step is underway: City officials are writing a new officeholder spending policy, which could be finalized as early as January. As Mayor Kirk Watson noted at a recent committee meeting, Austin’s rules are “more dispersed” than those of peer Texas cities: As many as 10 different policies and regulations govern how officials may spend public funds. Consolidating the rules into one definitive policy will make the expectations clearer for officeholders and the taxpayers providing those dollars.
But consolidation alone is not enough. If Austin wants to meaningfully restore confidence in City Hall, its new policy must strengthen transparency and clearly define what is — and is not — an appropriate use of public money.
After consulting experts and other Texas cities’ policies, we offer the following recommendations.
Strengthen and clarify P-card policies
Austin and all its peer cities use procurement or purchasing cards, also known as P-cards. The Government Finance Officers Association recommends their use because they can improve efficiency while creating a clear record of transactions.
But P-cards are only as effective as the policies governing them. Best practices include clear definitions of allowable purchases, travel use, spending limits and meaningful consequences for noncompliance. Austin’s new policy should incorporate these safeguards and ensure that P-card activity is routinely reviewed and easily auditable.
Less useful, in our view, would be to create a council liaison to review and approve officeholder spending, which officials proposed at the committee meeting. This would simply add another layer of bureaucracy without addressing the underlying problem.
Post P-card spending online
The City of Austin maintains an online checkbook that allows residents to track spending by department, expenditure type and payee. But this resource doesn’t include the council offices’ P-card transactions, which account for much of their spending.
That gap should be closed. Posting officeholder P-card transactions online would provide residents with the same level of transparency afforded to other city spending and send a clear signal that city leaders understand the seriousness of the concerns raised by recent reporting.
End unlimited balance rollovers
At the recent committee meeting, Watson presented a comparison of Austin’s officeholder spending rules and policies at peer Texas cities and the state Legislature. Austin stood alone in allowing unused account balances roll over to the next fiscal year without any cap.
That policy should be eliminated. Each City Council member receives a base budget of just under $900,000 a year, more than enough to cover a year’s worth of office expenses. Allowing unused dollars to indefinitely pile up undermines the principle that these funds exist to support public duties, not to function as long-term discretionary accounts.
Clearly define what spending is (and isn’t) allowed
Austin should look to peer cities such as Dallas when establishing clear boundaries around officeholder spending. Dallas’ policy outlines 14 types of permissible expenses, including office supplies, mileage and approved travel, conference and training costs, and certain business-related expenses.
Equally important, Dallas clearly identifies what is not allowed. Impermissible expenses include food, drink and other costs for non-city events, campaign expenditures, and items meant to promote an officeholder’s public image. The policy also prohibits membership dues or fees for “athletic clubs, social clubs, or any other organization not allowed by administrative directives.”
Austin’s new policy should adopt similarly precise language. Ambiguity invites inconsistent application and erodes public confidence. Under clearer rules, expenses such as memberships in professional or charitable organizations that do not directly advance official city business should be paid personally, not with taxpayer funds.
Reinforce the ‘nobility of the profession’
Bob Bland, a public administration professor at the University of North Texas, described Austin’s current situation as a “can of worms” that won’t be easy to remedy. “Austin’s policies are clearly way out there by themselves compared to all the other cities in the state,” he told us.
His central point was less about process than principle. Public service, Bland said, is the “noblest of professions,” and “our processes ought to reinforce that nobility.”
Local government may not generate the headlines of national politics, but it forms the foundation of American democracy. Austinites entrust city leaders with public dollars and public responsibilities. Every decision — and every purchase — should reflect that trust.
(Austin American-Statesman)
“Dallas City Council Approves Police and Fire Pension Funding Agreement,” via The Texan — “The Dallas City Council approved a funding agreement to help secure the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System (DPFPS) which has been facing a problematic future dating back to 2016.
Council Member Paul Ridley voted against the agreement.
The Texas Pension Review Board and state law require that the city fully fund its pension system in 30 years.
The funding agreement meets that requirement and includes a modest stipend for retirees, in addition to their monthly benefits, to help offset cost of living increases. It will require funding of $11 billion by the city over the next 30 years.
