The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - February 3, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Howdy folks, today is Tuesday, February 3rd, and you're listening to The Texans' Daily Rundown. I'm the Texans managing editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, following up a short period of negotiations, the partial federal government shutdown that occurred over the weekend is wrapping up. The U.S. House voted on Tuesday, February 3rd, to reopen the government, but is waiting for President Donald Trump to sign their funding bill. The shutdown began in a funding feud over the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and its agencies, like Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretty in Minneapolis, Minnesota by ICE agents.

Starting point is 00:00:49 The government failed to pass all 12 appropriations bills for the 26 fiscal year due to disagreement over DHS funding, bringing it into a partial shutdown. It came after the longest government shutdown in U.S. history from October to November, September 2025. Next, Texas primary election is exactly one month away on March 3, when candidates will spar with members of their own parties, aiming for U.S. Senate candidacy, a shot in the Texas Attorney General race, and a number of other federal, state, and local elections. At the top of the ballot is the highly contested U.S. Senate race, with incumbent Senator John Cornyn facing Republican challengers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Congressman Wesley Hunt. While President Donald Trump has

Starting point is 00:01:33 floated a potential endorsement in this race, he has yet to hand that GOP Golden Ticket to any of the three candidates who all appear to be vying for his support. With Paxton leaving his state office for the U.S. Senate race, a battle for Texas Attorney General will also be advancing on March 3rd, with several high-profile candidates prepared to face one another, including the Republican contenders, Congressman Chip Roy, former U.S. Department of Justice appointee, Aaron Wright, and state senators Joan Huffman and Mays Middleton. has endorsed Wrights as his successor, while U.S. Senator Ted Cruz has thrown his support behind Roy, who was Cruz's first chief of staff. Rights also served as Cruz's chief of staff before

Starting point is 00:02:14 heading to the DOJ. In other news, end-of-year financial reports for federal campaigns are in, showing Democratic candidates in Texas' U.S. Senate race posting competitive fundraising halls, while incumbent Senator John Cornyn remains in the lead in cash on hand, followed by the Democratic contenders, state representative James Tala Rico, and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. Reports for federal campaigns were due on January 31st, although some candidates released and touted early fundraising and cash-on-hand numbers, including Cornyn, whose campaign announced in early January that it had raised more than $7 million when including his re-election campaign numbers, the Cornyn Victory Committee, and the Cornyn Lone Star Victory Fund. Congressman Wesley Hunt and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reported strong war chests during the month of January.

Starting point is 00:03:05 Talariko came out on top when compared to Crockett, with $6.8 million in receipts disclosed and a total of $7.1 million in cash on hand since launching his campaign. Crocket was similarly in the millions, coming in with $6.5 million in receipts and $5.6 million in cash on hand. Her receipts included a $4.5 million transfer from her U.S. House account to her Senate campaign, which launched on December 8th. Last but not least, Bayar County Judge Rosie Speedland Gonzalez was indicted last week on a felony charge of unlawful restraint of a peace officer or judicial official official official. The indictment comes more than a year after she was said to have held an attorney in the courtroom at force. Investigations into the incident led Spidland Gonzalez, to turn herself in. She was booked into the Bayar County Jail on January 16th at 122 p.m. and released on bail through a personal recognizance bond at 147 p.m. the same day.

Starting point is 00:04:05 Her indictment goes back to a court hearing on December 17th, 2024, wherein she and defense attorney Elizabeth Russell got into a heated argument that resulted in Speedland Gonzalez's ordering Russell to be placed into custody in handcuffs. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. News and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.

The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - February 3, 2026

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