Party Politics

In this week’s episode of Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina take a break from the daily political headlines to examine the candidates, races and voting trends that could shape the next chapter of Texas politics. From the high-profile U.S. Senate contest to competitive local races, they break down who is running, what’s at stake and how voters could influence the re...

In this week’s episode of Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine a series of national controversies, including an ICE raid at Representative Ilhan Omar’s home, the scandal surrounding U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s reported firing, and President Donald Trump’s executive order on diesel. The conversation turns to Texas, where the hosts discuss the...

In this week’s episode of Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine President Donald Trump’s relationship with the Supreme Court, including his recent comments about the justices he nominated and several major cases before the court this term. They also discuss Trump’s decision to publicly share Senator Tom Cotton’s phone number following a disagreement over dayligh...

On this week’s Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance’s visit to Texas and the Republican effort to appeal to Latino voters. The hosts also discuss the Trump administration's taxpayer-funded campaign advertising and the role of political messaging heading into the midterms. The U.S. Senate race between Republica...

In this week's episode of Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rotinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina explore whether Congress is ready to regulate artificial intelligence and what growing concerns over AI could mean for lawmakers. They also discuss the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to block President Trump's mail-in ballots plan and the Texas Supreme Court decided to block Galveston County from using newly...

On this week’s Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine whether Texas could be moving toward a political shift—and what it could mean for Republicans heading into the midterms. The hosts discuss Sen. Ted Cruz’s concerns that Republicans could lose ground in Texas, the growing affordability issue and the impact of President Donald Trump on the state’s political lan...

On this week's episode of Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine the continuing resolution and whether Republicans can claim credit for recent political wins. The hosts also look at plans for a televised GOP midterm convention and what the gathering could mean for the Texas Senate race, as well as the growing barrage of campaign ads. In Texas, they examine Gov....

On the season five premier of Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina break down the latest national and Texas political developments. They examine the Trump administration’s new economic sanctions on Iran, plans to expand beef imports and the Supreme Court’s decision allowing restrictions on mail-in voting to move forward. In Texas, Trump’s upcoming Harris County visit r...

After a season packed with political drama, legal battles, campaign chaos, and some truly surreal headlines, Party Politics wrapped up Season 4 with a look back at the moments viewers talked about most. Hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina revisited some of the year’s biggest conversations — from Texas elections and redistricting fights to immigration debates, economic frustrations, and...

Foreign policy tensions, rising gas prices, redistricting wars, and major Texas political maneuvering all collide in this week’s episode of Party Politics . Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina break down how escalating conflict with Iran is creating political headaches for the White House — especially as Americans continue to feel economic pressure at the pump. The episode examines t...

This week, Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss how the United States is more polarized than ever, why polarization is at an all-time high, the connection between partisan behaviors and social media, political resentment and anxiety, the implications of polarization and possible solutions. TOPICS:The United States is more politically polarized than ever. Why is polarization at...

The 2028 presidential election may feel far away, but the race to define it is already underway. On this week’s Party Politics , Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina break down how Democrats are quietly shaping their next presidential strategy—long before a single vote is cast. At the center of the conversation is the “invisible primary,” the behind-the-scenes competition where candid...

A fragile ceasefire with Iran. Gas prices climbing past $4. A redistricting gamble backfiring. And a wave of resignations shaking Washington. This week on Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss everything—from foreign policy to Texas politics and how they collide in ways that could shape the midterm elections. At the center of it all is President Donald Trump’s...

This week on Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss a political fight between Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV quickly became the most unexpected — and politically risky. The tension began after Pope Leo criticized how some political leaders use scripture to justify policies, emphasizing that the teachings of Jesus center on love, compassion, and caring for neighbor...

It was another whirlwind week in politics, and this episode of Party Politics co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina tackled everything from rising tensions with Iran to a major Supreme Court battle and growing political fights in Texas. The president announced a two-week ceasefire with Iran, stepping back from escalating rhetoric that had raised fears of military conflict. While the pa...

This week on Party Politics, Co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss how national and Texas political tensions collide as lawmakers brace for a turbulent stretch ahead of the midterms. At the national level, Republicans quietly weigh the possibility of a midterm conference as party leaders assess strategy and internal divisions. Meanwhile, a partial government shutdown ripples ou...

Why do so many Texans sit out elections—even when local decisions shape daily life? On this episode of Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina,  break down the real reasons behind Texas’ persistently low voter turnout. Texas routinely ranks near the bottom nationally when it comes to voter participation. While turnout sometimes spikes during competitive presidential elec...

On this episode of Party Politics, co-hosts Jeronimo Cortina and Brandon Rottinghaus go into overtime after one of the most active Texas primaries in recent memory. What was expected to be a sleepy election instead delivered record-breaking turnout, historic numbers of runoffs, and warning signs for both parties heading into November. Democratic turnout surged by roughly 200 percent, while Republi...

A turbulent week in politics delivered both international tension and major shakeups in Texas elections. On this week’s episode of Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina unpack how conflict overseas and surprising primary results at home could shape the political landscape heading into November. The episode begins with the escalating conflict between the United States an...

This week on Party Politics, hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina unpack a fast-moving political landscape that spans international security, presidential power, and the high-stakes road to the midterms. The episode opens with escalating cartel violence in Mexico, tied to recent unrest in Puerto Vallarta following the capture—and death—of a major cartel leader from the Jalisco New Genera...

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, contact the  988 National & Suicide Crisis Lifeline  by calling or texting 988.  This week on Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examined how a turbulent election season is colliding with moments of national reflection and intensifying political drama in Texas. The episode opened with the death...

In this week’s episode of Party Politics , co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina break down how Washington brinkmanship and Texas political warfare converged, underscoring how national chaos and state-level power struggles increasingly mirror one another. At the federal level, the threat of a government shutdown resurfaced—this time over funding for the Department of Homeland Security....

Texas politics delivered no shortage of drama this week, and the latest episode of Party Politics breaks down a fast-moving landscape shaped by runoff elections, national power struggles, and the growing influence of digital media. This week on Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina discuss Democrats notched key victories in pivotal runoff races. Taylor Rehmet secured a...

This week on Party Politics, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina take a deep dive into the growing tension between the Supreme Court and the presidency — and what these high-stakes legal battles mean for American democracy. The Court is set to rule on former President Donald Trump’s use of tariffs, a decision that could reshape the limits of executive authority over trade. At the sam...

On this week’s episode of Party Politics and part two of a conversation about upcoming primaries, co-hosts Brandon Rottinghaus and Jeronimo Cortina examine growing turbulence inside the Texas Republican Party as the state heads toward another high-stakes election season. With multiple open races, crowded fields, and deep ideological divisions, the primaries may do more than choose nominees — they...