In the summer of 2024, the DPFPS was positioned to not be fully funded for 82 years.
About the funding agreement, Dallas City Manager Kimberly Tolbert said, “This plan ensures that we honor our commitments to our first responders, safeguard the City’s financial stability, and build a stronger foundation for generations to come.”
Mayor Eric Johnson said that the agreement allows Dallas to begin “fulfilling a promise made to our police officers and firefighters that was in serious danger of being broken when I took office. After decades of anxiety and uncertainty around the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System, those who have dedicated their lives to the safety of this great city can now rest easy knowing that our promises to them will be kept.”
Johnson noted that when he took office as mayor, the pension system was in crisis. “Chronic mismanagement and speculative investments left it with critically low funding ratios — below 50 [percent]. The state was forced to intervene to prevent complete collapse, and prior administrations attempted to address the underfunding, but their short-term fixes proved inadequate.”
In November 2024, Dallas residents voted in favor of a charter amendment designed to increase contributions to the DPFPS. It passed narrowly with 50.5 percent of the votes cast.
The agreement also settles the lawsuit by the pension system against the City of Dallas.
(The Texan)
“Houston Mayor John Whitmire has been barred from future Harris County Democrats endorsements,” via Houston Chronicle — “Mayor John Whitmire will no longer be able to get endorsements from the Harris County Democratic Party following an overwhelming vote Sunday by the party’s precinct chairs, issuing what could pose as a debilitating blow to his 2027 re-election campaign.
Precinct chairs voted 186-80 at a highly attended meeting Sunday to deny the mayor future endorsements after a coalition of chairs submitted a proposal following Whitmire’s participation in a fundraising event for U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a Republican representing Kingwood and Humble.
Whitmire has faced heat for months from more than 100 precinct chairs who have accused him of undermining the “values and mission of the Democratic party,” and “(standing) on the sidelines” and failing to stand up for Houstonians as Trump changed policy at the federal level.
“John Whitmire’s agenda is indistinguishable from that of a MAGA mayor,” the chairs’ original statement read, referring to the Trump campaign slogan “Make America Great Again.”
“With Trump in office and pursuing an illegal and authoritarian agenda impacting millions of Houstonians, we deserve to have a fighter who wants to represent us, not a willing enabler of an emerging dictatorship,” the statement continued. “If Whitmire wants to be a Republican, that’s OK, but he shouldn’t be able to do that and count on the support of thousands of grassroots volunteers who shed blood, sweat and tears to knock on doors and elect people who represent our values.”
The proposal sailed through the party’s resolutions committee with a 14-5 vote and its steering committee with a 17-7 vote before going up to the full party on Sunday evening.
Neither Whitmire nor his spokesperson returned a request for comment from the Houston Chronicle on the result of the vote. Whitmire and his spokesperson have not returned any Chronicle reporters’ requests for comment since Aug. 17.
In a statement sent en masse by his campaign, Whitmire said he stood with elected officials, labor leaders and fellow Democrats because there was strength in unity. Despite the vote, he said no resolution would change that he is a Democrat with a 50-year record of voting on and supporting Democratic values.
Whitmire added the Democratic party has historically respected the fact that nonpartisan office holders like himself are required to serve beyond party labels. He also pointed out what he called inaccuracies in the resolution, particularly on how the city works with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Let me be clear: I strongly oppose the fear-based and harmful tactics used by ICE that tear families apart and undermine trust in our communities,” he wrote. “Houston does not interact with ICE on immigration enforcement. We follow state and city laws only, including Senate Bill 4. We will continue to keep our city safe while protecting our immigrant communities.”
The statement runs contrary to a remark Whitmire made in November about how the city was cooperating with ICE after giving vague answers to how the city works with the federal agency for months.
(Houston Chronicle)
“Arlington 2026 Pride event suspended after city council removes protection” Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s None – Arlington Pride suspended after council removes protections
The organizers have announced plans to suspend the 2026 Arlington Pride event after the City Council voted to remove protections for LGBTQ+ residents from the city’s anti-discrimination ordinance.
