Latest politics news across the State of Texas | Battleground Texas

In a state this big, every vote tells a story. As the nation watches the Lone Star State, we go beyond the headlines to bring you the voices shaping our future. With exclusive candidate access and expert analysis of the most contested districts in the country, we are your front row seat to the fight for the future. Welcome to Battleground Texas. I'm Stephen Dial in Dallas. I'm Greg Groogan in Houston. And joining us this week, our good friend, political analyst, and Rice University Baker Institute fellow, Mark Jones. There's never a dull week in Texas politics. Let's start with what some of the candidates in the state's biggest races have been talking about in the past seven days. In the governor's race, incumbent Greg Abbott kept the spotlight on his plan to help Texans financially. One ex-post reading, protect your home, lower your premiums. Governor Abbott's $400 million Texas roof fortification program will provide up to $10,000 to eligible homeowners. Stronger roofs, up to 8% lower insurance premiums. A second post touting his Keep Texas Affordable plan claiming, the result, safe drivers will be rewarded with reduced insurance premiums. Meantime, Abbott's opponent, Democrat Gina Hinojosa, digging in on her unanswered debate challenge to Abbott. Greg Abbott is afraid to debate me. Why? Because he's a weak governor who's too afraid to face the consequences of what he has done to Texans. Greg Abbott's record, the most bankruptcies, the most uninsured, and the most people being disconnected from their electricity because they cannot afford to pay their bills. He's handing out billion-dollar contracts to his donors. He is fast-tracking data centers, and he is making all of us foot the bill. He can't answer for any of it, and he knows if he debates me, I will expose him. And in four months, we are less than four months, actually, from the November election, and the Texas Senate race is really proving to be a test of political endurance. This week in Fort Worth at a campaign event, Republican nominee Attorney General Ken Paxton dodged questions from reporters about his voter registration and property ownership. He kind of walked away after only taking three questions, saying he wanted to stick to law enforcement. Take a listen. You're talking about public safety. What should that say to voters? Is public safety the priority over that other issue? Do you have comments on that? I say they're both important. Just because we focused on public safety doesn't mean we don't care about other issues. Perfect. On the other side, Paxton's challenger, Democrat State Representative James Tallarico, had a tense moment at a rally in Houston, at one point being cornered by a local activist talking and demanding for stronger black outreach. So you stay here, you answer our questions, or you suffer the consequences. So, I'm happy to engage. We'll come to here in just a second. I appreciate you being here, and I appreciate you traveling in, and I appreciate you... I did it for my people, not for you. Wonderful, that's wonderful. I think that's wonderful. And... It's alright, it's alright, it's alright. This is what this conversation's supposed to be about. Yeah. I'm sorry, I'm only answering questions on law enforcement today. So, in all seriousness, we need a senator who's willing to answer tough questions. As you all have seen over the last few days, when I get a tough question, I answer it. When Ken Paxton gets a tough question, he runs away. And that's because he doesn't answer to the people of this state, he answers to his billionaire mega-donors. Tallarico ultimately stayed and answered questions for about 20 minutes, also pledging $25 million to black voter outreach, and then the rest of the time he took multiple shots at Ken Paxton. Alright, we will unpack those issues and a great deal more when Battleground Texas returns on the other side of this break. Welcome back. During these smokin' hot days in the teeth of a Texas summer, affordability has been at the top of the campaign ledger for both incumbent and challenger in the race for governor. Mark, clearly the onus is on Democrat Gina Hinojosa to close the gap. So far, she's relied on a one-two punch, offering to rebate billions of dollars from the Rainy Day Fund in a one-time $1,500 per family stipend, while also contending Abbott has kind of squandered tax dollars via crony contracting with his big donors. Do you see that strategy gaining any traction? Well, I think attacking the governor on sort of benefits for large businesses and crony capitalism is always an effective strategy for a Democrat. I don't, though, think that this idea of effectively gifting people by $1,500 by raiding the Rainy Day Fund and taking it down to relatively a perilous level is a good strategy and one that's likely to be effective. At the end of the day, though, Hinojosa's going to be grasping at straws between now and November, because she's at a serious disadvantage to the governor both in public opinion polls and especially in terms of campaign finance, where Abbott has anywhere between 20 and 30 times the amount of money she has and has the ability to effectively raise as much as he needs if he feels he needs it. And so on the debate, which she's attacked him on, I suspect Abbott will eventually debate her, but he sees no reason right now to provide her with a platform given that he's well-known and is in a good position. She's not well-known and is trailing. So he probably will debate her on his own terms, but that will come later and under conditions of his choosing. Steven Abbott's counterpunch has been focused on using the power of government to lower the overhead of