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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>Tue, 19 May 2026 12:48:27 -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>Tue, 19 May 2026 12:48:27 -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 
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                <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>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:05:32 -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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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: Brad Johnson on The Texas Bullpen and Election Vibes in Texas]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-brad-johnson-on-the-texas-bullpen-and-election-vibes-in-texas-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In this week's Second Reading podcast, James Henson talks with Brad Johnson about the newly launched Texas Bullpen, where Johnson is a co-founder and reporter.  They then talk about the strange case of the El Paso airport closure and initial applications for the Texas ESA program before checking in on both  the overall vibes and some particular races in the 2026 election.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 15:40:23 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project Time Series: Texas Election Results]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/texas-politics-project-time-series-texas-election-results-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The Texas Politics Project compiles the results of Texas elections for various statewide offices and elections.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 10:47:23 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[The Audience(s) for James Talarico’s Progressive Christianity in the Democratic Primary]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/the-audience-s-for-james-talarico-s-progressive-christianity-in-the-democratic-primary-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[Just how State Representative James Talarico's progressive Christian theology lands with the primary electorate he needs to win over to gain the nomination is an open question - a question not as straightforward as it might seem.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 10:28:55 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading:  A Hot Week in Texas Election Politics]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-a-hot-election-week-in-texas</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at three big  stories in Texas that generated national attention as election season heats up in the state: the special election for Senate District 9, Colin Allred's surprising re-emergence in the Democratic Senate nomination race, and Donald Trump's public musings about endorsing in the Republican Senate race.
]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 22:21:14 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading: The Collision of Immigration, Gun Rights, and Free Speech After Another Fatal Shooting by Federal Agents]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-the-collision-of-immigration-gun-rights-and-free-speech-after-another-fatal-shooting-by-federal-agents</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how the shooting deaths of protesters by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis activate a complex interplay among attitudes on immigration, gun rights, and the First Amendment. ]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:04:33 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Skepticism About Texas Efforts to Improve Grid Resilience Adds to Winter Weather Worries ]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/skepticism-about-texas-efforts-to-improve-grid-resilience-add-to-winter-weather-worries-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[If the anxiety about winter weather is a more or less rational response to both a credible threat and widely shared experience of just how bad things can be during such weather events, many Texans’ fear of the impact of weather reflects post-Uri patterns in public opinion about the reliability of the Texas grid, expectations that state government should be acting to make the grid more reliant than it was in 2021, and a lack of confidence in what political leadership of the state had done to prepare for the next crisis.
]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[James Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 17:22:28 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[ Second Reading Podcast: A Weather Report on Issues in the 2026 Primaries]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-a-weather-report-on-issues-in-the-2026-primaries-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[In the latest Second Reading podcast, James Henson and Joshua Blank use Texas polling to compare and contrast the issues at play in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Texas. Plus, some brief discussion of the latest NYT/Sienna national poll and the coverage of polling conducted by campaigns.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Thu, 22 Jan 2026 19:48:12 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Second Reading Podcast: Views on health care and immigration enforcement, plus a check in on the 2026 U.S. Senate race]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/second-reading-podcast-views-on-health-care-and-immigration-enforcement-plus-a-check-in-on-the-2026-u-s-senate-race</link>
                <description><![CDATA[James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the polling results on health care, immigration, and the 2026 U.S. Senate race in the final UT/Texas Politics Poll of 2025, and what those results portend for the 2026 election year.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Texas Politics Project]]></author>
                <pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:09:52 -0600</pubDate>
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                <title><![CDATA[Health care prices top Texans voters’ economic worries on eve of critical midterm election year]]></title>
                <link>https://texaspolitics.utexas.edu/blog/health-care-prices-top-texans-voters-economic-worries-on-eve-of-critical-midterm-election-year-2</link>
                <description><![CDATA[The final University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll of 2025 found Texas voters' attention to high prices pivoting towards health care costs as the 2026 election moves to the center of state politics.]]></description>
                <author><![CDATA[Jim Henson, Joshua Blank]]></author>
                <pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:27:34 -0600</pubDate>
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