“We cannot, in good conscience, invite attendees to an event in a city that refuses to provide even the most basic protection,” DeeJay Johannessen, CEO of the HELP Center, the organization that produces Arlington Pride said in a statement.
The event had been scheduled for June 10 at Levitt Pavilion in downtown Arlington.
The Arlington City Council voted 5-4 on Dec. 9 to remove protections for LGBTQ+ residents as part of an amendment to its anti-discrimination ordinance.
“Their vote leaves Arlington with no local protection against discrimination for LGBTQ plus people, women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, veterans or families with children,” according to the statement from the HELP Center, which has offices in Arlington and Fort Worth.
Arlington Pride started in June 2022 and is the largest Pride event in North Texas, which had over 30,000 attendees in the first three years, according to the statement.
(FWST)
“Harris County commissioners extend full property tax exemption for qualified child care centers” Community Impact Newspaper’s Melissa Enaje – Harris County commissioners first approved the 100% property tax exemption for qualified child care centers in March 2024, with the stipulation that the exemption would expire every two years unless commissioners voted for an extension, county officials said.
With a unanimous vote on Dec. 11, Harris County commissioners reauthorized 100% property tax exemptions for qualified child care providers in 2026 onward in a move that is expected to save thousands of dollars for providers, county officials said.
Commissioners first approved the 100% property tax exemption for qualified child care centers in March 2024, with the stipulation that the exemption would expire every two years unless commissioners voted for an extension, county officials said.
(COMMUNITY IMPACT) | | | “Progressive Alejandra Salinas Wins Houston City Council Special Election Runoff” The Texan’s Holly Hansen – Progressive attorney Alejandra Salinas overwhelmingly defeated former Democratic Houston City Council Member Dwight Boykins in a runoff election for city council, as Mayor John Whitmire faces mounting opposition from the left flank of his party.
According to unofficial election results, Salinas took 59 percent of the vote for the At-Large Position 4 seat being vacated by Letitia Plummer, who is running for Harris County judge in the 2026 Democratic primary.
(THE TEXAN)
“Voters in Hill Country city choose a new mayor in runoff election” San Antonio Express-News’s Ricardo Delgado – In the fast-growing Hill Country city of Kyle, former City Council Member Yvonne Flores-Cale narrowly defeated Robert Rizo, a sitting council member, in a low-turnout runoff election on Saturday.
Flores-Cale earned 1,226 votes, or 50.8% of the total, versus 1,186 for Rizo, who had been endorsed by Kyle/Buda Area Democrats. The position is nonpartisan, and Flores-Cale on her website states that she is not a member of any political party. She describes her priorities as building roads and water infrastructure.
“We did it! We won by the skin of our teeth and by the grace of God,” she said in a video on her Facebook page.
Flores-Cale has worked as a paralegal since receiving a master’s degree from Texas State University, according to her website.
Rizo had received endorsements from Kyle’s outgoing mayor, Travis Mitchell, as well as several other prominent Hays County politicians, including county commissioners Debbie Ingalsbe and Michelle Gutierrez Cohen.
There was also a runoff for the District 1 at-large seat in the Kyle City Council. In that race, Courtney Goza narrowly defeated incumbent Bear Heiser.
(SAEN) | | | “Cheater Texas AG breaks cover with his mistress... as insider reveals all the details from their ultra-fancy ski trip to Aspen” The Daily Mail’s MaryAnn Martinez -- Married Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has gone public with his Christian influencer mistress- months after the Daily Mail exposed their affair.
Exclusive photos and video show the 62-year-old and Tracy Duhon, 57, vacationing at a posh ski resort in Aspen, Colorado, earlier this month.
The Republican, who is running for US Senate, and the New Orleans-based author were seen leaving the $4,000-per-night St Regis Resort on December 6 after attending the wedding of one of Paxton’s staffers.
The Mail revealed in September Paxton and Duhon had started seeing each other - behind their respective partners’ backs - after meeting at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024.
The new images suggest Duhon has a taste for luxury, showing her draped in a brown fur coat as she walked down the hallway of the exclusive resort to meet Paxton.
Video shows the couple loading their skis into an SUV, and Paxton gently putting his hand on her back.
