GAVIN’S TO-DO LIST FOR NOV 8

1. Thank Texas Dems for Prop 50 ✅
2. Troll Greg Abbott & Trump ✅
3. Build for 2028 (💰🗳️🇺🇸) ✅

@gavinnewsom.bsky.social in Houston: “Don’t poke the bear!”

Here’s the crowd of about 1K just before he took the stage

Talarico kicked off his campaign earlier today with a video message and media blitz.

I’m in Round Rock Texas tonight where Democrats @jamestalarico.bsky.social is kicking off his campaign for the US Senate

Will Texas ban THC? Some Texas Republicans are trying, but there is still a lot of disagreement even within their ranks on this. Here’s the latest as time ticks down on the latest special session of the Texas Legislature.

Texas Democrats won a key battle this week, but the war is far from over. Republicans are already starting another special session to pass redistricting maps.

Yesterday John Moritz and Taylor Goldenstein reported on how Dems who were on the run have announced they are coming back and will turn to the courts next if they can stop the maps in the House. They are unlikely to stop the maps given they are in the minority

But the battle is far from over. Gov. Greg Abbott already announced the start of another special session starting at noon to address all the legislation that just died in the first special session.

Round 1: Texas Democrats?

The Texas House officially ended the special session of the Texas Legislature without passing the redistricting plan President Trump wants.

"Our members are holding strong & we're committed more so, now than ever, to see this through and to make sure that we do what we need to do for the people of Texas and the people of the United States of America," Texas Rep. Gene Wu on MSNBC's @Morning_Joe this am @genewu.bsky.social

Green reminded me that the maps are far from final. He said the first order of business is to fight the maps because they target Black and Hispanic communities.

www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/tex...

The 18th is vacant because of the death of Sylvester Turner though 20+ candidates have filed to replace him on a special election in Nov.

Also note that Green would live in the 18th under the proposed redraw if it goes through.

Don’t count @RepAlGreen out quite yet.

While proposed congressional maps wipe out his Houston district, he points out many of his constituents could shift to neighboring 18th, where he could run given there is no incumbent there.

“I’m keeping all options open,” he told me.

This all illustrated to me how ruthless the politics have become. The very people who eulogized Turner are being asked to do something they KNOW he’d have fought them tooth and nail over.

Turner’s Congressional District was specifically mentioned in Gov Greg Abbott special session call as a reason to redraw districts

There are still members of the Texas House around who served WITH Turner when he was a member of the Texas House before he was Houston’s mayor

Look carefully at this photo

That casket has the body US Rep @sylvesterturner.bsky.social who died in March & was being eulogized by Texas House Speaker Burrows

4 months later, Burrows & others in #txlege are being asked to carve up his old congressional district from almost the same spot

And more here

Here are Texas radio stations that received grants from Corp for Public Broadcasting in 2024.

14 public radio stations at HBCUs nationwide got grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. With these cuts by Congress on Friday those grants will cease.

Congressional cuts will hit Black community radio stations, including in Houston The decision by Congress to slash more than $1 billion from public broadcasting will reach deep into the Black community in Texas and beyond

It’s not just PBS & NPR.

Small community radio stations run by historically Black colleges, like KTSU at @TexasSouthern are going to lose key funding

These stations were critical during the pandemic in getting info to hard to reach communities

www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/tex...

How’s this for a Democratic lineup in San Antonio. That’s former SA mayor Ron Nirenberg, @jamestalarico.bsky.social @joaquincastrotx.bsky.social @betoorourke.bsky.social at Stable Hall in San Antonio where about 1,000 people packed the hall to hear them

Houston Chronicle | Texas Take with Jeremy Wallace Newsletter

More on all of this in the Texas Take Newsletter tonight. Tonight's is definitely worth signing up for. Port Arthur, Boca Chica, Waco, Jacksonville and of course Houston and San Antonio will all be represented! www.houstonchronicle.com/newsletters/...

The longest current serving Republican in the Texas Senate announces he won't seek re-election. Sen Robert Nichols has been in Senate since 2007.

With State Sen. Joan Huffman running for Attorney General, that could make Sen Brian Birdwell (elected in 2010) the most senior R in the Senate.

Castro told me the US has a history of supporting Israel, but said he doesn’t believe Iran was an imminent nuclear threat.

“Benjamin Netanyahu started something he knew they could not finish,” Castro said.

Israel simply didn’t have the types of weapons to hit the facilities like the US has and needed Trump to jump in.

“And Donald Trump took the bait,” Castro, D-San Antonio, said.

Did Benjamin Netanyahu “dupe” President Trump and the United States into war?

That’s exactly what US Rep @JoaquinCastrotx says just happened.

Castro, a member of the House Intel Committee, said Netanyahu sabotaged diplomatic negotiations and goaded Trump into war.

I had more on this in my Texas Take Newsletter, which also included why Joe Biden is in Texas today and lots of campaign updates on key races in Houston, San Antonio and Laredo.

www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/tex...

The questions where he doesn’t know some basics about Iran are not just weird trivia questions given Cruz is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Carlson made him look unprepared.

I listened to all 2 hours of the Ted Cruz interview with Tucker Carlson and still can’t figure why he agreed to do that interview. Sure he gets a few minutes of declaring his commitment to Israel but the price he paid for that was soooo steep

Houston Chronicle | Texas Take with Jeremy Wallace Newsletter

I had more on this in my FREE Texas Take Newsletter last night. Be sure to sign up. All of the cool kids are already subscribing! www.houstonchronicle.com/newsletters/...