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        <title><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project: Blogs]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/feed]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Blogs from the Texas Politics Project]]></description>
        <language>en-US</language>
        <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:52:09 -0500</pubDate>

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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: Texas Public Opinion and This Week's Big SCOTUS Decisions + the Emergence of Stronger Political Parties (?)]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-texas-public-opinion-and-this-week-s-big-scotus-decisions-the-emergence-of-stronger-political-parties</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In a new Second Reading podcast, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texas public opinion related to some of the big Supreme Court decisions this week, and have a ranging discussion about signs of the emergence of stronger, if more polarized political parties. They also touch on news of Kelly Hancock's imminent departure as Acting Comptroller and the politics of the governor's appointment of the Republican candidate for the office, former state senator Don Huffines.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:52:09 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Democrats' Attitudes as Party Members Gather in Corpus Christi]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-democrats-attitudes-as-party-members-gather-in-corpus-christi</link>
                <description><![CDATA[As the Texas Democratic Party holds their state convention in Corpus Christi this weekend, review public opinion data from the Texas Politics Project polling archive to provide some context for the gathering. ]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:39:54 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[June Poll Finds a Competitive U.S. Senate race in Texas amid continuing economic concerns, data center backlash]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/june-poll-finds-a-competitive-u-s-senate-race-in-texas-amid-continuing-economic-concerns-data-center-backlash</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds a very tight race in the election for the U.S. Senate, Texas voters largely opposed to building data centers in their communities, and continuing concern about prices and the economy.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 06:30:32 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast:  Increased Partisan Intensity, a Tight Texas U.S Senate Race, and Bad Tech Vibes in the New Texas Politics Project Poll]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-increased-partisan-intensity-a-tight-texas-u-s-senate-race-and-bad-tech-vibes-in-the-new-texas-politics-project-poll</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at 2026 Texas trial ballots and the strikingly negative views of data centers and AI in the June Texas Politics Project Poll.
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                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:06:12 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[What the 2018 election in Texas can and can’t tell us about 2026]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/what-the-2018-election-in-texas-can-and-can-t-tell-us-about-2026</link>
                <description><![CDATA[How similar is the 2026 election environment in Texas to 2018, the last statewide election in which Democrats were able to gain meaningful ground on Texas Republicans’ control of the Texas Legislature, and came within striking distance of winning some statewide races? The Texas Politics Project's deep archive of public opinion data allows us to make useful comparisons of public attitudes toward candidates and conditions in 2018 and 2026.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:55:50 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: Suddenly...Data Centers!]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-suddenly-data-centers</link>
                <description><![CDATA[While it's really not so sudden, James Henson and Joshua Blank sort through the policy and political dimensions of Gov. Abbott's signaling and the short and long term implications of the Governor's attempt to lead on the issue]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:22:00 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Republican Attitudes as the State GOP Rallies in Houston]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-republican-attitudes-as-the-state-gop-rallies-in-houston</link>
                <description><![CDATA[As the Republican Party of Texas gathers in Houston for its state convention, browse a compilation of Republican attitudes from the Texas Politics Project polling archive.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 12 Jun 2026 13:05:51 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: Both Parties Gear Up for Texas Legislative Races + the Long Shadow of 2018]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-both-parties-gear-up-for-texas-legislative-races-and-the-long-shadow-of-2018</link>
                <description><![CDATA[After a week in which Texas Republicans circled the wagons for legislative elections and national Democrats announced #txlege targets, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the landscape for legislative races, and compare differences and similarities in public opinion in 2018 and 2026.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 04 Jun 2026 14:35:21 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[ Second Reading Podcast: The Texas Republican Base Has Spoken – What’s Next?]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-the-texas-republican-base-has-spoken-what-s-next</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In the wake of run-off wins by GOP candidates like Ken Paxton, Mayes Middleton, and Bo French, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about dynamics in both parties, and what’s comes next in the general election and in governing circles in Texas.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 28 May 2026 17:44:07 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Why Trump GOP Primary Endorsements Remain Valuable in Texas]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/why-trump-gop-primary-endorsements-remain-valuable-in-texas</link>
                <description><![CDATA[Despite the steady decline in his overall approval ratings nationally, trends in the President's standing among Texas Republicans remains a solid asset in GOP primaries.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 15:15:47 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: Texas GOP Worries About Base Turnout Continue as Immigration Agenda Shifts]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-texas-gop-worries-about-base-turnout-continue-as-immigration-agenda-shifts</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank join the response to the much-discussed memo from Ragnar Research's Chris Perkins on signs of sagging participation among Republican primary voters in Texas, and make some connections with the shifting politics of immigration and border security in the Texas GOP.
