Progress Texas Podcasts

Former Dallas Congressman Colin Allred's pivot from a second run for the U.S. Senate is only one of the results of the late-breaking announcement of a Senate run by fellow Dallas lawmaker Jasmine Crockett last week. Allred is now in a primary contest with Congresswoman Julie Johnson, interestingly the official who replaced Allred upon his departure from the U.S. House as he challenged Senator Ted...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The likelihood of a major swing back away from the Donald Trump GOP in Texas, especially among Latino voters, is casting doubt on the prospects of the new congressional map benefiting Trump in the way he had intended: https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/14/politics/texas-redistricting-gop-latinos?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_msn ...While they're gross...

We say this every week...but, what a week! The crew gathers for our weekly offload session at the end of the week following the 2026 filing deadline to discuss turncoat Democrats, the new plan to force Turning Point USA into ALL Texas high schools, and the upcoming Democratic primary - headlined of course by " Jasarico "! Our heads, as always on a Friday afternoon, are fully aspin. Thanks for list...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Analysis of the contrast between the approaches of Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico deepens and is shaping the parameters of the primary contest between them: https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/12/jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-texas-senate-primary-democrats-future.html ...Also, Crockett's strategy to mobili...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: For the first time in half a century, Democrats are on the ballot in every single state, federal and judicial election in 2026: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEYSRjVXZb4 ...The National Democratic Party and the House Democratic Campaign Committee are zeroing in on five potential State House seats to flip: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/1...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The Democratic primary contest between Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico for the nomination for the U.S. Senate takes center stage in Texas following the filing deadline: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/09/jasmine-crockett-texas-senate-democratic-primary-turnout-persuasion-2026/ ...A bombshell NOTUS report...

Terrific time on Monday night at the first of our two 2025 holiday parties - Antone's in downtown Austin has become a bit of an HQ for us and we're proud to have enjoyed the biggest crowd we've had there yet! Enjoy our talk with Austin State Senator and newly-filed Texas Comptroller candidate Sarah Eckhardt, San Antonio State Senator Roland Gutierrez, and Austin City Council Member Zo Qadri. Our s...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As the filing deadline expires, the full picture of the primaries in the 2026 elections are set, including as expected, a Senate run for Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/us/colin-allred-senate-texas-primary.html ...A battle is brewing between Colin Allred and Rep. Julie Johnson, who are now Democratic...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: On the final day of election filing, presumed Senate candidate Colin Allred has announced a pivot to a run for House District 33, in which he will be a primary challenger for Congresswoman Julie Johnson: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/08/colin-allred-drops-out-senate-democratic-primary-congress-33rd-district-dallas/ ...CD 33 is currentl...

Never a dull week in Texas, but we've managed to narrow yet another crazy Texas political news cycle down to three items: the 100% partisan decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to block a lower court ruling and allow the racist, Trump-demanded gerrymander of Texas to very likely be in place for next year's mid-terms, the inexplicable but somehow fitting pardon of Laredo Congressman Henry Cuellar by...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As expected, the U.S. Supreme Court has stayed the 2-1 lower court decision to block the racial gerrymander of Texas, paving the way for the new map Donald Trump ordered to be in place for the midterms: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/04/texas-redistricting-map-us-supreme-court-2026-midterms/ ...It's time for Democrats and progressives t...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Donald Trump's pardon of Henry Cuellar on conspiracy and bribery charges is curious in that it strengthens Cuellar's reelection chances , just as the Trump-ordered new map changes CD-18 for stronger GOP performance: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas-take/article/trump-help-texas-democrat-cuellar-2026-21221113.php ...Cuellar was...

Rural Texas used to have a robust Democratic presence, and thus its fair share of Democratic officeholders - of course, that hasn't been the case for decades, since the coordinated campaign efforts of the early '90s. But there ARE still progressive people living in MAGA country, and the four courageous Texans featured on today's talk have stepped up to give ALL rural Texas voters a better option i...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, long thought to be considering jumping into the race for the U.S. Senate, has scheduled an announcement for Monday afternoon: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/12/02/jasmine-crockett-senate-texas-allred-talarico/ ...Multiple progressive thought leaders in Texas point out the issues with a Crockett candid...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: As the 2025 congressional map looks more likely, so does a Senate run for Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett - leading to fears of division among Texas Democrats: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/video/texas-2025-maps-hang-on-scotus-stay-as-rep-jasmine-crockett-weighs-senate-run/   ...Austin State Rep. and declared Senate candidate James Talarico co...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: With no word from the U.S. Supreme Court coming last week on the Texas congressional map, most players are resigned to the idea that the 2025 map will be in place for the 2026 midterms: https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/u-s-supreme-court-texas-redistricting-case-extend-administrative-stay/ ...With Democratic redistricting wins in several oth...

It's helpful to occasionally step back and ask ourselves: what is it exactly about our morals, and values, and expectations, and hopes and dreams that makes us progressive people? The PT crew sits down to mull that thought for this Thanksgiving weekend. See the full list of priorities in our Certified Progressive Program at https://progresstexas.org/blog/certified-progressive . Thanks for listenin...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: Texas Democratic Party Chair Kendall Scudder from Forbes Breaking News: https://youtu.be/dUxt8drC2lE?si=Rq1LZkuXv1MCqe-t ...The call on the Texas map could come from the U.S. Supreme Court by the end of Thanksgiving week, as SCOTUS also wrestles with several other voting rights cases: https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/5622226-texas...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The response from the plaintiffs against the new Trump-ordered congressional map of Texas came yesterday in the form of an argument against the applicability of the Purcell doctrine, which in normal situations discourages courts from making decisions that alter impending elections: https://www.newsweek.com/samuel-alito-texas-election-map-supr...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: With SCOTUS Justice Sam Alito's stay on the El Paso court panel's decision against the Trump map, a full decision of the Supreme Court is next - and could take long enough to end the discussion for the midterms: https://www.elpasotimes.com/story/news/politics/2025/11/22/us-supreme-court-samuel-alito-grants-stay-in-texas-redistricting-lawsuit/...

A guest episode here of an interview done with Progress Texas Podcasting Director Chris Mosser on the podcast The Progressive South and its leader Jesse Mayshark on what Progress Texas is, how we do what we do, and importantly WHY we do what we do. Thanks for the invitation Jesse! Learn more about The Progressive South at https://theprogressivesouth.org/ . Thanks for listening! Learn more about Pr...

Since we recorded this episode, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito has placed a temporary stay on the El Paso ruling against the new Texas congressional map and requested that the plaintiffs respond by the end of Monday, putting the 2025 map back into play for the moment: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/21/texas-redistricting-supreme-court-temporary-stay/ That Dallas Observer poll we discus...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The D/FW and Austin chapters of the Council On American-Islamic Relations or CAIR has sued to strike down Governor Abbott's inflammatory declaration that they are part of a terrorist organization: https://apnews.com/article/texas-muslim-group-governor-abbott-sues-terrorist-a60f8349892597d1df9131f3bddda721 ...Abbott has also attacked The Islam...

Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas: The national redistricting arms race that Texas Republicans helped Donald Trump start is not going their way at the moment: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/11/19/texas-redistricting-map-california-national-arms-race/ ...Prop 50 in California was proposed as contingent on Texas going through with redistricting, not a failure to pass legal mu...

Listen up - because your healthcare costs are about to increase! ACA tax credits are set to expire by the end of 2025, and millions are at risk of becoming uninsured. Learn about how our system leaves so many behind on how we got here, from Dr. Ricardo Nuila, author of “The People’s Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine.” He shared with the PT team about the Texas healthcare system, Medica...