Here’s quick recap of what happened over the last week:
A little abbreviated this week. Austin not only has spring break, but also the annual SXSW festival that basically shuts down the downtown area for the week due to increased visitors and traffic.
No Endorsement in Senate Race
The deadline for any candidate to remove their name from the May 26th runoff election was Tuesday at 5PM. With no endorsement from President Trump as of yet, both candidates allowed their name to remain on the ballot and both will appear on the ballot.
In an interview with NBC News last week, Trump said he is still mulling a potential endorsement and “will let you all know next week.” Trump went on to say that the endorsement will depend on the progress of the SAVE America Act – which requires voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections – which is being debated this week by the Senate. The bill is unlikely to pass the Senate, as the initial procedural vote to proceed with the legislation only garnered 51 votes, well shy of the 60 needed to secure passage under Senate rules. Cornyn recently changed his long-standing commitment to change the Senate rules requiring the 60-vote threshold for passing, but there are apparently not enough other Republican Senators that share his view. Plus, many saw Cornyn’s sudden change as nothing more than a desperate attempt at getting the President’s endorsement.
Trump also dismissed conventional wisdom that Cornyn is the more electable candidate in November, saying he believes either candidate can win. Trump’s public declaration supporting Paxton’s electability and the inability of the US Senate to pass the SAVE Act work in Paxton’s favor.
Both candidates are now sniping at each other and trading insults. Cornyn has launched an ad campaign once again focusing on Paxton’s alleged infidelities while the Paxton camp is concentrating on Cornyn’s past disagreements with Trump, including his declaration in 2024 that he did not think Trump could win the Presidency.
GOP Targeting Talarico
Comments made by Democratic US Senate nominee James Talarico in 2021 that “God in nonbinary” are being used by Republican office holders and media operatives to cast him as too liberal and out of step with most Texans. Nonbinary views do not conform to the beliefs that gender identity consists of only males and females. Talarico has been quoted as saying, “God is feminine, masculine, and everything in between”. Talarico has also defended the trans community saying, “they are God’s children, made in his own image”.
But Talarico’s past statements on gender identity are only part of what is being targeted to try and label him as an extremist. The National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has recently launched a digital ad campaign focusing on comments Talarico made in response to a mass shooting that said, “radicalized white men are the greatest threat to our national security.” In announcing the ad campaign, a spokesman for the NRSCC called Talarico “the most radical, woke Democrat Texas voters have ever seen”.
In defense of his remarks, in an interview with the New York Times, Talarico said he would probably articulate his views differently today than he has in the past, and goes on to say that “racism is wrong..trans people deserve dignity and equality, and those are principles I derive directly from my faith”.
Cornyn Argues with Casar at Austin Airport
Incumbent Republican US Senator John Cornyn held a press conference on Monday at the Austin airport to blame the Democrats for the ongoing partial government shutdown that has left TSA agents without pay and leading to staffing shortages and very long lines at airports for travelers.
Austin Democratic Congressman Greg Casar crashed the press conference, in turn blaming the Republicans for the ongoing shutdown and criticizing Cornyn for not supporting legislation that funded only the TSA agents. The two childishly bickered and traded insults for about 2-3 minutes before Cornyn walked away. He told Casar “you should vote to fund these poor people” and went to deliver Whataburger and pizza to the agents on duty at the time.
TSA agents missed their first full paycheck last week and will miss another on the 1st of April if the funding issue is not resolved. However, the standoff shows no signs of ending any time soon. Airports are experiencing significant declines in TSA staff, which could continue to grow if the agents have to choose to continue to work without a paycheck. Many agents are now actively looking for or have gotten other jobs. Several airports have even floated the possibility of having to shut down if the staffing shortages continue.
Gas Prices, Travel Affected
Gas prices in Texas have jumped over $1 per gallon as the war with Iran continues. Drivers in Texas – According to GasBuddy – are now paying $3.57/gallon, which is an increase of $1.07/gallon from last week. Nationwide, the average price per gallon hit $3.88 this week, the highest per gallon price in nearly three years. The cause is the price of crude prices that continue to jump due principally to Iran now blocking tankers from exiting the Strait of Hormuz near Iran and delivering the oil to all parts of the world. One-fifth of all oil production in the world passes through the Strait. The price of West Texas Intermediate crude increased on Wednesday to $96.32/barrel, an increase of 2.07% in one day. Brent – the international benchmark for crude prices – jumped 3.8% on Wednesday to $107.38. Both benchmarks are up over 50% since the start of the war with Iran.
