https://washingtonsun.com/texas Texas en-US Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:17:17 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/trumps-super-pac-maga-inc-10-million-texas-senate Marissa Martinez The Republican Party faces diverging spending priorities two months out from Election Day. Sat, 05 Sep 2026 17:17:17 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/donald-trump/trumps-super-pac-maga-inc-10-million-texas-senate Trump’s super PAC spent $10 million this week to support Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his tight Senate race, a financial disclosure filed Saturday afternoon revealed.

The Sept. 4 expenditures for digital advertising marked MAGA Inc.’s first major spending run in the 60 days before the November midterms. The spending reflects a mounting GOP pressure campaign on the president to do more to boost those in competitive races this cycle — particularly Paxton, who’s considered a weak candidate by many Republicans.

And the recent blitz in spending at the end of this week illuminates the party’s diverging priorities on which candidates merit big donations two months out from Nov. 3.

Elon Musk’s America PAC disclosures revealed the tech billionaire spent a combined $1.6 million on Texas this week to support Paxton and defeat his Democratic opponent, James Talarico. But Senate Majority Leader John Thune’s super PAC did not give Paxton any money this week, instead sending more than $3 million each to Ohio and Michigan, financial disclosures filed Friday night showed.

Momentum has so far been on Democrats’ side in Texas: Talarico holds a slight lead in recent polling over the state attorney general, and the Cook Political Report categorized the race as a “toss up” in a leftward rating shift last month. Talarico has also raised more money than any nonincumbent candidate nationwide this election cycle, with more than $70 million in cash on hand. He’s even had to issue refunds to not run afoul of federal donation limits.

Thune this week implied the White House could do more to support party members engaged in tight Senate races across the country — particularly the embattled Texas attorney general, whom Trump backed over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn this spring in a high-drama endorsement decision.

“We’ve got to make sure that those races are resourced,” Thune, who backed Cornyn in the primary, told Fox News on Monday. “We are certainly hopeful that the president and his team and MAGA Inc. will be engaged in some of these races. Some states are incredibly expensive.”

Thune’s Senate Leadership Fund reported spending in several other key races this week, devoting $2.4 million to North Carolina, $1.78 million to Maine, $1.1 million to Georgia and under $1 million each to Iowa and Alaska — all of which are currently rated as “toss up” or “lean Democrat” by the Cook Political Report.

Meanwhile, Musk disclosed $2.85 million in additional spending on Friday night after revealing an initial $800,000 in battleground state expenditures earlier this week. Outside of his Texas donation, the tech billionaire sent hundreds of thousands each to Alaska, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio, which attracted his second-highest spend of $648,000 to defeat Sen. Sherrod Brown.

Musk also spent around $60,000 total on incumbent Reps. Juan Ciscomani of Arizona, David Valadao of California and Gabe Evans of Colorado, as well as Washington congressional candidate John Braun.

Trump said on Friday he will allocate “probably four or 500 million” this cycle after claiming his super PAC has “close to” $1 billion — more than double what MAGA Inc. reported in cash on hand in its most recent financial disclosure. The political committee does not need to disclose its cash on hand through Aug. 31 until mid-September.

MAGA Inc.’s nonprofit arm released two new ads on Saturday that both focus on taxes and affordability, saying Paxton would be a better choice for taxpayers.

“Talarico? Higher taxes. Paxton? Lower taxes. A clear choice,” one spot says.

Paxton thanked the president for his support shortly after the new broadcast ads dropped, writing on X, “Together we will win for Texas and America.”

Trump’s political committee released two other ads earlier this week that heavily centered the president and his agenda without mentioning Congress. Data from tracking firm AdImpact show those spots cost around $1 million and were broadcast in markets across the country.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/democrats-talarico-texas-county-polling-place-reduction Jenna Monnin The proposal would dramatically reduce the number of polling locations in Tarrant County ahead of the midterms. Mon, 31 Aug 2026 22:40:52 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/democrats-talarico-texas-county-polling-place-reduction Texas Democrats are condemning a plan to close down 92 polling sites in one of the state’s most populous counties.

Commissioners in Tarrant County, which has a population of more than 2.1 million, plan to vote on the proposal Tuesday, a week after shelving a different plan to cut 140 polling locations in the county as heated protests erupted at the commission meeting. Republicans hold a 3-2 majority on the commissioners court.

The county had 316 polling locations during the 2022 midterms, but the new proposal would send the county into the 2026 elections with only 224.

Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico spoke out against the plan at a news conference alongside Alisa Simmons, a Tarrant County commissioner.

"The most powerful people in this county, the most powerful people in this country, don't want us to be able [to] vote easily," Talarico said, according to The Associated Press.