homeowners, whether on their school taxes or their insurance rates. Certainly less flashy than a $1,500 handout check, but potentially just as effective. Agree, disagree? Agree, and it's crazy. I've been here seven years, and literally every single year, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are talking about property taxes and homestead exemption. But the thing is, I've sat through a couple of sessions now, and they've passed homestead exemptions and property tax cuts. And so my question is, why does it continue to be a topic if these same lawmakers are passing the cuts that they're talking about? Nevertheless, it's a unifying topic. It's something that a Republican, a Democrat, and an Independent will all want to spend less on their homes. And so it's a good topic for Governor Abbott, but definitely not flashy. All right, Mark, Ken Paxton making an ultra-rare appearance before veteran political reporters in DFW only to completely escape when they responsibly pressed him to explain his allegedly fraudulent voting record and accumulation of a multi-million dollar real estate portfolio on a public servant's salary. All right, Greg, so just like Monty Python's Brave Sir Robin, Ken Paxton ran away. And I think that's definitely something we're going to be seeing throughout this campaign, in that Paxton has a long history of not doing press conferences and not putting himself out there where he has to face independent journalists asking tough questions, whether it's on his ethical issues, financial issues, legal issues, or a host of other topics. I think the Paxton handlers probably learned that, you know, one, these types of press conferences are not Ken Paxton's strong suit, and two, they put him at unnecessary risk. He would have been far better off not holding a press conference than providing the video feed of him failing to answer tough questions related to issues related to residency or financial issues. I think this is one of those things that probably gives the Paxton team pause about putting him out there in an actual debate against James Tallarico, because you can imagine him being put on the stage with Tallarico, with independent veteran reporters asking him tough questions, and him trying to skate where he would have no place to run. All right, Stephen, Tallarico looking to mend fences with Black Voters the old-fashioned way with a pledge of $25 million campaign dollars to turbocharge African-American turnout. My question, will that be enough to overcome the Crockett claim that she was targeted with racist attacks by Team Tallarico? For sure, and I mean, honestly, to be very honest with you, I don't think anything will be enough in this situation. I know every campaign is different, every situation is different. One thing I'm curious about is I know Tallarico has to court the Black vote. He needs not just regular Black turnout, he needs high Black turnout to go into that Perfect Stars lining up for him to try to pull off this upset. But I'm wondering, while he's focused on courting the Black vote, will that hurt him in other areas? Let's say Latino voters or other voters just in general. You can't take any voting group or any population for granted. And so he has to really have that marathon endurance and be on the campaign trail about everything. All right, the proliferation of data centers has really consumed the political headlines this summer. And the real question is, is it a unifying topic or are both parties saying the same thing? We'll talk about it coming up. Pushing back against these AI data centers that are trying to build in our neighborhoods. I've made clear already. Any AI data center even thinking about coming here, they've got to bring their own money, bring their own power, reuse their own water, and do it in a way that reduces the cost of electricity for residents across our state. Then two more things. We must prohibit them from building AI data centers in rural Texas neighborhoods. And we must eliminate the tax break they are getting. Facing a tougher than expected re-election fight, Governor Greg Abbott is reeling in the welcome mat he once rolled out for giant AI data centers. Facilities rapidly taking over rural Texas and threatening the state's power grid. All right, and while Abbott now insists big tech bring their own electricity and water, critics from both parties say his sudden pivot is too little too late. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller claims the governor's recent temporary moratorium is nothing more than an election-year maneuver. We called on the governor to do a one-year moratorium so the legislature would have time to meet, give some oversight, guardrails around these data centers because they built a county that's absolutely done. The county has no power whatsoever to regulate them. The governor didn't do that. He did a six-month moratorium, which gets him past his election, but it doesn't allow the legislature to meet. So very conveniently there, he's giving a wink and a nod to his campaign supporters that in the data industry, you've got time to get grandfathered in, do what you want to do before September of 2027. So in lieu of that, I called on the governor to call a special session, a 30-day special session to address this issue. We have to do it now. Other elected officials have also called on him to do that. If we could meet 30 days or less in six weeks, we could have this problem. We could have some guardrails around it. It's why we've got to stop these data centers from jacking up our utility bills. We've got to stop them from using up our water. And we have to stop corrupt politicians from giving these sweetheart tax deals to giant AI companies. If these corporations can't meet