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                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 08:52:52 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Senate Race Polling Reveals Republican Turnout Challenges – and the Trajectory of the Texas GOP]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/senate-race-polling-reveals-republican-turnout-challenges-and-the-trajectory-of-the-texas-gop</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The main takeaway from hypothetical head-to-heads in the U.S. Senate race in Texas isn’t that Talarico is “ahead” – it’s that voter mobilization may be the main challenge to Republican success in the 2026 general election.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Tue, 19 May 2026 12:47:37 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: The Races for Governor & Lt. Governor, Texas Views of Donald Trump, and  Other Election Atmospherics]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-the-races-for-governor-lt-governor-texas-views-of-donald-trump-and-other-election-atomospherics</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In a new Second Reading podcast, James Henson and Josh Blank look at the quasi-normal looking polling on the general election matchups for Texas Governor and Lt. Governor, and assess macrolevel indicators of the political mood in Texas. ]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2026 21:48:28 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading:  Undercurrents in the Texas U.S. Senate Race and Other Reveals in the Latest Texas Politics Project Poll]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-undercurrents-in-the-texas-u-s-senate-race-and-other-reveals-in-the-latest-texas-politics-project-poll</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at highlights from the just-released UT/Texas Politics Project poll, including resurgent concerns about prices and the economy, the  sharp partisan differences fueling overall opposition to the U.S. war with Iran, and some interesting underlying numbers in the U.S. Senate race and the Cornyn/Paxton/Talarico triangle 
]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 09:28:26 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project Time Series: Texans' Views of the Economy]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-politics-project-time-series-texans-views-of-the-economy-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll regularly asks Texas voters to provide their assessment of national, state, and personal economic conditions. In this post, trend graphics for those views are presented and updated with each survey.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 17:11:19 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[April Polling: War and surging gas prices fuel another negative turn in Texans’ views of the economy]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/april-polling-war-and-surging-gas-prices-fuel-another-negative-turn-in-texans-views-of-the-economy-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The April University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll finds Texans feeling the pain from a sharp rise in gas prices fueled by war in the Middle East, with 61% of Texas voters “very concerned” about the price of gasoline and energy amidst renewed worries about the economy and prices overall.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Sun, 21 Jun 2026 18:22:58 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: Gov. Abbott Squeezes the Cities, National Groups Spend on Texas Congressional Races, and the Texas Lyceum Poll]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-gov-abbott-squeezes-the-cities-national-groups-spend-on-texas-congressional-races-and-the-texas-lyceum-poll</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank check in on Gov. Abbott’s pressure on Houston, Dallas, and Austin to change immigration enforcement politics and planned spending by both parties on Texas Congressional races, then go deep on the Texas Lyceum Poll’s look at Texans’ views of the quality of life in Texas. ]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 11:59:50 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast:  Reporting the Fall of Tony Gonzales]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-reporting-the-fall-of-tony-gonzales-with-bayliss-wagner-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In a new podcast, James Henson talks with Bayliss Wagner of the Austin American-Statesman and Hearst Newspapers about her reporting on the scandals that led to Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales' exit from the U.S. House, including the role of non-traditional and social media in the emergence of the story in mainstream media.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:10:06 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: The War in Iran, with Professor Robert Moser of UT Austin]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-the-war-in-iran-with-professor-robert-moser-of-ut-austin</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson talks with Professor Robert D. Moser of The University of Texas at Austin Government Department about U.S. interest in Iran, how the escalation of the conflict with Iran intersect those interests, and the consequences of the war for national and international politics.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 16:01:12 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: An Uneasy Transition from Primary to General Election Season in Texas]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-an-uneasy-transition-from-primary-to-general-election-season-in-texas-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank survey the early signs of the developing general election campaign in Texas as well as lingering primary dynamics in both parties. Topics include the early Republican attacks on James Talarico, the rock throwing between Acting Comptroller Hancock and AG Paxton, and efforts to test the issue environment in the general election.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 27 Mar 2026 08:57:54 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[The U.S. War in Iran and the Election Climate in Texas]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/the-u-s-war-in-iran-and-the-election-climate-in-texas</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In a new Second Reading podcast, James Henson and Joshua Blank check into the latest twist the GOP run-off election for the U.S. Senate, then turn to what public opinion polling in Texas might tell us about the impact of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran given the current path of the conflict.
]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 15:50:10 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: Texas Delivers a Dramatic Primary Election]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-texas-delivers-a-dramatic-primary-election</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at key results of the long-anticipated Texas primary elections, and talk over some of the implications moving forward and the trajectory of polling in the Democratic race.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 16:03:21 -0500</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project Time Series: Job Approvals]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-politics-project-time-series-job-approvals</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll regularly asks Texas voters to provide their assessment of national and statewide political leaders. This post presents the trend graphics for those views updated with each survey.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:35:50 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Competition Remains Fierce in Both U.S. Senate Primaries in Texas, According to Latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll.]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/competition-remains-fierce-in-both-u-s-senate-primaries-in-texas-according-to-latest-ut-texas-politics-project-poll-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll finds the three-way Republican race remains likely headed to a run-off, while Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett maintains her advantage in the Democratic contest, even as State Representative James Talarico continues making inroads among a Democratic electorate to whom he was largely unknown prior to his first statewide campaign]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:01:20 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Republicans Remain Loyal to Trump While His Job Approval Sags Among Other Groups]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-republicans-remain-loyal-to-trump-while-his-job-approval-sags-among-other-groups-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[With President Donald Trump delivering his State of the Union Address Tuesday night, the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds the president hanging on to his support among Texas Republicans even as he struggles with stubbornly low ratings from Texans outside his base, and with slipping approval of his performance on key economic areas of concern to most Texans.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:37 -0600</pubDate>
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