The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - January 8, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:00 Howdy folks, today is Thursday, January 8th, 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, on January 31st, voters will decide who will fill the unexpired term for Texas Senate District 9, Democrat Taylor Remitt, or Republican lay Wamsgans. Former state Senator Kelly Hancock resigned the Senate seat to become the acting Texas comptroller of public accounts and is now running for a full term in that seat. In November, a special election was held that resulted in a runoff because none of the three candidates won over 50% of the votes cast. Although SD9 leans Republican with a score of R-60% per the Texans' Texas Partisan Index, Remit secured 47% and Wamsgans took 35% of the votes cast.

Starting point is 00:01:00 The third candidate, Republican John Huffman, garnered about 16% of the vote, according to the Texas Secretary of State's website. Wamsgans is a longtime conservative political activist and the former head of Patriot Mobile Action. Remit is a union president and veteran. In other news, President Donald Trump's successful removal of Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro has revived the hope of a Houston family that a Venezuelan national, charged in their daughter's murder, can be returned to the U.S. for trial decades after he fled to his home country. Carrie Ruiz told the Texan, quote,

Starting point is 00:01:36 We feel hopeful thanks to President Trump. We just want justice for our daughter. Ruiz's 16-year-old daughter, Felicia, was ambushed and stabbed 39 times on Halloween 1999, and her body was left in a field. Police identified three suspects, and both Lisa. Huerta and J. Farrell were tried and sentenced. But Jesus Salazar, an alleged member of the Latin Kings gang, fled to his home country of Venezuela before he could be taken into custody. Salazar has spent the last 26 years in Venezuela, which does not have an active extradition

Starting point is 00:02:11 treaty with the United States. Ruiz worked with Andy Cahan, a victim's advocate with the crime stoppers of Houston, and they met with then-Venezuelan ambassador to the U.S. Bernardo Alvarez Herrera in 2008. Herrera agreed to seek Salazar's extradition under certain conditions, including a maximum sentence of 30 years, but then Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal rejected the potential plea agreement. Last but not least, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has suspended funding for the Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, or CCRGV, pending an investigation into whether or not the charity is complying with federal grant requirements. According to CCRGV, the charity learned of the suspension in late November 2025.

Starting point is 00:02:58 It claims that it is, quote, committed to compliance with federal grant requirements and will work expeditiously with DHS to resolve the matter. The charity stated that all of its funding was used to care for people brought to CCRGV by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, individuals who were, quote, released by CBP with a document that gave them permission to travel to their points of destination, with instructions on where to follow up with their immigration proceedings. CCRGV runs the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen, a place that offers food and shelter to immigrants who are awaiting court hearings. According to reporting by Fox News,

Starting point is 00:03:37 CCRGV was suspended after a DHS investigation revealed what the outlet called major grant violations. 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 - January 8, 2026

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