The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 9, 2026

Starting point is 00:00:04 Well, howdy, folks. Today is Wednesday, September 9th, and you're listening to the Texans Daily Rundown. I'm the Texan senior editor Rob Lauchess, and here is the rundown of today's news in Texas politics. First up, the 26 Republican National Convention kicked off in Dallas today and will continue into Thursday, with major speakers including President Donald Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, Governor Greg Abbott, U.S. Senate candidate and Attorney General Ken Paxton and more. Follow the Texans reporters Meredith Dyer and Isaiah Mitchell on social media for live updates. The convention aims to rally support for the party and its candidates ahead of the November midterm election. It comes as recent polling shows tight races at the top of the ticket.

Starting point is 00:00:53 President Donald Trump addressed tight races in a truth social post on Tuesday, saying the convention will prioritize having such candidates speak. Trump's political action committee, Maga Inc., recent recently gave $10 million to Paxton's campaign for attack ads against his Democratic opponent, State Representative James Talariko, the PAC's first such spend in the race. According to a September 5th press release from the Republican National Committee, the goal of the convention is to show that Republicans, quote, represent the mainstream practical values of everyday Americans, while the modern Democrat Party has embraced a fringe, extremely liberal ideological agenda that harms

Starting point is 00:01:34 Americans." Trump will speak on both nights, delivering the keynote address on night one and closing remarks on night two. Vice President J.D. Vance will give the keynote speech on Thursday night. In other news, despite a challenging national environment and concerns of a Latino shift toward Democrats this election cycle, a Latino conservative organization supporting Republican candidate Eric Flores feels good about his chances of defeating U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez in November. An advisor with the Libra Action Pack said that Flores has a strong path to victory. Martinez said that as in 2024, South Texas voters are most concerned about the economy. While Americans' evaluations of President Donald Trump's performance have deteriorated since his

Starting point is 00:02:21 inauguration, Martinez said that from his experience talking to voters, quote, down ballot, they still actually prefer Republicans on the economy, specifically because of the Democratic Socialists of America side of the Democratic Party that's coming out. End quote. He said that affordability will be the deciding factor in the election, adding that, quote, Hispanics know that socialism is not the answer to our problems. A recent poll found Congressional District 34 was the closest race in South Texas. Conducted by Texas Southern University, it found Gonzalez's only leading Flores by three percentage points within the margin of error. By contrast, it found U.S. Representative Henry Quayar comfortably leading his Republican opponent,

Starting point is 00:03:05 Webb County Judge Tano Tiharina. It also found U.S. Representative Monica de la Cruz trailing her Democratic opponent, Tehano Singer Bobby Polito. Last but not least, Harris County residents will likely see another property tax increase next year after the commissioner's court voted to move forward with the maximum rate hike allowed without voter approval, which would result in a nearly 30% increase since 2023. In a three to two vote on Tuesday that saw Harris County Judge Lena Hidalgo and the court's lone Republican, Commissioner Tom Ramsey, both opposing the proposed rate hike, the court opted to provide required public notice of expected tax rates for the county's general fund, the Port of Houston, the Harris County Flood Control District, and Harris Health at the voter approval rate, which is the maximum the county can adopt without a voter. approval tax rate election. Under the proposal, the county general fund rate will raise from

Starting point is 00:04:02 about 38 cents per $100 of appraised property valuation to over 41 cents, a nearly 10% jump. Harris Health will also increase by almost descent. The combined rate increase will result in higher tax bills for most homestead owners of between $120 and $200, depending on exemptions and appraisals. Hidalgo said that while she supported the rate for Harris Health, she opposed the hike for the county's general fund. Ramsey proposed adjusting the rates to allow for an increase to the flood control district that would still keep the tax rate flat overall. He has argued that the county should focus on core responsibilities and pointed out that more than $500 million of the budget is not required by statute. Thanks for listening. To support the Texan, please be sure to

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The Texan Podcast - Daily Rundown - September 9, 2026

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