The Democratic nominee also said that cutting the number of polling sites could lead to lower turnout in what’s expected to be a critical midterm elections season for Texas — with both Democrats and Republicans viewing Talarico’s Senate race against Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton as a must win.

“The problem is when we let voting rights become a partisan issue,” Talarico said, according to KERA News. “That's when we walk down a very dangerous path in this country."

Simmons, a Democrat who is running for Tarrant County judge, a position leading the commissioners court, also decried the proposal and called on the commission to reject the plan.

"Dropping 92 Election Day polling places is crazy," Simmons said, according to KERA News. "We should not compare this proposal to the worst proposal. We should compare it to access that Tarrant County voters actually had in 2022."

Simmons is also calling on Tarrant County voters to sign a petition to, “Tell the court to protect our polling places.”

Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare said the proposal would help eliminate polling locations that serve fewer members of the community compared to other sites.

“All of this is accomplished without the wasteful practice of placing polling sites directly across the street from one other,” O’Hare, a Republican and the county’s top administrator, said, according to The Associated Press.

The updated list of 92 polling locations has drawn similar public outcry from the community and from national voting-rights groups.

The Legal Defense Fund, along with the American Civil Liberties Union and the Campaign Legal Center among others, sent a letter Friday urging Tarrant County to reject the proposal to cut the number of sites.

The letter argued that the proposal would disproportionately impact areas in the county with a high percentage of Black, Latino, Asian American and Pacific Islander voters — echoing the concern from Texas Democrats and community members about the plan’s potential harm to minority communities.

“Eliminating almost one-third of Tarrant County’s poll sites just weeks before the general election would not only be grossly irresponsible but would reflect a profound betrayal of the voters the Tarrant County Commissioners Court is meant to serve,” Demetria McCain, director of policy at the Legal Defense Fund, wrote in a statement. “This proposal is a voter suppression tactic designed to impede Black voters and other voters of color from exercising their right to vote at the polls.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/courts/texas-drag-show-ban-federal-judge-free-speech Angie Orellana Hernandez Under the law, businesses that hosted drag shows would have received civil penalties while performers could have been criminally penalized. Wed, 26 Aug 2026 15:55:46 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/courts/texas-drag-show-ban-federal-judge-free-speech A federal judge in Texas struck down a state ban on drag performances, deeming it an unconstitutional restriction on free speech, according to a court order filed this week.

The Tuesday ruling by U.S. District Judge David Hittner bars Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is currently running for Senate, from enforcing a law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2023 that targeted “sexually oriented” performances in front of minors. Abbott touted the law as a ban on public drag shows — an activity increasingly targeted by right-wing figures in recent years.

Under Texas’ law, businesses that hosted drag shows would receive civil penalties while performers would be criminally penalized.

Hittner, a Reagan appointee, also denied Paxton’s motion for a new trial on the case. He signed off his ruling with a suggestion for “those who find such activities as described in this case offensive.”

“The solution is relatively simple ... just don't go,” Hittner wrote.

Paxton wrote on X that Hittner’s ruling was a “profoundly flawed decision that endangers our children and is an affront to Texas values.” He said he would appeal the decision and “continue to fight to protect our kids.”

Hittner initially deemed the case unconstitutional in 2023. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals later returned the case to him with instructions to reevaluate a select number of details. Hittner reaffirmed his original decision Tuesday, writing that the nature of “sexually oriented" performances was too broad.

Hittner added that there were “‘erotic’ elements in countless popular performances” that critics could say violate state law, including “Elvis's signature hip gyrations,” Dolly Parton’s status as a “voluptuous sex symbol because of her big hair, flamboyant clothes and breast exposure” or Miley Cyrus “‘twerking’ on stage during a live performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards.”

Drag performer Brigitte Bandit, a plaintiff in the lawsuit, celebrated Hittner’s ruling on Instagram Tuesday, saying, “Drag is free speech, bitch.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/immigration/big-bend-national-park-border-construction-paused Manuela Silva CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott is en route to the park to meet with “stakeholders and local law enforcement in the area.” Mon, 17 Aug 2026 20:34:27 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/immigration/big-bend-national-park-border-construction-paused A top Trump administration official said Monday that construction on a controversial border security project at Big Bend National Park had been paused after months of outrage from local residents and advocacy organizations.

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott confirmed in a post on X that he had halted all construction activity in the park, at least temporarily, as of Sunday night. He also confirmed that he was en route to the park to meet with “stakeholders and local law enforcement in the area.”

NOTUS first reported Scott’s plans to travel to the Big Bend region on Friday.

The visit comes after months of outcry from nearby residents, advocacy groups, lawmakers and local law enforcement. Earlier this year, CBP announced plans for a “smart wall” that included 30-foot physical walls through some of the national park. The plans faced swift backlash, leading the agency to announce that its plans would not include the massive barriers, but would instead be made up of patrol roads, surveillance technology and vehicle barriers.