They were also spotted getting ready to hit the slopes in full ski gear.
Multiple sources who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed Duhon, a mother of seven, is the reason the politician’s marriage crumbled earlier this summer. | | The new photos show Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Tracy Duhon vacationing in luxury, showing her draped in a fur coat as she walks down the hallway of the St Regis in Aspen to meet her lover | | With her then-husband Troy Duhon (center) standing between them, Tracy Duhon (right) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) pose for a photo at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024
Paxton’s wife, Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, announced their 38-year marriage was over in a stinging post on X in July, citing ‘biblical grounds.’
This is not the first time Paxton has been rocked by scandal. He was caught cheating on Angela in 2023 with his former mistress Laura Olsen.
He was impeached by the state house, accused of misusing his office and exchanging favors with a top political donor to get a job for his lover. Paxton denied the allegations and was acquitted in the state senate.
His wife stood by him through that first cheating scandal, but sources told the Daily Mail the affair with Duhon was the final straw.
Angela declined the Daily Mail’s request for comment.
When the Daily Mail first exposed Paxton and Duhon’s affair months ago, the politician did not deny having a relationship with Duhon. Instead, he suggested the Daily Mail was part of the ‘deranged radical Left.’
Sources told the Daily Mail at the time that it was because Paxton saw a future with Duhon, who has since divorced her wealthy, car dealership mogul ex-husband. | | Pictured: Duhon and Paxton prepare to go skiing in Aspen on December 6. | | Photos from the wedding ceremony of staffer George Lane show Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sitting in the front pew of the church. Paxton took his mistress, Tracy Duhon, as his date to the nuptials | | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (left) poses with fellow groomsmen and AG staffer Aaron Reitz (right) at the Aspen wedding | | Pictured: Dressed in all-black ski gear, Tracy Duhon sits in the one of the common rooms of the St Regis Aspen Resort while on a getaway with her lover, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. | | Pictured: Duhon and Paxton stand in a covered driveway of the hotel as the couple prepares to go skiing in Aspen on December 6. | | Ken Paxton has been romantically involved with Tracy Duhon since meeting her at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024, sources tell Daily Mail (the pair were spotted in Aspen, above).
Now, Paxton has brought Duhon to George Lane’s wedding - Lane is the director of government relations in the attorney general’s office - at which Paxton was a groomsman.
This was a risky move given that Paxton is in the middle of a heated primary race with US Senator John Cornyn and Wesley Hunt to be their party’s nominee.
Any of Paxton’s opponents can seize on this issue and claim that the adulterous Paxton should not represent their God-fearing, values-driven voter base.
Despite their very public split, Paxton is still a married man, and had been fighting tooth and nail to keep the divorce records private.
However, the Paxtons decided to unseal their divorce records Thursday night ahead of the court hearing in which they believed a judge would have ordered their release in the media.
Several news organizations sued to unseal the documents, arguing that the public has a right to know since both Paxtons are elected officials.
Angela filed for divorce in July citing adultery as the reason behind the split, according to KUT.
The affair between Paxton and Duhon has been going since they met at the 2024 Kentucky Derby. | | Tracy Duhon (pictured) maintains a very public media presence, sharing stories about her faith, encouragement and Christian advice on her account. She also showcases her glamorous life in New Orleans and has 1,746 followers on Instagram. | | Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (right) and his ex-wife Angela (left) married in 1986 after meeting at Baylor University, a Baptist university located in Waco, Texas.
Sources told the Daily Mail that the pair - along with Duhon’s then-husband - slept under the same roof that weekend as their mutual friend played host.
Since then, Paxton and Duhon have had multiple rendezvous on trips across the country and even overseas, according to insiders.
Sources have said the getaways were essential to keeping their entanglement secret as both were married at the time.
The Daily Mail reached out to both Paxton and Duhon for comment, but did not hear back.
Duhon maintains a very public social media presence, sharing stories about her faith, encouragement and Christian advice on her Instagram account.
She also showcases her glamorous life in the Big Easy, including regularly having her hair and makeup done professionally.
Despite the photo shoots and professionally produced videos, Duhon only has 1,746 followers on Instagram.
