Texans Defending Democracy

🗳️ Texas showed up.
Turnout was strong this primary — proof that participation shapes elections.
Some races head to a May 26 runoff. In Texas, if no one clears 50%, the top two advance.
Runoffs are often decided by far fewer voters.
Democracy continues. #TXVotes

A 4th U.S. soldier has died as the war with Iran further engulfs the region The war over Iran engulfed more of the Middle East and beyond on Monday as strikes intensified, Iran-backed groups stepped up attacks and a fourth U.S. service member was killed in action.

The war over Iran engulfed more of the Middle East and beyond on Monday as strikes intensified, Iran-backed groups stepped up attacks and a fourth U.S. service member was killed in action.

Judge: IRS broke law ‘approximately 42,695 times’ in giving DHS data A court on Thursday issued an opinion on a data-sharing agreement between the taxpayer agency and federal immigration authorities.

A federal judge has found that the IRS violated federal law "approximately 42,695 times" when it shared confidential taxpayer addresses with immigration enforcement officials last summer.

Texas narrows list of Fort Worth ISD’s takeover managers The Texas Education Agency said 196 people attended at least one day of training to become takeover managers.

Behind the scenes, Texas narrows list to replace Fort Worth ISD’s elected trustees

Ken Paxton’s ‘Shoddy’ Prosecution of a Midwife Is Part of a Strategy to Expand His Power. Low-Income Houstonians Are Paying the Price. Maria Margarita Rojas is the first healthcare provider charged for abortion care under Texas’ strict criminal ban. Her attorneys say the state has no evidence—yet her clinics remain shuttered.

Featured story, from @marytuma.bsky.social: “There’s an almost shocking lack of evidence around these #abortion care accusations. What you’re seeing is an attorney general grasping at straws and rushing to indict anyone during an election year.”

🚨 Final day of Early Voting, Texas!

Election Day is March 3 — but if you want to get it done early, today’s your moment.

Take 30 seconds and take the pledge to vote 👇
www.texansdefendingdemocracy.com/pledge

Show up. Make it count. Finish strong.

#TXVotes #PledgeToVote

Last week, a new SD 9 State Senator was sworn in to serve in the Texas Senate.

An oath is the beginning. Accountability is ongoing.

Stay engaged.
Don’t let the few decide for you.

#TXPolitics #SD9

Early voting in North Texas is surging! 🗳️
Through Feb 23, Dallas & Tarrant counties have seen 177,000+ ballots cast across both primaries — a dramatic increase over 2024 and 2022 early voting numbers.
Early voting ends Feb 27. Election Day is March 3. Make your plan today!
#TXvotes #NorthTexas

Rep. Tony Gonzales asked for “sexy pic” from aide, texts show Additionally, a police report shows that the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend.

Over the weekend, texts showing Rep. Tony Gonzales asking for explicit photos from Santos-Aviles, the aide who died by suicide, were sent by her husband Adrian Aviles as evidence of an affair between the congressman and his staffer.

True: Tariffs are taxes.

UNT blames shortfall on loss of international students, cuts Travel restrictions and sharper federal attention are dissuading foreign students from attending U.S. colleges, advocates say, hitting the Denton university harder than most.

UNT officials said international graduate enrollment fell from about 6,200 students in fall 2024 to just under 3,400 in fall 2025.

International students typically pay significantly higher tuition than Texas residents, making their enrollment decline especially costly for public universities.

a poster that says " we the people " on it ALT: a poster that says " we the people " on it

Constitutional principles demand equal treatment. Public funds can’t favor one faith over another. We urge Texas officials to publish plain-language guidance ensuring vouchers apply uniformly to all eligible schools, regardless of religion. #TexasEducation #ReligiousFreedom

a man wearing glasses and a red hat says " the same level " ALT: a man wearing glasses and a red hat says " the same level "

Meanwhile, reports say the voucher program is excluding many Islamic private schools (even accredited
ones) while similar Christian/Jewish schools are approved. State rules require accreditation but should apply equally.

Rumors that CAIR is secretly imposing “Sharia law” in Texas are false. Texas Muslims are a small minority and CAIR says such claims are “nonsense” and impossible to enforce.

If the funding is public, shouldn’t the baseline safeguards be clear and consistent?

Equal funding should mean equal accountability.

#TexasEducation #PublicFunds #SchoolOversight

Voucher-approved private schools operate under a different statutory framework. They must conduct criminal history reviews, but contractor screening and fingerprinting requirements are not spelled out the same way in law.

Texas public schools must run fingerprint-based national background checks on employees — and on contractors who have ongoing, direct contact with students. Ongoing monitoring is required.

YouTube video by Sesame Street Classics I Am Somebody - Jesse Jackson #sesamestreet

Jesse Jackson once stood on Sesame Street and led kids in a chant:

“I am somebody.”

A simple reminder:

We are all somebody.
We each matter.
Our voices count.

That message still stands.
youtube.com/shorts/o-lf4...
#IAmSomebody

A primary election is like filtering search results.
Primary voters decide which names even make it onto the November ballot.
If you skip it, someone else hits “filter” for you.
The choices start here.
#TexasElections

Final day to vote is tomorrow. 🗳️

Facts matter. Participation matters more.
If you’re voting in the SD 9 or CD 18 runoff, make a plan and show up.

Low turnout lets the few decide. Don’t be one of them.

New at 7pm:
When laws are layered and tensions are high, clarity matters.

Our latest Substack breaks down why understanding constitutional rights protects everyone. → open.substack.com/pub/texansde...

Texans — and all Americans — have 1A rights to record public officials in public spaces and 2A rights to lawfully own and carry firearms under state law. Those rights don’t disappear when government agents are present. Knowing the law helps cut through confusion and misinformation.

Recent events, including the fatal shooting of Minneapolis resident Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal agents, remind us why constitutional rights matter. Pretti was a U.S. citizen and lawful gun owner; videos raise questions about the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Facts > fear.

Strong democracies are built on evidence, transparency, and participation — not exaggeration.

Sources: Heritage Foundation Election Fraud Map (TX cases since 2005); TX Secretary of State turnout data.

Election integrity isn’t just about catching rare violations.
It’s also about ensuring access, accuracy, and public trust.

Secure elections and accessible elections are not opposites — they depend on each other.

History shows that fraud rhetoric is frequently used to:
• shrink early voting windows
• reduce polling locations
• add hurdles for eligible voters

Even when fraud itself isn’t widespread.

Small numbers can sound alarming when they’re removed from context.

That’s why isolated cases are often cited to justify sweeping changes — even when the underlying problem is rare.

Importantly, the data does not support claims of:
• coordinated fraud
• rigged elections
• mass illegal voting
• outcomes being overturned by fraud

Those claims simply aren’t borne out by evidence.

When you compare total ballots cast to confirmed voter fraud cases, the picture becomes clear very quickly.

The numbers don’t point to a system in crisis — they point to elections that overwhelmingly work.

Texas runs one of the largest election systems in the country.
Over the last two decades, Texans have cast tens of millions of ballots across local, state, and federal elections.

That scale matters when evaluating fraud claims.