Concerns escalated earlier this summer when Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin waived a handful of environmental and historical preservation laws, including some aimed at protecting drinking water and endangered species, and a statute requiring federal agencies to return any Native American remains and sacred objects to affiliated tribes.

https://x.com/CBPCommissioner/status/2089395143136731579?s=20

Tensions again rose when bulldozers were seen clearing land in the national park earlier this month.

The Big Bend Sector has some of the lowest rates of illegal border crossings, particularly within the park. The area has 1,000-foot cliffs in various places, which advocates and local officials say are natural barriers.

“We are working to preserve the landscape and protect the access visitors and local businesses depend on,” a CBP spokesperson wrote in a statement to NOTUS. “We are currently evaluating technology options to meet President Trump’s mission of zero illegal border crossings while strengthening the most secure border in American history in highly remote and hard-to-access areas.”

It is unclear how long Scott plans to visit the region, or what will happen to the multimillion- dollar contracts that the administration has already awarded for work in the Big Bend region.

The area falls within Texas’ 23rd Congressional District, which has been sitting vacant since Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales resigned in April after admitting to having an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide.

In the months since, various Democrat lawmakers have sent letters to Mullin over their concerns for the park, including multiple letters led by Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, urging the administration to reconsider its plans. On Aug. 7, Republican Sen. John Cornyn sent a letter to Mullin urging the administration to coordinate and communicate with stakeholders in the region before moving forward with its plans, becoming the highest-ranking Republican to do so.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/money/james-talarico-campaign-money-excessive-contributions Torrie Herrington, Mark Alfred Federal regulators keep flagging donors to the Texas Democrat who gave over the legal limit. Mon, 17 Aug 2026 09:03:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/money/james-talarico-campaign-money-excessive-contributions James Talarico keeps raising too much money.

The Texas Democrat has already raised more than $70 million in his bid to defeat state Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate — more than any other non-incumbent candidate has raised this cycle nationwide and millions more than his Republican rival has amassed.

But scores of Talarico donors are exceeding federal donation limits, with regulators at the Federal Election Commission identifying 143 such donors who exceeded the legal limit, according to a 24-page letter they sent to the Talarico campaign this month.

It’s not the first time Talarico, who is attempting to become the first Texas Democrat elected to statewide office since 1994, has received such a missive: Every quarter since its inception, Talarico for Texas has received warnings about accepting donations beyond the legal limit.

The campaign, in turn, has to date reported 534 refunds totaling $844,347. Another quarter-million dollars or so worth of refunds or reattributions are expected after the FEC’s latest letter.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/fX0XQ/1/https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8Fx5w/1/Among the flagged Talarico donors is Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, who made two donations in March for $2,000 and $2,500 designated for the general election — $1,000 over the legal limit. (Polis’ office did not respond to a request for comment.)

One of the largest reported contributions came from Robert E. Price, the son of Sol Price, who founded the companies that would become Costco. He donated a lump sum of $14,000 to Talarico’s campaign, well above the federal limit.

Unlike Price, many of the donors who exceeded the FEC limit on contributions didn’t make a single large contribution. Rather, their small-dollar donations added up to more than the $3,500 individuals are allowed to give per election.

Sharon Freeto, a retiree from San Antonio, had 20 of her Talarico campaign contributions flagged this month by the FEC for giving over the contribution limit — 10 of which were made on April 24, according to federal records.

“I have no memory of how that happened. That's a lot of money,” Freeto said of the April transactions. She added that she agreed to make monthly donations to the campaign.

Freeto said she had already received a refund for some of her contributions.

“I got a check for the $1,000 refunded with a suggestion to sign it over to, I think it was the national Democratic Party,” she told NOTUS. (The Democratic National Committee began the summer in debt, while the Republican National Committee boasted about $125 million in reserve.)

Even as it came as a surprise, Freeto said she wasn’t too concerned about the transactions.

“I would have missed that if I hadn’t done it,” she said, laughing, adding that this is the first time she had “given so much” to a candidate.

“Two things came together at the same time,” Freeto said. “One is that I really believe in this candidate — I really believe in James Talarico — and the other thing is that for the first time in my life, I have spare money.” She said she supports Talarico because he is the “ideal candidate” for people like her, a self-proclaimed liberal Democrat.

In an emailed statement to NOTUS, the Talarico campaign said its web address used to send financial contributions is automatically set to “donate once to avoid donors automatically being signed up to make monthly donations if they’re unaware of it.” 

A second donor flagged by the FEC for contributing $10,000 to the campaign told NOTUS that he contributed the maximum amount of $3,500 to the campaign, with the rest of the lump sum going to a different entity.