(The Daily Mail)
“Technology woes continue at Secretary of State’s office, muddling candidate lists” San Antonio Report’s Andrea Drusch – Weeks after an untimely technology upgrade at the Secretary of State’s office sent counties into a panic over backlogged voter registrations, local party leaders and elections officials say the same update has muddled the state’s candidate-tracking portal as well, leaving them with incomplete lists as they start to assemble the March 3 primary ballot.
Republicans and Democrats run their own primaries in Texas, but lean on the Secretary of State’s office as a centralized source of candidate information.
Thanks to a series of hangups this year, including a drawn-out legal fight over the congressional maps and a new reporting system at the Secretary of State’s office, local party officials say the state’s candidate portal has been experiencing delays, and complete candidate lists still aren’t finalized.
A Secretary of State spokeswoman said Monday candidates for the primary file with the parties, whose officials enter their information directly to the portal. Between the state and local parties, she said, they should have complete lists to work with for their party primary elections in March.
County-level candidates file at their county party office, meaning local party chairs have those full records in-house.
But candidates for multi-county districts or statewide races file with the state parties, which saw a rush of last-minute filings and shuffles between races as the Supreme Court ruled on the congressional districts just days before the deadline.
(San Antonio Report)
“Gina Hinojosa is clear Democratic front-runner to take on Gov. Greg Abbott, poll finds” via Dallas Morning News – State Rep. Gina Hinojosa has a commanding lead in the race to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the most recent polling of the crowded Democratic primary contest.
The Austin Democrat, who has served in the state House since 2017, drew 41% of the likely Democratic voters surveyed by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University.
The next closest candidate in the poll was Andrew White, the son of former Gov. Mark White, who drew just 6%. Former congressman Chris Bell drew 5%, while 6% threw support behind one of the seven other candidates in the race. Most voters, 42%, remained undecided.
The results suggest Hinojosa is the clear front-runner in the race to take on Abbott, who is seeking a record fourth term in office, said pollster Mark P. Jones.
“Hinojosa is in the driver’s seat with a clear pathway to victory in March,” Jones said.
Hinojosa was the only candidate who a majority of voters said they knew enough about to have an opinion, and 53% of them had a favorable view of her, compared to just 4% with an unfavorable view. Jones said that suggests that as more Democratic primary voters learn about her, their opinion is far more likely to be positive than negative, and it will likely be difficult for White and Bell to draw enough support to force a runoff.
“When one adds Hinojosa’s advantages in institutional support from elected officials and influential organizations, as well as her likely advantage in campaign fundraising, her prospects for surpassing the 50% threshold in March and capturing the Democratic nomination without a runoff appear to be quite bright,” Jones said.
The former Austin school board member has accused Abbott of being beholden to big money donors and launched her campaign vowing to fight corruption. She was a vocal opponent of Abbott’s $1 billion private school voucher plan that passed earlier this year, which she likened to “welfare for the well off.”
Abbott is vowing to slash property taxes — including ending school taxes for homeowners — as he seeks a fourth term in office. He has $90 million in his campaign account and no serious primary challengers.
(Houston Chronicle)
“Texas Democrats fill every state and federal race on 2026 ballot, a first for either party“ via Texas Tribune – A Democrat is running in every state and federal race on the Texas ballot next year, the first time in modern state history that either party has fielded a full slate of candidates, according to the Texas Democratic Party.
The complete field is the result of a recruitment campaign run by a network of the state’s top Democratic groups and politicians, including Texas Majority PAC, the Texas Democratic Party, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke and former state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Together, the groups recruited 104 candidates to fill every congressional, state House and state Senate seat up for election in 2026. The effort also ensured that a Democrat is running in every statewide judicial and State Board of Education race.
“No Republican gets a free ride in Texas,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder said in an interview. “If you are a Republican and you want to hold public office in this state, you’re going to have to fight us for it.”
The push to run a candidate for every seat — no matter how red-leaning — comes as Texas Democrats look to capitalize on turnout and backlash to the Trump administration. The theory, Democratic organizers said, is that running candidates everywhere will not only maximize the party’s chances of flipping down-ballot seats, but also increase Democratic turnout and engagement in areas that top-of-the-ticket candidates may not be able to reach — potentially creating an upstream effect to boost statewide Democrats.
