The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - March 2, 2026

Episode Date: March 2, 2026

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Howdy, folks, today is Monday, March 2nd, 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, in a joint operation with Israel, the U.S. launched an attack on the Islamic Republic of Iran in Operation Epic Fury on February 28, 2026. The operation involved hundreds of strikes on Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facilities, weakening Iran's security apparatus, diminishing proxy networks, and destroying missile programs and the remnants of Iran's nuclear program. The strikes also targeted key leaders in the nation and the IRGC. The U.S. Central Command commenced Operation Epic Fury at 1.15 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday morning. The attack followed a build-up of U.S. military presence in the region and involved, quote,

the largest regional concentration of American military firepower in a generation, according to a Sentcom press release. Sentcom announced on Sunday the lost lives of three U.S. service members and five seriously wounded. Next, endorsements issued by President Donald Trump in recent days for Texas statewide races displayed a split between him and Governor Greg Abbott, as the two put support behind different candidates in a handful of contests. These include one of the more fiery Republican primaries. the race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. President Donald Trump threw his support behind incumbent

Sid Miller, breaking from Abbott's selection of challenger Nate Sheets as his favorite candidate. Abbott and Miller have repeatedly clashed over issues throughout both their ten years in office, spanning back to 2020 when Miller joined a lawsuit against the governor regarding the extension of the early voting period during the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump also endorsed former state senator Don Huffeins for Texas comptroller over Abbott's pick, former state senator and current acting comtroller Kelly Hancock, Huffines has been a frequent critic of Abbott's, particularly over his response to COVID-19, also challenging him in the GOP-Gubernatorial primary in 2022.

In other news, Super PAC Forge the Future, founded by California-based tech giant meta, reported $1.3 million in Texas expenditures ahead of the upcoming March 3 primary. Formed earlier this year, Forge the Future is one of four SuperPact, controlled by META. The PAC's Texas website states an objective of supporting conservative candidates with favorable stances on tech policy issues. Of Forge the Future's Texas contributions, $800,000 went to a slate of three Texas Senate and eight Texas House candidates, including state representatives Trent Ashby and David Cook for Texas Senate districts 3 and 22, respectively. The remaining $500,000 was spent on digital advertising campaigns, supporting former state senator,

and now acting comptroller Kelly Hancock's bid for a full term as Texas comptroller. Forge the Future is one of two super PACs formed by meta this year, alongside Making Our Tomorrow, which is similarly dedicated to technology issues, but instead supports Democratic candidates. Also, the Republican primary for Texas comptroller has drawn multiple well-known candidates and a slew of high-profile endorsements, setting up a competitive race for the statewide office. The Texas comptroller is the state's fiscal office, responsible for the budget, tax collection and distribution, state investments, and other programs authorized by the legislature. This race heated up when former comptroller Glenn Hagar, who held the position since 2014, was named Texas A&M University System Chancellor in March.

Railroad Commissioner Christy Craddock and former State Senator Don Huffeins announced their candidacies immediately after Hagar's announcement. Acting comptroller and former state Senator Kelly Hancock joined the race in June, shortly after joining the agency as an employee. Last but not least, what began as a story on the seemingly incomprehensible death of Congressional Regional Director Regina Santos Avilaz by self-immolation last fall

has evolved into a larger national question of how Congress responds or allegedly fails to respond to misconduct by its own members. As evidence emerged, contradicting Congressman Tony Gonzalez's earlier denials of an extramarital affair with Avila's, such as text messages, showing graphic communications of him pursuing a sexual relationship with her, the story expanded beyond the tragedy into a political and institutional test, whether voters will signal to Congress that sexual misconduct carries electoral consequences

if lawmakers fail to swiftly police their own. Visit the texan.news for the full story. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to visit the texan. and subscribe to get full access to all of our articles, newsletters, and podcasts.