“I was told $3,500 was the max I could contribute to the campaign and that the excess would be reallocated to what I thought to some entity associated with the Democratic Party in Texas,” he said when asked for more details about his contribution. He declined to answer more questions over the phone.

The Talarico campaign explained that a donor who makes an excess contribution “will receive a check in the mail with the difference in their donation that has exceeded the donation limit to Talarico for Texas, as well as a letter explaining we are returning their money and sharing ideas as to where they can donate to if they wish to donate it to a similar cause.”

Issue One, a “crosspartisan” nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce the influence of money in politics, said in a statement to NOTUS that the Talarico campaign is both “following the law and trying to do what is right by proactively communicating with donors about excess campaign contributions.”

“Congress needs to create a campaign finance system that is more transparent, accountable, and understandable to the American public,” said Alix Fraser, vice president of advocacy for Issue One. “Issues like excess contributions plague Democrats and Republicans alike and show why our country needs sweeping anti-corruption legislation.”

It’s not uncommon for big-dollar Senate or presidential candidates to allow some excessive donations to slip through. Regulators said 17 donors recently made excessive contributions to Ken Paxton for Senate.

“Federal regulations allow 60 days to resolve an excess contribution,” Madison Cercy, the Paxton campaign’s deputy director of communications, told NOTUS in a statement. “The Candidate Committee, and all associated Joint Fundraising Committee's strive to maintain compliance with the 60-day rule and have done so.”

But Talarico’s campaign is notable for how much money it’s had to give back amid its endless quest for election-season cash.

Both campaigns send a torrent of near-daily fundraising emails. It’s gotten to the point that Talarico’s subject lines make light of the fire hose of solicitations: “I apologize for invading your inbox,” “Sorry to ask” and just simply “Sorry.”
KenPaxton (2711x1808, AR: 1.50)The Paxton campaign, fresh from a bruising and expensive primary election in which Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn, has taken every opportunity to highlight his own fundraising struggles in emails to potential donors with subject lines that underscore the severity of his shortfall:

“Outraised by over 300%.”

“We just saw Talarico's May numbers. This is bad.”

“I won’t lie to you… This is bad.”

“This is bad. Very bad!”

In his own fundraising pitches, Talarico largely overlooks Paxton’s dismal numbers — the Republican has fewer than $2 million on hand in his campaign account — instead focusing on the hundreds of millions of dollars amassed by Paxton-aligned super PACs Senate Leadership Fund and MAGA Inc. The latter is reportedly preparing to spend significant money to aid Paxton.

“Our state is being taken over by a new kind of tyrant: billionaire mega-donors,” Talarico wrote in a recent fundraising pitch. “Grassroots donations are our best chance to level the playing field.”

“We cannot let the tyrants win.”]]> https://washingtonsun.com/immigration/cbp-set-to-visit-big-bend-region Manuela Silva Two county sheriffs told NOTUS that Commissioner Rodney Scott’s staff reached out to them this week after the agency began bulldozing in Big Bend National Park. Fri, 14 Aug 2026 23:42:40 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/immigration/cbp-set-to-visit-big-bend-region Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Rodney Scott plans to visit Texas’ Big Bend region next week as frustrations rise regarding the Trump administration’s border security project plans for Big Bend National Park.

Terrell County Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland, a retired Border Patrol agent who worked alongside Scott in CBP’s anti-terrorism division, told NOTUS on Friday that Scott’s team had reached out regarding the commissioner’s tentative trip to the region next week.

Brewster County Sheriff Ronny Dodson confirmed to NOTUS that Scott’s team had reached out to coordinate meetings with county judges and sheriffs for next week.

CBP did not respond to a request for comment. NOTUS reviewed planning correspondence related to the trip, and is the first to report the upcoming plans.

For months, the administration has gone back and forth over plans for the park, which sits along the U.S.-Mexico border. Construction plans including the beloved national park and its surrounding area have been among the most controversial parts of President Donald Trump’s border wall project.

The administration says it isn’t building a physical wall in the park — a commitment Scott reemphasized Thursday in a statement, writing that CBP is “NOT building a 30-foot wall or stadium lighting” through national or state parks in the area. But earlier this summer, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin waived over a dozen federal environmental and historical regulations, reigniting concerns over the agency’s plans in the park. And last week, government contractors began bulldozing in the national park for a patrol road.

But advocates worry that even with no plans for a physical border wall, construction efforts could damage the surrounding environment, particularly near Mariscal Mountain, which looks out over the Rio Grande.

This week, outgoing Texas Sen. John Cornyn asked Mullin to consult with local officials before proceeding with construction, becoming the highest-ranking Republican official to raise concerns about the project.