“Even the most relentless statewide candidate is never going to talk to every voter that they need to,” Texas Majority PAC Director Katherine Fischer said. “We need a network of talented, compelling Democratic communicators across the state to clearly communicate the message that Republican leadership has failed us, and that Texans should consider voting differently this cycle and in the future.”
Of Texas’ 38 congressional districts, Republicans currently hold 25, with a new gerrymandered map engineered to hand them an additional three to five seats. The GOP also dominates the state Legislature, controlling 88 out of 150 Texas House seats and an 18-to-11 majority in the state Senate (where two red-leaning districts currently sit vacant). All statewide offices, including both U.S. Senate seats, are held by Republicans.
Democrats have not won statewide office since 1994. And since then, the party has left an average of 50 state and federal seats uncontested each cycle, according to the TDP. Even in 2018, the last midterm election with President Donald Trump in the White House and when Democrats flipped two congressional and 12 state House districts, the party left 20 seats uncontested.
After a devastating election cycle last year, Fischer said, the party found that to win statewide, Democrats needed to improve with “basically every single type of voter in every part of the state.”
(Texas Tribune)
“Democrats Julie Johnson and Colin Allred throw early elbows in District 33 primary“ via Dallas Morning News – Julie Johnson and Colin Allred aren’t holding much back as they compete for the Democratic nomination in Congressional District 33, kicking off their campaigns with a flurry of rhetorical haymakers.
Johnson says Allred blindsided everyone by switching races at the last minute — and that Texas women can relate to having a man try to take back a position after failing to advance in his own career.
Allred says he’s shown he can deliver for the Dallas area and that Johnson is not entitled to represent a newly drawn, majority-minority district that needs an effective advocate who truly understands the community.
The two have been sparring since filing day drama last week scrambled the party’s primary landscape and thrust them into a head-to-head contest heavy with overtones of gender and race.
(DMN) | | | “CAIR’s tax-exempt status targeted as Cornyn moves to strip group after terror designations,” via Fox News — “A Senate Republican wants to nix the tax-exempt status of a national Muslim advocacy group that both Texas and Florida have designated as a terrorist organization.
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, intends to introduce legislation that would remove the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ (CAIR) tax-exempt status. Currently, an organization’s tax-exempt status is suspended if it is designated by the State Department as a terrorist organization.
Cornyn’s bill would lump CAIR in with designated federal terrorist organizations, like Hamas, Hezbollah and al Qaeda, by extending that prohibition to include groups that provide material support or resources, such as finances, services or training to a terrorist organization.
The Texas Republican said in a statement to Fox News Digital he was moving ahead with the legislation, “because no organization who bankrolls terrorists should get a tax break, period.”
“CAIR is a radical group of terrorist sympathizers with a long history of undermining American values and trying to unconstitutionally impose Sharia law on Texas, which is why I stand behind Gov. Abbott’s decision to designate it as a foreign terrorist organization,” he said. “I also call on President Trump to do so at the federal level to ensure this breeding ground for anti-American hate is starved of funding and forced to close its doors once and for all.”
CAIR fired back at Cornyn in a statement to Fox News Digital, where spokesperson Edward Ahmed Mitchell argued that the lawmaker knew “our civil rights organization is an independent, duly registered and legally compliant American 501(c)3 nonprofit that has spent over 30 years advocating for religious freedom, free speech and justice for all people.”
Fox News | | | “Goldman and BofA push Texas Stock Exchange’s haul to $270 million” via Dallas Morning News – Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Bank of America Corp. are headlining a group of investors putting about $20 million into the parent company of the Texas Stock Exchange, adding to the list of Wall Street mainstays backing the upstart marketplace.
The investment boosts the capital raised by TXSE Group to $270 million as the Dallas-based exchange seeks to break off a piece of a market dominated by Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange. Other investors in the Texas venture include JPMorgan Chase & Co., BlackRock Inc. and Ken Griffin’s Citadel Securities.