our demands, the demands of the people, then they shouldn't build data centers in our communities. Texas put a man on the moon. We pioneered ranching and energy and computers. We've always been a leader on innovation, and that should be true in the AI era as well. But there is a right way to do this. We're often told in our politics that we have to choose between policies that are pro-growth and pro-people. I reject that choice. And the plan that we're outlining today to hold data centers accountable, I think, strikes a balance between welcoming those investments while also protecting working people in our state. I don't know who had data centers as a political topic on their bingo card this summer, guys. Greg, it seems like an issue that is an across-the-aisle issue. But what are your top five issues that voters are going to care about in November? Well, look, I'm going to talk about me. Honestly, it wasn't even in my top ten. But in my own defense, it's proof of just how quickly hundreds of billions of dollars can stealthily move the dial. No pun there, Stephen. Especially when you've got Governor Greg Abbott's seal of approval. I mean, how bad can they be when the caretaker of the Texas miracle offers a group hug? Abbott's 180 has been painful but necessary. And Stephen, now that they have invaded, enforced, you can almost hear the cocktail hour celebrations from the lobbyists at the state capitol, who I'm betting will have an unprecedented blank check from the industry to soften reform, limit regulation, and absolutely cement their residency in the Lone Star State. My prediction, this data center influx will be akin to an aggressive tumor being treated at M.D. Anderson, the kind where doctors say, look, we can't cure it, only manage it. Republicans responsible for the state's finite water and power resources got blindsided on this one. Just how big a price they pay, if any, is yet to be determined. Stephen? Mark, this seems like an issue that both sides kind of agree with. What's your take on this? Well, this is a good example of targeted costs and diffuse benefits. Everyone in Texas benefits from AI, but certain areas, particularly rural areas, as well as suburban areas and unincorporated areas of counties, bear the cost of having these data centers in their backyard, both the nuisance, the noise, the water, and the electricity. So, the governor also knows that these areas where you have this disproportionate establishment of data centers are also red areas where he needs those voters to come out in full force for him to win. As Greg mentions, though, we're talking about the election now, and Sid Miller alluded to this. Once we get to the legislative session, which starts in January, you're going to see hundreds of million dollars spent by these tech companies on lobbyists. And if past predicts present, the data centers will be alive and well and thriving come 2027 and beyond. Greg, last word. Do you think the governor will change his tune after November? Look, the devil will be in the details here, assuming he's back at the helm. There will definitely be new restrictions on data center development. Notice the governor's ban is limited to rural, almost entirely Republican neighborhoods. That will be something to watch. Lots of questions to be answered. Will existing data centers be grandfathered? Mark, talk about that. We'll keep an eye on it. All right, coming up, our parting shots. Welcome back. Every week, we reserve a little time to settle what I like to call all-family business on the battleground. I'll go first. Here in Houston, folks are still reeling over the fatal ice shooting of Lorenzo Salgado. I am troubled that the latest independent analysis indicates ice agents rammed the immigrant's van, not the other way around. I am troubled a $28 billion per year federal law enforcement entity has no viable excuse for the absence of truth-confirming dash or body cameras in this fatal encounter. And I am troubled that independent analysis indicates Salgado was shot through the passenger side window while the van was fully stopped and no immediate threat to the agent. And I am troubled that more than a week after claiming immigrants in the van were likely in possession of methamphetamine, there has been zero rebuttal to the insistence of surviving witnesses in the vehicle that the small bags only contain salt used to battle the impact of hard labor in Texas heat. I am troubled by it all, and I'm guessing many of you are, too. Mark, what you got? Well, Greg, a year ago, Republicans looked to be in very good shape to keep control of the U.S. Senate with their 53 to 47 majority. However, Donald Trump's ill-advised decision to launch into the Iran war and all the lack of success he has had there and the recent uptick in violence in the Strait of Hormuz has caused oil prices to rise and gas prices to rise. You put that together with these aggressive immigration tactics with rogue ICE agents, and this could spell the loss of Republican control of the U.S. Senate in a year that, if they had played their cards better, they could have won and kept control of the Senate during President Trump's final two years in office. All right, Stephen. Yeah, really quickly, Jess, Ken Paxton, I wonder if they're gonna keep him in a bubble or if he'll still be having these events where he's vulnerable to be asked questions by the media. That's my take. All right, that's all the time we have. To see this episode or any of our past ones, go to our station's YouTube channels and keep the conversation going by interacting with us on social media. Always plenty of political action unfolding on Battleground, Texas, and we'll be back again next week to unpack it all. Until then, vaya con Dios.