Texas Take

Listen to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott pledge to spend “most of” his $90 million [https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/education/article/gov-abbott-vows-turn-harris-county-dark-red-21111657.php] campaign warchest in and around Houston to turn the area “dark red.” Given he’s lost Harris County by larger margins every time he’s been on the ballot since 2014, it seems like a fool's errand. But reporter Benjamin Wermund joins host Jeremy Wallace to dig into why the Republican might be so confident even in one of the state’s bluest counties. Plus, they break down who his top donors are by name, detailing where they came from, and what some have received in return for their loyalty. Also State Sen. Paul Bettencourt joins the show to talk about the surprising drop in voter registrations in Texas. Since last year, Texas saw the voter rolls shrink by 130,000 people - the biggest drop since 2012. And finally, the show looks at why a South Texas Republican is calling for Congress to extend Obama Care tax credits. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Democrat Gina Hinajosa says she is no sacrificial lamb. In a one-on-one sit-down interview, the Rio Grande Valley native explains how she thinks she can beat Gov. Greg Abbott. In short, she says Abbott has let billionaires have too much influence over Texas while the working class struggles. Plus, the state’s 8th-largest city is so close to running out of water that it’s tearing apart the community to the point that people were getting arrested at a recent city council meeting. We'll play what happened. Reporter Megan Kimble joins host Jeremy Wallace to explain why the city's struggle has broad implications statewide and could be replicated in more Texas cities in the future. Finally, Eric Dexheimer provides details on why and how a small group of mostly out-of-staters is attempting to take over the government in the tiny Loving County. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker slammed Gov. Greg Abbott for allowing Texas National Guard soldiers to be deployed in the Windy City without their permission. Reporters Benjamin Wermund and Bayliss Wagner join host Jeremy Wallace to break down the tension and dig into how Abbott is responding. Plus, political reporter John Moritz joins the program to assess the latest in the red-hot U.S. Senate race in Texas. Does Wesley Hunt really has a shot in the GOP Primary and why is Jasmine Crockett doing so well in polls on the Democratic side, despite not being in the race? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Why is the new mayor of Texas’s second-largest city publicly fighting people in her own party and a guy known as Spurs Jesus? Express-News reporter Molly Smith gets behind the scenes of the turmoil of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’s tumultuous first 100 days in office. Plus U.S. Reps. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, and Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, join the program to explain their frustration at the other side over the government shutdown and what's at stake for millions of Texans. Castro also hints at his political future. Will he run for the U.S. Senate? Governor? Finally, tune in for an update from Alamo expert Scott Huddleston on what is happening around the historic battle site that has been heavily debated for years. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Texas Republicans and their national brethren were settling a lot of scores this week. While the Texas GOP officially threatened the political future of fellow Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows, the Trump White House went after comedian Jimmy Kimmel to the objection of notable Texas Republicans like Sen. Ted Cruz. Reporters Benjamin Wermund and Taylor Goldenstein join host Jeremy Wallace to assess how much danger Burrows is in and what Cruz had to say at The Texas Youth Summit amid the Kimmel controversy. Plus, state Sen. Carol Alvarado joins the program to slam Republicans for threatening the political career of the only Latina to ever represent Houston in Congress. Listeners will also hear what Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett said during a speech in Austin and why it was so important. Finally, listen to Cruz break into his favorite characters from his favorite movie -- a flashback to when he was once the president of his high school drama club. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]