“These strategic investments by global leaders put TXSE Group in an even stronger capital position for the long haul, enabling us to aggressively bring more innovation and competition to the US capital markets,” founder James Lee said in a statement Monday.
(DMN)
“Dallas-Fort Worth ‘Cowboy Capitalism’ carves its own niche in venture capital” via Dallas Morning News – There was a 283-day period when it would have been impossible to have any productive ideas at a Dallas Mavericks game. How could one think over chants of “Fire Nico”?
Luckily for Alex Treece and Nick Elledge, two of the founders of Stablecore, they reconnected at the American Airlines Center in November 2024, one of the last times Luka Doncic played in a Mavericks jersey before being infamously traded to the Lakers.
A leading venture capitalist invited the pair to the game as part of a group outing with several of the city’s most promising entrepreneurs, and by early 2025, their fintech startup was born.
Like a true Dallas guy, Elledge highlighted the conspicuous presence of Doncic in Stablecore’s origin story in a joint interview with The News, but the tale is emblematic of something else big that is happening in North Texas: the glimmerings of a venture capital boom.
(DMN) | | | > TX TRIB: “Texas is approving money for flood warning systems, but will it be enough to build Kerr County’s?“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “Texas A&M system revises rules on discussing race and gender in class without publicly releasing restrictions“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “Some registered voters Texas flagged as “potential noncitizens” had already shown DPS proof of citizenship“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “How cutting transgender instruction at Texas medical schools undermines health groups’ recommendations“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “More Texas students complete journey through college, but low-income students still left behind“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “Texas tracks the long-term outcomes of public school students. See how your school district compares here.“ TX TRIB | > TX TRIB: “One year after a deadly train wreck, a West Texas town awaits help to avoid more tragedy“ TX TRIB | > COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Prosper council OKs new public works, parks building after failed bond proposition“ COMMUNITY IMPACT | > THE TEXAN: “Harris County Judge Hidalgo’s Broadside Against Democratic Frontrunner Expands Intra-Party Conflict“ THE TEXAN | > SA REPORT: “Bexar County approves University Health budget with 9% growth“ SA REPORT | > HOU CHRON: “$8 million Slick City, padel and pickleball complex coming to Montgomery County“ HOU CHRON | > SAEN: “Parents indicted, accused of keeping 10-year-old in laundry room and killing him“ SAEN | > DMN: “‘Super flu’ variant is circulating and raising concern. Here’s what to know about it“ DMN | > FWST: “Women shot in ambush at Fort Worth home last month need help to recover“ FWST | > FWST: “Side hustles and skills: How today’s college students are redefining success beyond the classroom“ FWST | > WACO TRIB: “Texas installed 3 GW of new solar in Q3, enough to power about 384,000 homes“ WACO TRIB | > MY RGV: “Border Patrol agent shot Mexican man 3 times in Starr County, report says“ MY RGV | > FWST: “Third suspect arrested in West 7th bar shooting that killed 1, injured 5“ FWST | > COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Liberty Hill ISD taps interim chief Travis Motal as superintendent finalist“ COMMUNITY IMPACT | > COMMUNITY IMPACT: “State Farm agent celebrates 40 years of business in Boerne“ COMMUNITY IMPACT | > DMN: “This budget carrier will be the first airline flying to McKinney National Airport“ DMN | > DMN: “Officials identify 55-year-old as man who was hit on Dallas freeway after crashing“ DMN | > DMN: “Ex-NFL player facing felony charges