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Analysis of Texas Politics from Jim Henson and Josh Blank from the Texas Politics Project.

Second Reading Podcast


    • May 23, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 52m AVG DURATION
    • 217 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Second Reading Podcast

    #Txlege Vibe Check Ahead of a Busy Weekend at the Texas Capitol

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2025 43:32


    James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the progress made on major legislation this week and where the legislative leadership stands as the end of the regular session looms.

    Public Opinion and the Big Issues Still Unresolved in the Texas Legislature

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2025 53:36


    James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the big issues still pending in the Texas Legislature, including property taxes, education funding, water, the budget, bail, THC products, and more as legislative deadlines start killing bills.

    New Texas Politics Project Poll finds the economy and shifting immigration views shaping views of Trump and of legislative priorities

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2025 66:13


    James Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank discussed what the newly-released UT/Texas Politics Project Poll reveals about Texas views of Donald Trump, major issues getting hammered out in the final weeks of the Texas Legislature, and the coming 2026 election in Texas.

    Abortion legislation moving in the Texas Legislature, internecine GOP conflict in the Texas House, and more with the Austin American-Statesman’s Bayliss Wagner

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2025 60:37


    James Henson talks with political reporter Bayliss Wagner, of The Austin American-Statesman, about her recent coverage of abortion and intraparty tension among Texas House Republicans, as well as the Statesman’s change of ownership, and covering the lege for the hometown paper.

    Harvey Kronberg of Quorum Report talks about the state of play in the Texas Legislature as the session enters its final weeks

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 24, 2025 68:06


    James Henson talks with Harvey Kronberg, publisher and godfather of Harvey Kronberg’s Quorum Report, about the vibes in the legislature as well as the longer trajectory of politics in the state, and the place of Quorum Report in the Texas media universe.

    ESAs Finally Triumph in the Texas House

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2025 52:18


    James Henson and Josh Blank look at the arc of politics surrounding ESA’s/vouchers, and check in on 2026 election politics in Texas.

    Tariff-driven economic upheaval injects more uncertainty into Texas budget politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 10, 2025 50:20


    James Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texas public opinion on tariffs and the economy, and how economic upheaval might upend core assumptions about the state budget for the next biennium.

    The Texan’s Brad Johnson on big happenings in the Texas Legislature this week, and the media environment in Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2025 64:36


    James Henson talks with Brad Johnson, political reporter and managing editor of The Texan, about recent happenings in the Texas Legislature, including the ESA bill voted out of the House Education Committee, the failed attempt to depose Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, and Dan Patrick’s presser this week. They also talk about The Texan’s […]

    The Texas Tribune’s Jasper Scherer talks about his recent scoop, with Kayla Guo, on Lt. Gov. Patrick’s special session threat

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2025 40:43


    James Henson talks with Jasper Scherer, reporter and incoming politics editor at The Texas Tribune about political maneuvering at the legislature as the pace of the session picks up, and about the evolution of the Tribune’s position in the media ecosystem in Texas.

    “Texas went above and beyond”: A Conversation with The New Yorker’s Jonathan Blitzer

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 56:27


     James Henson talks with Jonathan Blitzer about his profile of Texas Governor Greg Abbott for the March 17 issue of The New Yorker.

    A conversation with Gromer Jeffers, Jr., about the steep challenges facing Democrats nationally and in Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 13, 2025 45:10


    James Henson talks with veteran political reporter Gromer Jeffers, Jr., about his recent reporting on Democrats’ struggles after the 2024 election and, in Texas, their position in the Texas legislature.

    Trump ascendant in Texas in new statewide poll

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2025 59:31


    Daron Shaw, Josh Blank, & James Henson discuss news highs for Donald Trump, but amidst persistent economic concerns, and other findings in the just-released University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.

    A chat with Greg Cox about producing a daily Texas politics newsletter, and the state of play on the big issues in the state legislature

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2025 37:37


    James Henson talks with Greg Cox about his recently launched Texas politics newsletter, and the state of play in the legislature, where he finds people generally getting along better after the heated 2023-2024 sequence in Texas.

    Taking stock of the political mood in the Texas Legislature as both chambers get to work

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2025 42:42


    Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about how politics are shaping up as the House makes committee assignments, and the current Big Three position as the session shifts into a higher gear.

    How nationalized are Texas politics?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2025 40:47


    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.

    Texas Public Opinion and Gov. Abbott’s Emergency Items

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2025 35:51


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

    texas emergency gov abbott greg abbott public opinion james henson texas politics project
    Texas Public Opinion as the #TxLege Agenda Develops

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2025 53:13


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2025 49:56


    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.

    Public opinion in Texas and the Trump agenda

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 16, 2025 62:15


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2024 54:52


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

    Understanding Texas Latinos‘ swing to Trump in 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 21, 2024 75:53


    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.

    How the 2024 GOP surge washed over Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 58:50


    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.

