Texas Political Spotlight
Welcome back, friends
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Texas state lawmaker Scott Turner to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Today’s Insights:
- Trump Appoints Former State Lawmaker to Cabinet
- University of Texas System Expands Free Tuition Program
- Freeman Martin to Serve as New DPS Director
Trump Appoints Former State Lawmaker to Cabinet
President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former Texas state lawmaker Scott Turner to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner, who served in the Texas House from 2013 to 2017 and previously worked as executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, will oversee HUD and advise on housing issues if confirmed. A University of Illinois graduate and former NFL player, Turner also founded the Community Engagement & Opportunity Council and holds leadership roles in organizations focused on education and economic opportunity. Other Texans nominated for roles in Trump’s administration include John Ratcliffe for CIA director.
University of Texas System Expands Free Tuition Program
The University of Texas System is expanding its free tuition program to cover tuition and fees for undergraduate students whose families earn $100,000 or less, starting next fall. The expansion, funded by a $35 million allocation, will apply to all nine universities in the system and aims to increase access to affordable education while reducing student debt. Students must be Texas residents, enrolled full-time, and apply for financial aid to qualify. UT leaders highlighted the program’s role in lowering the percentage of graduates with debt, which dropped from 54% in 2019 to 48% in 2023.
Freeman Martin to Serve as New DPS Director
Freeman Martin has been appointed as the new executive director of the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), beginning December 1st. A 33-year veteran of the agency, Martin started as a highway patrol trooper in 1990 and rose through the ranks, serving as a Texas Ranger, regional commander for central Texas, and deputy director. He has led DPS responses to significant crises, including Hurricane Harvey and the Sutherland Springs mass shooting, and spearheaded initiatives such as establishing a Texas Anti-Gang Center in San Antonio. As executive director, Martin will oversee over 11,000 employees, a $2 billion budget, and statewide law enforcement operations.
We hope you enjoyed today’s read!
🎙️We Have a Podcast! 🎙️
Bills and Business is your go-to podcast for conversations related to Texas legislation and business. Hosted by Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege—an AI-driven legislative tracking software—we bring you in-depth analysis on economic trends, impactful legislation, and key developments shaping Texas business.
Subscribe on Youtube and Spotify for weekly episodes!
🔍 USLege - The Only AI-First Political Tracking Solution ✨
USLege helps you track legislation and find what you need faster from bills, committee hearings, floor debates, and state agency meetings faster.
Say goodbye to tedious tasks!
You can follow USLege on LinkedIn, Facebook, and X.
🤝 Texas Association of Business 📈
Texas Association of Business (TAB) is the Texas State Chamber, representing companies of every size and industry. TAB’s purpose is to champion the best business climate in the world, unleashing the power of free enterprise to enhance lives for generations.
- 01 First
Subscribe to our Newsletter
Read more news
TXElects Election Updates
We bring you latest candidate filings, campaign finance information and more for all candidates running for statewide, legislative and congressional offices.
Senate Race In Monday’s Austin press conference on the 2-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision, Democrat Colin Allred included his wife Alexandra Eber as a featured speaker on abortion issues. Eber discussed challenges faced by pregnant women and said that “Politicians in Texas, like Ted Cruz, have done the unthinkable, which is to make it ever harder for women in those unthinkable moments.”
The Texas Politics Project’s June polling found that 45% of Texans believe abortion laws should be less strict, with 23% preferring no change, and 20% preferring stricter abortion laws.
Cruz leads Allred 45% to 34%, according to the Texas Politics Project’s June poll. Allred leads Cruz among Hispanic voters, 38% to 34%, while Cruz led 18-29 year olds 32% to 30%.
Speaker Race The Republican Party of Texas listed “No Democrat Chairs” as its fourth highest legislative priority in its recently released 2024 platform. Last regular session, Speaker Dade Phelan appointed 9 of the 37 House committee chairmanships to Democrats. Phelan defeated challenger David Covey by 366 votes in the runoff primary election and currently faces two challengers for the speakership: Rep. Shelby Slawson and Rep. Tom Oliverson.
Dade Phelan spending Speaker Dade Phelan made $5M in contributions to Texas House 2024 primary candidates and PACs. His largest 20 expenditures were:
Explore our databases and analysis tools for more election insights.
TXElects Election Updates
We bring you the latest candidate filings, campaign finance information and more for all candidates running for statewide, legislative and congressional offices.
Texas campaign spending
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC contributed at least $10M in total to Texas Legislature primary and runoff races. The top 20 expenditures were:
Texans United for a Conservative Majority contributed at least $7.7M in total to Texas Legislature primary and runoff races. The top 20 expenditures were:
Gov. Greg Abbott spent nearly contributed almost $9M in total to Texas Legislature primary and runoff races. The top 20 expenditures were:
Senate Race
UT Tyler’s June 11-20 Texas Registered Voter Survey shows Sen. Ted Cruz leading Democrat challenger Colin Allred 43% to 39%. Respondents listed securing the border as the most important policy issue facing Texas, followed by inflation and reproductive rights.
HD 70
In a Dallas WFAA Inside Texas Politics interview, incumbent Democrat Rep. Mihaela Plesa responded to claims that her district is one of the likeliest to flip. “We do the work, they said that last cycle and we were out-funded 4 to 1 … and we won.” The interview also covers school choice, the Speaker race, IVF, grid infrastructure, and other issues.
Biden debate performance
The Texas Tribune reported on down-ballot discussions following President Biden’s debate performance last Thursday. Former Republican Congresswoman Mayra Flores, currently challenging incumbent Democratic Congressman Vicente Gonzalez, wrote in a text message that “Gonzalez has supported Joe Biden every step of the way … Now is not the time for feeble leadership from Biden or blind yes men like Gonzalez.”
Democratic State Rep. Ron Reynolds of Missouri City wrote on Instagram that he was “very disturbed” by the debate and supported the nomination of VP Kamala Harris in place of President Biden. Democratic Congressman Marc Veasey took an alternate stance, encouraging members to not “say anything that they will regret later before everybody’s had a chance to just kind of chill a little bit.”
Explore our databases and analysis tools for more election insights.
TXElects Election Updates
We bring you the latest candidate filings, campaign finance information and more for all candidates running for statewide, legislative and congressional offices.
Happy Independence Day! Today we honor the sacrifices of those who fought for our freedom.
HD 98
Over 90 Tarrant County Republicans wrote to incumbent Republican Rep. Giovanni Capriglione requesting his public opposition to electing a Speaker who supports Democratic chair appointments. Tarrant Country GOP Chair Bo French and former Chair Rick Barnes, along with many precinct chairs, school board members, and city council members were among the signatures. On May 31, 46 current or presumptive Texas GOP caucus members signed a similar letter committing to only voting for Speaker candidates who will only appoint Republican committee chairs.
Rep. Lloyd Doggett on Biden
Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett became the first Congressional Democrat to call on President Biden to withdraw. He said in an interview, “I came back home and the responses I’ve been getting locally, not solicited from me necessarily, are about 10-1 in favor of him withdrawing.”
AdImpact Politics Projections
AdImpact’s 2023-24 Political Projections Report predicts $340M ad spending in Texas this election cycle out of $10.7B nationwide. California, Arizona, and Pennsylvania are projected to see the highest spending at $1.19B, $803M, and $800M.
Explore our databases and analysis tools for more election insights.
