Now: @theatlantic @emcollective @overheardpbs @ststephenschool @uvademocracy @austinfilm @lbjfoundation Past: @texastribune @texasmonthly Always: @wilco 🎾
Austin, Texas
Joined January 2009
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talked to @esglaude about his latest book, America, U.S.A: How Race Shadows the Nation's Anniversaries + whether he loves our country, higher ed in this moment, his Mississippi upbringing and more for a new episode of @overheardpbs #txlege @austinpbs
Per @uscensusbureau, Texas had an uninsured rate of 16.5% in 2025 vs. national avg of 8.4%. Uninsured rate for children in Texas was 13% vs. national avg of 6.1%. Both first among states www2.census.gov/library/publ… #txlege #tx2026
talked to @jacobwe about his @nytimes best-seller Profiles in Cowardice + the exemplars of capitulation in Trump term 2 — includng @JeffBezos @megynkelly @SenMcConnell @sianbeilock —for a new episode of @overheardpbs #txlege @austinpbs
Evan Smith retweeted
I've covered the Texas Legislature for the entirety of James Talarico's tenure — then some.
In his bid for U.S. Senate, Talarico has pointed to his record in the statehouse. But what exactly did he do there? I interviewed more than a dozen colleagues, watched videos and scoured old notes and analyzed each and every one of the 500+ bills that featured his name.
Here's what I found out. [Gift Link]
nytimes.com/2026/10/22/us/ja…
like dean martin and jerry lewis back together for one night at the flamingo. join us #txlege #tx2026
From the U.S. Senate to critical state races, Texas voters will have their say on Election Day. @MWatkinsTrib & @eklib will talk with Tribune co-founders Ross Ramsey & @evanasmith about the key races to watch and what it means for Texans. In Austin & online, Oct. 27. RSVP: trib.it/8CLRrz
ALT This graphic promotes registration for the event, “TribCast Live: Previewing the Twenty Twenty-Six Election.” Join us in downtown Austin or online Tuesday, October Twenty-Seventh at Noon. RSVP at Texas Tribune Dot Org Slash Events.
Evan Smith retweeted
From the U.S. Senate to critical state races, Texas voters will have their say on Election Day. @MWatkinsTrib & @eklib will talk with Tribune co-founders Ross Ramsey & @evanasmith about the key races to watch and what it means for Texans. In Austin & online, Oct. 27. RSVP: trib.it/8CLRrz
ALT This graphic promotes registration for the event, “TribCast Live: Previewing the Twenty Twenty-Six Election.” Join us in downtown Austin or online Tuesday, October Twenty-Seventh at Noon. RSVP at Texas Tribune Dot Org Slash Events.
it is two weeks from election day in texas and we still can't see the last scene in the movie. it has been 30+ years since that was the case. what an extraordinary moment this is axios.com/newsletters/axios-… #txlege #tx2026
Evan Smith retweeted
Harris County has broken the record for first-day early voting turnout in a midterm election!
As of 3:30 p.m., 70K+ voters have been processed, surpassing the previous record of 63,188 set in 2018, with 3.5 hours remaining.
CONGRATULATIONS, HARRIS COUNTY! #HarrisVotes
i keep getting asked what's gonna happen in the #txsen race. beats me. kinda amazing that we're three weeks out and we don't what the last scene in the movie is. first time in 32 years. i do know the most important unanswered q: what will @johncornyn's voters do? #txlege #tx2026
910k voted for @johncornyn on primary day. 502k in runoff. How many vote for @KenPaxtonTX? Some. How many vote for @jamestalarico? Some. How many don't vote? A lot. @tedcruz margin over @BetoORourke in 2018 was 216k That math as it shakes out = ball game #txlege #tx2026
for context —
this very same poll in october 2022: @GregAbbott_TX 54, @BetoORourke 43
final result november 2022: @GregAbbott_TX 54.8, @BetoORourke 43.8
#txlege #tx2026
New @TxPolProject poll finds statewide GOP incumbents in jeopardy, w/ lots of statistical ties
#TXSEN
Talarico 50
Paxton 47
Governor
Hinojosa 49
Abbott 48
Lite guv
Goodwin (D) 49
Patrick (R) 46
Attorney general
Johnson (D) 48
Middleton (R) 47
texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blo… #txlege
also: comptroller race is R+1, railroad commission race is D+1 @DonHuffines @SarahEckhardtTX @bofrench @Jon_RosenthalTX #txlege #tx2026
New @TxPolProject poll finds statewide GOP incumbents in jeopardy, w/ lots of statistical ties
#TXSEN
Talarico 50
Paxton 47
Governor
Hinojosa 49
Abbott 48
Lite guv
Goodwin (D) 49
Patrick (R) 46
Attorney general
Johnson (D) 48
Middleton (R) 47
texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blo… #txlege
rural vote: @jamestalarico 30%, @GinaHinojosaTX 28%. would be highest rural % by a statewide democratic candidate in years texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blo… #txlege #tx2026
New @TxPolProject poll finds statewide GOP incumbents in jeopardy, w/ lots of statistical ties
#TXSEN
Talarico 50
Paxton 47
Governor
Hinojosa 49
Abbott 48
Lite guv
Goodwin (D) 49
Patrick (R) 46
Attorney general
Johnson (D) 48
Middleton (R) 47
texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blo… #txlege
Evan Smith retweeted
Republicans pulling money out of TX-28 and pushing it over to TX-34, per Ad Impact reports on CLF and No Going Back PAC
noting again that no democrat running statewide in texas has cracked 25% in rural texas in six straight elections. if @jamestalarico is really at 37, that would be something #txlege #tx2026
Evan Smith retweeted
New University of Houston poll of #TXSEN in Harris County:
James Talarico (D) 58 (+22)
Ken Paxton (R) 36
Ted Brown (L) 2
Unsure 4
(Oct. 3-8; 2,750 LVs; +/-1.87%)
The county, which is Texas’ most populous and home to Houston, was Harris +6 in 2024, O’Rourke +10 in 2022, Biden +13 in 2020 and O'Rourke +17 in 2018.
📺 @PatiJinich and I talked about her new cookbook, 15 seasons of Pati’s Mexican Table, the people and places of the border, how everyone’s a foodie these days, poison beans and pink pine nuts and more for a new episode of @overheardpbs pbs.org/video/pati-jinich-l1… #txlege @austinpbs
one of my favorite things in an election cycle in which texas elections are competitive: @texastribune alums all over TV. these two are the best of the best @PatrickSvitek @abbyliv817 (h/t another great alum @James_Barragan) #txlege #tx2026