Dodson, whose county encompasses both the state and national parks, said Friday he was hoping to gather more information on the agency’s exact plans so that he could share them with his constituents.

“Once he gives us what’s going to happen, the real truth — we can’t count on what we’re reading or seeing or anything — when he gives it, looks me in the eye and tells me the real truth, then I’ll be able to disseminate that amongst my constituents,” Dodson said of Scott’s visit. “It probably won’t please them. But at least we’ll know what direction [CBP] is heading.”

In March, Dodson and Cleveland signed a letter with other Big Bend-area sheriffs, urging the federal government to prevent building a wall at Big Bend National Park and suggesting alternate border security measures. Groups in and outside of Big Bend have also called on DHS to clarify or halt their plans for construction in the park in the months since.

DHS faces multiple lawsuits regarding its plans at Big Bend.

Two groups filed a suit Friday in a U.S. district court in Texas, alleging that the Interior Department, not DHS, has the power to waive various historical and environmental laws — meaning Mullin had no legal authority to waive the environmental regulations. The plaintiffs, some of whom are Indigenous, also say a border wall through the park would violate their right to religious freedom.

Cleveland, who is backing the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, says whether he can see Scott when he comes to the region depends on if he has to testify in the case. The sheriff earlier this week invited Scott to see the area for himself, saying the “door is open.”

“Come down to Big Bend. Let me show you what I’m seeing on the ground,” Cleveland wrote in an X post.

DHS is also being sued in a separate lawsuit over its plans in Big Bend National Park for waiving of environmental regulations, which the plaintiffs allege occurred without due process.

Presidio Municipal Development district has also filed a suit against the department, arguing that the government’s actions could lead to “deadly” flooding. On Aug. 2, Judge Reggie B. Walton, a George W. Bush appointee, declined to block the administration from continuing its plans in the park as the lawsuit plays out in court.

This story has been updated to reflect a third suit. 

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the court case in which Walton had issued his Aug. 2 ruling.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/technology/ken-paxton-data-centers-texas-senate-race-james-talarico Taylor Giorno The Republican Senate candidate has tried to avoid data center fights. His Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has called for more regulations. Tue, 11 Aug 2026 09:19:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/technology/ken-paxton-data-centers-texas-senate-race-james-talarico In February, Hood County, Texas, asked state Attorney General Ken Paxton if it had the authority to temporarily block data center development.

Almost six months later, Paxton, the Republican U.S. Senate candidate, still hasn’t weighed in. He’s remained relatively quiet on the data center issue, which he called “complicated” during an interview with Valuetainment released in May.

Meanwhile, Paxton has benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of data center industry money pouring into his political operation.

Paxton’s complicated and lucrative relationship with the data center industry is fast becoming a liability. Polls indicate that Texas voters are rebelling against data center construction, and his own poll numbers are sagging.

James Talarico, Paxton’s opponent, who is seeking to become the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas since the early 1990s, has called for more regulations on data center development. This includes repealing Texas’ data center sales-tax exemption, something Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has also asked state lawmakers to take up.
James.Talarico (7994x5329, AR: 1.50)As lawmakers across the political spectrum talk about cracking down on data centers, industry PACs and executives have invested heavily in getting Paxton, who seems less inclined to do so, elected.

Neither the Paxton campaign nor the Texas attorney general's office responded to requests for comment from NOTUS.

Through June, Paxton’s federal political operation has received at least $448,000 from executives and political committees of companies building, operating and investing in data centers, according to a NOTUS review of Federal Election Commission reports filed by several related political committees — his campaign, leadership PAC, joint fundraising committees and a pro-Paxton super PAC called Lone Star Liberty PAC.

On June 30, SAGO Energy LP contributed $100,000 to Paxton Victory, a joint fundraising committee that splits the money it receives among Paxton’s Senate campaign and leadership PAC and the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The contribution is attributed to Charles “Dick” Saulsbury Sr. of Saulsbury Industries, which provides a range of engineering, construction and procurement services for data center development, according to its website​. On June 26, his son, Charles “Bubba” Saulsbury Jr., himself a prominent MAGA donor, also gave $100,000 to Paxton Victory.

Tyler Winklevoss, founder of Winklevoss Capital Management and the cryptocurrency exchange Gemini, also donated $13,500 to Paxton Victory on June 30. One of Winklevoss Capital’s portfolio companies, Crusoe Energy, provides data center infrastructure, and Winklevoss previously worked with a Dallas-based firm to develop gas-powered data centers.

CRH Americas Inc. PAC and Valero PAC also gave $5,000 each to Paxton’s campaign on June 30, according to the Paxton campaign’s July quarterly report. CRH, a building materials company, was working on more than 100 data center projects this spring, according to Yahoo Finance. Valero is best known for its fuel stations, but Valero Energy has a 25-acre data center outside San Antonio, according to Bloomberg.