    A last look at election issues in Texas before Election Day

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 31, 2024 51:17


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2024 61:05


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

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2024 45:34


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 25, 2024 50:32


    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.

    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

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2024 51:53


    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.

    September 10th, 2024 – The Presidential Race in Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2024 67:59


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2024 64:40


    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.”

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2024 51:36


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 15, 2024 60:07


    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.

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2024 48:02


    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. 

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2024 50:02


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

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

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2024 62:41


    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.

    May 29th, 2024 – More than a Phelan: the implications of the primary run-offs in Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later May 29, 2024 53:37


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at the results of the primary run-offs in Texas, the politics of the long primary season, and the implications of the results.

    May 9th, 2024 – Why broad labels fail to capture nuances in Texans’ views about abortion access

    Play Episode Listen Later May 9, 2024 47:55


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank take a deep dive into new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll data revealing nuances in Texans’ views of abortion not captured in broad labels like “pro-life” and “pro-choice.”

    May 3 2024 – What the new UT/Texas Politics Project Poll can and can’t tell up about the state of the 2024 election in Texas

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2024 66:08


    Jim Henson, Daron Shaw, and Joshua Blank dig into the trial ballot results for the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Texas in the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll.

    Apr 23rd 2024 – Policy and politics in the Texas Senate’s interim charges

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 63:13


    Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at different signals transmitted in the Texas Senate’s interim charges. 

    Apr 16th, 2024 – What to make of the “Contract with Texas”

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 16, 2024 54:34


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank talk about the politics and implications of the “Contract with Texas” recently distributed by a group of far-right Texas Republicans, and take notice of a new polling on the presidential and Senate races in Texas.

    Apr 2nd, 2024 – How competitive will the 2024 presidential election be in Texas?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2024 48:38


    Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at past election returns and UT/Texas Politics Project polling data to assess how competitive the presidential election might be in Texas.

    Mar 28th 2024 – News roundup: The courts shape politics, a speaker’s race is underway in the House, and the presidential contest in Texas.

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 28, 2024 53:31


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at various judicial interventions in politics over the last week, as well as the kick-off of a speaker’s race in the Texas house & the presidential campaign in Texas. Referenced Article Here: https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/why-we-cant-stop-arguing-about-whether-trump-is-a-fascist

    Mar 19th, 2024 – The nexus of Texas’ fight with the federal government over the border & Texas nationalism

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2024 58:30


    Jim Henson & Josh Blank look at the conflict between Texas and the federal government over border enforcement, and how it’s fed the boom in attention to Texas nationalism (Note: recorded prior to the US Supreme Court lifting the stay on SB 4.)

    Mar 7th, 2024 – Unpacking the 2024 Texas Primary Results

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2024 52:45


    The Texas Politics Project team look at the outcome of the primary election in Texas and the implications for politics in the legislature and the state’s political system writ large.

    texas unpacking primary texas politics project
    Feb 27th, 2024 – Democratic shifts on border issues and Trump endorsements in Texas House Races

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 46:07


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at evidence of shifts in Texas Democrats’ views of immigration and border issues in the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll, and note how the same poll sheds some light on the audience for Trump’s primary endorsements in Texas House races. 

    Feb 20th, 2024 – What the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll tells us (and doesn’t) about the Texas primary

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2024 57:49


    The team behind the latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll team – James Henson, Josh Blank, and Daron Shaw – talk about what the just-released February UT/TxP Poll tell us about the 2024 election in Texas.

    university texas primary poll james henson texas politics project
    Feb 8th, 2024 – A Conversation with Ross Ramsey about Donald Trump and the Texas GOP

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2024 46:22


    Jim Henson talks with Ross Ramsey, co-founder and former executive editor of The Texas Tribune, about the reverberations in Texas  of Donald Trump’s presumed return as the Republican presidential nominee in 2024.

    Jan 30th, 2024 – Texas Border Politics Take National Center Stage

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 58:24


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank discuss the convergence of national and Texas politics in the current national focus on immigration and border security.

    Jan 23rd, 2024 – A busy Interlude in Texas Politics – from a SCOTUS Ruling on the Border to Paxton’s about-face

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2024 51:44


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank round up the flood of developments in politics in Texas, including the latest in the GOP presidential primary, the SCOTUS ruling against Texas, the DOJ’s report on Uvalde, and more.

    January 18, 2024 – A Post-Iowa Look at Donald Trump and the Texas GOP

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2024 57:00


    Jim Henson and Joshua Blank look at Donald Trump's standing in Texas after his win in Iowa – and the long term roots of support for him among Texas Republicans.

    January 9th, 2024 – Public opinion and 2024 primary politics in Texas 

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 9, 2024 60:00


    Jim Henson and Josh Blank look at how voters' assessments of the long 2023 legislative session provide part of the context of the 2024 Republican primary in Texas.  

    December 7th, 2023 – The Major Themes of a Tumultuous Year in Texas Politics

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 7, 2023 72:53


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