Second Reading Podcast

Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project. Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.

How nationalized are Texas politics?

Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss how to think about how national politics shape politics in Texas, and consider the feedback loops at work in sorting out the reciprocal effects of Texas and national politics.

02-13
40:47

Texas Public Opinion and Gov. Abbott’s Emergency Items

James Henson & Joshua Blank look at Gov. Abbott’s emergency items through the lens of Texas Politics Project polling.

02-06
35:51

Texas Public Opinion as the #TxLege Agenda Develops

Jim Henson and Josh Blank dig into UT/Texas Politics Project polling data in the run-up to the Governor’s State of the State speech.

01-30
53:13

Politics in the Texas House and views of the Trump agenda in Texas

Jim Henson and Josh Blank consider the ascension of Dustin Burrows as House Speaker, and look at UT/Texas Politics polling on Texans’ attitudes toward the emerging agenda of Donald Trump.

01-23
49:56

Public opinion in Texas and the Trump agenda

The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll Team discuss what December polling in Texas tells us about public opinion, and potential cross-currents buffeting the Trump administration & Congressional Republicans in 2025.

01-16
01:02:15

The Opaque Texas Speaker’s Race: We don’t know more than we know

Jim Henson and Josh Blank join the ongoing speculation about whether Dade Phelan will remain Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.

12-05
54:52

Understanding Texas Latinos‘ swing to Trump in 2024

Jim Henson & Joshua Blank look at what UT/Texas Politics Project polling data can (and can’t) tell us about the big Latino vote for Donald Trump in Texas.

11-21
01:15:53

How the 2024 GOP surge washed over Texas

On the day after, Jim Henson and Joshua Blank take a first look at the results of the 2024 election in Texas, which delivered Texas’ electoral votes to Donald Trump by a wide margin, and sent Ted Cruz back to the U.S. Senate.

11-06
58:50

A last look at election issues in Texas before Election Day

Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at Texas attitudes on immigration & the border, abortion, and transgender issues in Texas as the election comes down to the wire.

10-31
51:17

Down to the wire: results from the final UT/Texas Politics Project Poll before Election Day

Jim Henson, Daron Shaw and Josh Blank discuss results from the October 2024 UT/Texas Politics Project Poll as early voting begins in Texas.

10-22
01:01:05

A race to the middle? Checking in on the Cruz-Allred Senate race in Texas

Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about polling and other context in the U.S. Senate race in Texas between incumbent Republican Ted Cruz, and Democratic challenger Colin Allred.

10-10
45:34

September 25th, 2024 – Public opinion and other context for the Speaker Race in the Texas House of Representatives

Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at Texas Politics Project polling related to Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, and what it contributes (and doesn’t) to understanding the dynamics of the current challenges to Phelan’s efforts to continue as Speaker amidst opposition from within the Texas GOP.

09-25
50:32

September 19th, 2024 – The latest round of GOP efforts on “election integrity” in Texas, and the long term consequences of two decades of voting politics in the state

James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss trends in Texas public opinion on elections and voting in the context of recent efforts by Texas elected officials to thwart voter registration efforts in Democratic strongholds, and otherwise link immigration to voting in the minds of Texas voters.

09-19
51:53

September 10th, 2024 – The Presidential Race in Texas

James Henson. Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank dig into the data from the latest University of Texas / Texas Politics Project statewide poll, which found Donald Trump leading Kamala Harris 49% to 44% in the Lone Star State.

09-10
01:07:59

August 29th, 2024 – Texas Republicans go back to the well with moves on the border, immigration, and “election integrity”

Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political context of Texas Republican elected official recent efforts to draw attention to immigration, the border, and “election integrity.”

08-29
01:04:40

August 22nd, 2024 – The political profile of female voters in Texas as Democrats reach out to women in Chicago.

Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about new Texas polling data from the University of Houston and Texas Southern, themes at the Democratic National Convention, and “gender gap” in Texas.

08-22
51:36

August 15th, 2024 – Quorum Report’s Harvey Kronberg on the implications of the rebooted presidential race in Texas politics

Jim Henson talks with Harvey Kronberg of Harvey Kronberg’s Quorum Report about how the rebooted presidential race is playing out in Texas, as well as the dynamics in Texas politics with both an election and the 2025 legislative session on the horizon.

08-15
01:00:07

August 8th, 2024 – Early baselines for the Harris ticket in Texas and rumblings in state politics

Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at the baseline numbers in the presidential campaign before the big changes in the presidential race and take a quick look at some of the politics simmering in Texas in the shadow of the national politics.

08-08
48:02

July 11th, 2024 – Hurricane politics in Texas and the storm around Biden’s presidential campaign

Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk over the politics of Texas’ response to Hurricane Beryl and mounting uncertainty around Joe Biden’s reelection campaign.

07-11
50:02

June 20th, 2024 – Trump’s Convictions and the 2024 Presidential Election in Texas

Jim Henson, Josh Blank, and Daron Shaw discuss the June University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll, and what the results say about the impact of Donald Trump’s felony convictions on the presidential race in Texas.

06-20
01:02:41

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