after arrest in Frisco, police say“ DMN | > HOU CHRON: “EU leaders prepare to take unprecedented steps to help Ukraine at a high-stakes summit“ HOU CHRON | > COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Prosper council OKs new public works, parks building after failed bond proposition“ COMMUNITY IMPACT | > THE TEXAN: “Harris County Judge Hidalgo’s Broadside Against Democratic Frontrunner Expands Intra-Party Conflict“ THE TEXAN | > HOU CHRON: “Razor blades found in bread leads to arrest of Texas woman in Biloxi“ HOU CHRON | > FWST: “A new 14-story luxury condo tower along Trinity River moves closer to reality“ FWST | > SAEN: “Voters in Hill Country city choose a new mayor in runoff election“ SAEN | > KXAN: “Texas responds to threat of federal cuts over commercial driver licenses“ KXAN | > COMMUNITY IMPACT: “Conroe rolls back street-closure permit fee to $35 while staff reworks pricing“ COMMUNITY IMPACT | > TPR: “FDA commissioner on public’s growing mistrust in the government’s health advice“ TPR | > MY RGV: “Hidalgo County community leader to run for judge of Probate Court No. 2“ MY RGV | > HOU CHRON: “University of St. Thomas fired founder of ‘life-changing’ program despite parent protest“ HOU CHRON | > DMN: “Goldman and BofA push Texas Stock Exchange’s haul to $270 million“ DMN | > MY RGV: “Missing Los Fresnos man, 24, found dead in field“ MY RGV | > THE TEXAN: “U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Appeal for Rehearing in Llano County Library Book Removal Case“ THE TEXAN | > SAEN: “Hill Country man claimed to be a cop, tried to kidnap women, police say“ SAEN | > WACO TRIB: “Belton football coach Brett Sniffin to retire“ WACO TRIB | > HOU CHRON: “Baytown police officer indicted on manslaughter charges in deaths of two kids“ HOU CHRON | > KXAN: “Texas responds to threat of federal cuts over commercial driver licenses“ KXAN | | | Recent Texas sports scores:
Mon
> NBA: Denver 128, Houston 125 (OT)
> NCAAM: McNeese 78, Incarnate Word 68
> NCAAM: TCU 69, Incarnate Word 65
> NCAAM: East Texas A&M 70, SE Louisiana 69
> NHL: Dallas 4, LA 1
Tues
> NBA: New York 124, San Antonio 113
> NCAAM: #19 Texas Tech 101, Northern Colorado 90
> NCAAM: Texas 95, LeMoyne 53
> NCAAM: UT-RGV 83, Lamar 72
> NCAAM: Tarleton St. 88, Mississippi Valley St. 64
Wed
> NCAAM: NC State 108, Texas Southern 72
> NCAAM: Arkansas St. 89, Texas St. 70
> NCAAM: Santa Clara 63, North Texas 60
> NCAAM: Stephen F. Austin 69, Texas A&M Corpus Christi 60
> NCAAM: USC 97, UTSA 70
> NCAAM: Sam Houston St. at Oregon St. (ESPN+)
> NCAAM: Stanford 76, UT Arlington 60
> NCAAM: Nicholls 79, Houston Christian 64
Thurs
> NBA: New Orleans 133, Houston 128
> NBA: San Antonio 119, Washington 94
> NBA: Dallas 116, Detroit 114
> NHL: Dallas 5, San Jose 3
> NCAAM: TCU 72, Oral Roberts 53
Fri
> NBA: San Antonio 126, Atlanta 98
> NCAAM: Baylor 113, Alcorn St. 56
> NCAAM: Tarleton St. 78, Florida A&M 54
> NCAAM: #10 BYU 85, Abilene Christian 67
> NHL: Dallas 8, Anaheim 3 | | | DALLAS COWBOYS: “Five takeaways from Cowboys-Vikings: Flicker of playoff hopes all but extinguished” DMN
DALLAS COWBOYS: “Dak Prescott shows signs of frustration as Cowboys stare down elimination from playoffs” Dallas Morning News
HOUSTON TEXANS: “Texans running back Jawhar Jordan finally gets his chance and makes most of it” Hou Chron
TEXAS A&M FOOTBALL: “Texas A&M promotes Holmon Wiggins to offensive coordinator” Midland Reporter-Telegram’s
TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL: “Find out who’s playing for UIL state football championships” Midland Reporter-Telegram’s
SAN ANTONIO SPURS: “City moves to buy property from feds for development around Spurs arena” SAEN
TEXAS RANGERS: “Rangers go from quiet to quietly productive after Winter Meetings with trio of deals” DMN
TEXAS MEN’S BASKETBALL: “Texas Longhorns face challenge on defense with SEC basketball looming” AAS |
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