The list goes on: At least 17 corporate PACs and executives that invest in, build or operate data centers have donated to Paxton’s political operation, according to NOTUS’s analysis of FEC data.

Paxton defeated longtime Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in an upset primary runoff victory in May.

But Paxton needs all the money he can get: While his Senate campaign had raised more than $9.2 million as of June 30, it entered the summer campaign stretch with almost $1.8 million in cash on hand, according to the latest report to the FEC.

That’s significantly less than the Talarico campaign, which had more than $21.5 million in cash on hand as of June 30, according to its latest FEC report.

The Texas Senate race leans Republican, according to the nonpartisan Cook Political Report, but recent polling has found Talarico with a slight lead.

“Paxton is in the fight of his life,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller told NOTUS. When asked about the political liability of accepting donations from the data center industry while keeping out of the policy fray, said Paxton was likely “trying to stay out of controversy.”
Sid.Miller (5056x3564, AR: 1.42)But, he added, Republicans overall “need to get right on the issue and defend the people's position, or they're likely to get beat.”

Talarico’s political operation has arguably benefitted from data center industry interests, including a $10 million donation to the pro-Talarico super PAC Lone Star Rising from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, who has invested in and advocates for the role of data centers in providing much-needed computing power. But unlike Paxton, Talarico has presented a platform for regulating data centers.

The issue of whether to facilitate the creation of data centers — facilities filled with equipment to store, process and send data across networks, enabling people to stream shows, query artificial intelligence platforms or tap a card at checkout — have emerged as a flash point in the state, and across the country.

Concerns that these power-hungry sites will increase electricity prices, divert water resources, pollute the environment and disrupt communities with widely cited noise, including from backup generators, have prompted public backlash that’s had data center developers and operators on the backfoot.

The Texas Tribune identified at least 335 data centers operating in Texas — the second highest number after Virginia — with at least 248 planned to arrive in the coming years. By 2030, Texas is projected to have the largest data center market in the world, according to the real estate advisory firm JLL.
Data.Center.Texas (4061x2284, AR: 1.78)Even when Texas communities push back on data center construction, there is little recourse. The Texas Tribune also reported that after a data center developer sued Hill County, Texas, in May for trying to impose a moratorium after community backlash, the county instead implemented a list of requirements for data center developers.

During Paxton’s interview with Valuetainment, which was published May 15, he framed the data center issue as a competition with China that the United States “cannot lose.”

“On the other hand, I have a lot of sensitivity to local communities that don’t want things built next to their neighborhoods,” Paxton added. “There’s always going to be tension between development and local needs, and I think that needs to be decided by local communities, potentially with the input of their state officials.”

In February, Hood County asked Paxton — in his capacity as attorney general — to decide whether the county has the authority to impose a moratorium on data center development.

As of Monday, the request is still “pending,” according to the attorney general’s website.

Meanwhile, data center donations to Paxton’s political team keep coming.

A few individual donors with ties to the data center industry made donations to Paxton’s campaign last fall.

Last November, Laurie Harrison, executive director of the Rosewood Corporation, donated $7,000 to Paxton’s campaign. One of Rosewood’s portfolio companies, General Informatics, owns at least three data centers.

In October 2025, Paxton’s campaign also reported receiving $7,000 each from David Capobianco, CEO of the private equity firm Five Point Infrastructure, which has moved into data center development, and his wife, Rosangela Capobianco. Albert Huddleston, managing partner at Aethon Energy, which announced a data center development partnership with Mitsubishi earlier this year, also gave $7,000 to Paxton’s campaign.

And the month before that, Paxton’s campaign received $2,000 from Farzad Vahid, CEO of data center supplier Fornida, and $2,500 from “C.M. Yokubaitis,” CEO of Data Foundry, which owns several data centers in Texas. “C.M.” appears to be co-CEO Carolyn Yokubaitis.

But donations exploded this spring as public sentiment soured on data centers.

Harrison contributed $100,000 to Paxton Victory on June 22, according to the joint fundraising committee’s latest report to the FEC. Huddleston chipped in another $3,500 to another joint fundraising committee, Team Paxton, at the end of June.

And on June 15, Todd Platt, CEO of Hillwood, a Texas-based real estate development company, donated $3,500 to Paxton’s campaign. Hillwood has been working on data centers for more than two decades, according to its website, and developed a 400-acre data center north of Fort Worth.

In May, the Ken Paxton Victory Fund, another joint fundraising committee that splits money between Paxton’s campaign and leadership PAC and Lone Star Liberty PAC, reported receiving $17,000 from Seth Crawford, vice president of land at Black Mountain Energy Storage, which is developing a data center near Forth Worth. Jason Les, CEO of data center developer and operator Riot Platforms, chipped in $1,000.