More than half of TSA agents called in sick to Houston Hobby airport Saturday as the partial government shutdown continues and TSA agents are forced to work without a paycheck. Security lines there have been reported to have waits of nearly four hours over the weekend, with wait times decreasing after early morning hours. Since the shutdown began nearly a month ago, Hobby has the third highest sick call rate in the country, trailing only Hartsfield in Atlanta and JFK in New York. Wait times at Houston’s Bush Intercontinental airport were reported to be three hours yesterday during the early morning hours, but also decreased as the day progressed.
Cesar Chavez Holiday Canceled
In the wake of the posthumous allegations against labor union activist Cesar Chavez, Gov. Abbott announced on Wednesday that the state of Texas will no longer observe the federal holiday in honor of Chavez. The New York Times published an article this week detailing allegations of sexual grooming and trafficking of young girls – including minors – by Chavez. The United Farm Workers called the allegations “deeply troubling” and the representatives of the Cesar Chavez Foundation declared they were “shocked by allegations of his inappropriate behavior”.
Currently the state recognizes the holiday but does not automatically grant time off for state workers to observe the holiday. Instead, state employees can accrue compensatory time if working on that holiday or can observe the holiday without it counting against vacation time. Abbott says he will work with the legislature to propose a change in the law that will remove any recognition of the holiday by the state.
Political Notes
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows is leading a delegation of nearly 100 Republican state House and Senate members that have been invited to the White House for policy briefings and strategy discussions on implementing the policies and initiatives of the Trump administration in Texas. No specifics were given on what topics were to be discussed, but it was disclosed that the members will have meetings with cabinet secretaries in the Commerce, Health and Human Services, and Housing departments.
Calls continue for the resignation of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo after she demanded access for her and a group of friends to a rodeo concert in a premium area for which they did not have tickets. Reportedly there was a confrontation between Hidalgo and security guards after she was denied access that led to her eventual removal from the rodeo grounds. Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey labeled her conduct “selfish and self-centered” and says he will force the issues before the commissioners court. Republican state Senator Paul Bettencourt of Houston has joined Ramsey in calling for Hidalgo’s resignation.
In the March 3rd primary, voters in Dallas County were forced to vote in their precinct on election day instead of being allowed to vote anywhere countywide. The Republican and Democratic parties in the county could not agree on specifics regarding polling sites and therefore implemented the precinct only requirement. (both parties must agree to allow for countywide voting) Now, the Republican Party in Dallas County has agreed – as has the Democratic Party – that countywide voting will be in place for the May 26th runoff. The decision came after local election officials said thousands of voters had to be redirected to their precinct location on election day, causing many to miss the 7PM deadline to cast a vote.
Austin Democratic state Rep. Vicki Goodwin has called on her opponent to withdraw from the Democratic runoff for the party’s nomination for Lt. Governor. Goodwin released a poll this week showing her with a 41-point lead over labor union leader Marcos Velez. The poll done by A to Z Research shows Goodwin leading by a 66% to 25% margin, and Goodwin has called on Velez to drop out of the race so she can begin to focus on her challenge to incumbent Republican Lt. Governor Dan Patrick. No word from Velez on whether he intends to stay in the race.
Jace Yarbrough is now officially the Republican nominee for Congressional District 32 in north Texas. Yarbrough was endorsed by President Trump and received 49% of the vote in the primary election in a field of nine candidates. Second place finisher Ryan Binkley withdrew on Tuesday before the 5PM deadline for candidates to remain on the ballot for the runoff, saying it was more beneficial to the party to unite behind one candidate. Yarbrough – an attorney from Denton – will face Dan Berrios in November in this solidly red district.
What’s Next
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee has scheduled a meeting for April 1st to discuss improving security surrounding the state’s electric grid, specifically as it relates to threats from foreign entities such as China, Russia, and Iran.
Now the campaigns for the runoffs begin. The runoff election is Tuesday, May 26th.
Members will eagerly await the issuance of the interim charges for each committee, followed by an aggressive schedule of hearings throughout the spring and summer.