The committee also reported receiving $10,000 from Javier Loya, founder of GetChoice!, a utility management consultant for data centers, and $7,000 from John Durham, CEO of JV Industrial Companies, which operates a data center in La Porte, Texas.

On May 19, William Kent, CEO of the Kent Companies, gave $50,000 to Lone Star Liberty PAC. Kent Companies is a data center construction company operating in Texas and across the United States, according to its website.

None of the donors or companies immediately responded to NOTUS’ requests for comment on their contributions to Paxton’s political operation.

Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that SAGO Energy was owned by WTG Energy.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/agencies/john-cornyn-todd-blanche-meeting Torrie Herrington The Texas senator is a key holdout leading up to the Judiciary Committee vote to advance Blanche’s nomination Thursday Tue, 28 Jul 2026 23:47:22 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/agencies/john-cornyn-todd-blanche-meeting Sen. John Cornyn said he will meet with acting Attorney General Todd Blanche on Wednesday about killing President Donald Trump’s controversial settlement fund — a requirement for the Texas Republican to vote for his confirmation this week.

“I told him we need paper. We need it in writing. We don't need well wishes or, you know, impressions,” the Texas Republican told reporters Tuesday afternoon. “We need concrete confirmation of what he testified to in his hearing."

Cornyn is a key swing vote on the Senate Judiciary Committee, split 12-10 between Republicans and Democrats. An even break would effectively kill the nomination.

“Fake news alert: there is no ‘deal’ on Blanche nom. They know what they have to do.” Cornyn posted on X earlier in the day.

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina) — who also lost his reelection bid and will leave Congress next year — has also made it clear that he’s not an automatic “yes” on Blanche.

“The key for Todd, or anybody going through Judiciary Committee, is being pretty tight on January the 6th. They better not have said for one minute that the people that beat up police officers … were righteous people,” Tillis said in June. “You come even close to saying that, you don’t have a [chance] of getting my vote in Judiciary.”

Blanche has repeatedly told senators that the proposed $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, part of Trump’s settlement with the IRS, is dead and won’t be coming back. But Cornyn has pointed out that Blanche has acknowledged that the proposed "anti-weaponization" fund remains on paper as part of the settlement with Trump.

"What I want is the written document to say the same thing he did in his sworn testimony in front of the Judiciary Committee, and, as you recall, what he said is the weaponization fund is dead. He said the audit immunity basically doesn't extend to parties beyond the lawsuit, and it doesn't also extend to future actions by federal agencies other than the IRS," Cornyn told reporters Monday.]]> https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/latino-voters-districts-house-majority Daniella Diaz Both parties are fighting over a handful of Latino-majority districts across five states. Mon, 27 Jul 2026 09:13:00 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/2026-election/latino-voters-districts-house-majority Republicans and Democrats are fighting over Latino voters in a handful of House districts, keenly aware that they could determine who wins the House majority.

Those districts are places where President Donald Trump made significant gains in 2024, but now polling shows they are frustrated with the stagnated economy. For Democrats, that’s an opportunity to try to win back some of the constituencies they lost in 2024.

“I think we need to continue to educate and inform Latino voters of the impacts of what this administration has done, and I think there’s a lot of buyer’s remorse,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, a Democrat in a tough bid for reelection in Texas’ 34th Congressional District.

“We can’t be critical of people who voted for Trump,” said Gonzalez, whose district Trump won in 2024. “We need to just have a very honest conversation that, 'Hey, a lot of us were duped and we’ve made a mistake, and we need to fix that mistake.’ And we do that by showing up this next election and vote to change the power in Congress and put the stop to some of the policies, the painful policies to Latino communities that have come out of this administration.”

The congressional districts that both parties are paying attention to span five states: Texas’ 15th, 23rd, 28th 34th and 35th; Arizona’s 6th; California’s 22nd; New Mexico’s 2nd; and Colorado’s 8th. All are seats with majority-Latino electorates, and all are considered within reach for either party depending on how voting breaks.

A spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democrats’ campaign arm, said the organization is working with candidates and incumbents to make clear to Latino voters in these battleground districts that a House Democratic majority would mean change to the economy.

“The DCCC has been committed to earning the Latino vote since day one by investing early and aggressively to reach these voters. While House Republicans are focused on making life more expensive for hardworking Latino families, the DCCC is showing voters exactly how the Democratic majority will deliver for them,” Bridget Gonzalez, a spokesperson for DCCC, told NOTUS in a statement.

But some Republican candidates are betting that pocketbook issues will help them keep the Latino voters they’ve gained in recent years in their coalition.

“I believe that [high prices are] temporary, the spike that we’re seeing with the conflict we’re having in the Middle East is temporary, and to hang on, we’re going to get through it,” said Greg Cunningham, a Republican trying to unseat Democratic Rep. Gabe Vasquez in New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District.

Cunningham, who is Hispanic, said his own background gives him an advantage in reading the mood of Latino voters in his district.

“Because I am Hispanic and because I am pretty sensitive to what’s going on here in New Mexico, I am listening and I am addressing those concerns, and I feel confident that the way that we are speaking to Hispanic voters, being Hispanic myself, and the plan that we’re putting forth really addresses those things,” he said, referencing Republicans’ agenda in Congress. “I'm not worried about a huge swing coming back the other way and going away from the Republican Party, but I am addressing and acknowledging the needs of the people here.”

Republican-aligned Latino organizers argue Democrats’ values don’t match what they see in these Latino communities.

“We’re hearing a lot that Democrats have failed to give Latino voters something to vote for, that they’re focused more on who to vote against, and that is not good enough,” said Daniel Garza, president of the Libre Initiative, a conservative Latino advocacy group.

An UnidosUS bipartisan poll from May suggested economic anxiety is the driving force behind voter sentiment, and that rising costs and inflation are shaping daily life for Hispanic families and fueling broader dissatisfaction with the country’s direction. Nearly 7 in 10 respondents (68%) said they believe the U.S. is on the wrong track, and two-thirds (66%) said Trump and congressional Republicans aren’t prioritizing economic improvement.

Garza acknowledged that Latinos across the country are disappointed with the stagnating economy and said he recognizes that the Trump administration may have played a role in that.

“I think Latinos, even though they’ve expressed certain disappointment, to be honest, with the economic results of the Trump administration thus far, I think a lot of us are seeing that Democrats ain’t offering viable pro-growth policy alternatives,” Garza said.

With control of the House hanging on a small number of seats, both parties say the races in majority-Latino districts will be decided less by national messaging than by which side does the more convincing job of showing up.

“Over the past decade, Hispanic voters have steadily moved toward the Republican Party because Republicans are earning their trust and delivering on the issues that matter most: safer neighborhoods, lower costs, lower taxes, secure borders and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Christian Martinez told NOTUS in a statement. “Democrats spent decades taking Latino voters for granted. Republicans are showing up, listening and earning every vote."
]]> https://washingtonsun.com/courts/texas-college-tuition-undocumented-students Jackie Llanos The DOJ has filed multiple lawsuits challenging the immigrants’ access to lower rates. Thu, 09 Jul 2026 23:37:56 GMT https://washingtonsun.com/courts/texas-college-tuition-undocumented-students A federal appeals court ruled Thursday that federal law prevents undocumented students from qualifying for in-state tuition benefits in Texas, one of 12 states where the Trump administration is seeking that outcome.

The 2-1 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit sided with Gov. Greg Abbott and the Trump administration. It upheld a district court decision from last year that brought an end to in-state tuition for undocumented students graduating from Texas high schools, which lawmakers passed with bipartisan support under the Texas Dream Act in 2001.

The case hinged on a federal statute from 1996 that prevents undocumented immigrants from getting higher education benefits unless it is available to all U.S. citizens regardless of where they live. Austin Community College, immigrant advocacy groups and a student had sought to intervene in the lawsuit and restore the law.

The 5th Circuit majority found that the federal law preempts the state law and that the groups could not intervene.

“In-state tuition is about one-tenth the amount of out-of-state tuition and represents a monetary form of assistance, not merely a hollow status,” Judge Jerry Smith, a Reagan-appointee, wrote in the majority opinion.

The end of the in-state tuition policy was swift. It came six hours after the federal government filed the lawsuit against Texas in June of last year, with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton entering an agreement to halt the provisions.

“Texas and the Trump DOJ just secured another major victory for the rule of law,” Abbott wrote on X. “The Fifth Circuit upheld the END of in-state tuition for illegal immigrants in Texas.”

Tania Chavez Camacho, president and executive director of La Unión del Pueblo Entero, which was one of the groups petitioning the court, said in a statement that education “is a human right, no matter someone's immigration status or background.”

“We are deeply disappointed in today’s ruling, but it will not deter us from continuing to advocate for equitable access to higher education for all Texans,” Camacho said.

The dissenting judge, Irma Carrillo Ramirez, pointed out the speedy timeline of the agreement between the state and Trump administration in her dissent. The Biden-appointee wrote that the lower court’s decision didn’t contemplate whether the federal law was unconstitutional under the 10th Amendment.

The Austin Community College Board of Trustees said in a statement the institution will follow the law.

“We continue to work with legal counsel to fully understand our next steps and the implications of the court's decision,” the board said.]]>