Politics and views in the United States

Texas Republicans brace for Trump's Senate endorsement, as voters express frustration with polling place changes. The SCOTUS will issue a major voting rights ruling and Idaho rejects federal attempts to access voter data.

TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to 2026 Talks, where we're following our democracy in historic times.

I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered, and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we've worked so hard to build over these many years.

There is simply too much at stake in this midterm election for our state and for our country.

Incumbent Republican Texas Senator John Cornyn says the gloves are staying off for his late May primary runoff against MAGA darling State Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Neither Cornyn nor Paxton reached 50 percent in Tuesday's vote.

President Donald Trump says he will endorse one of them and the other should drop out.

Cornyn is powerful in the Senate and a major figure in the state's conservative politics.

But Southern Methodist University political scientist Cal Jilson says he's seen as a traditional Republican.

The Bush wing has faded and the Maga wing of the party is in the saddle.

So the question is whether Cornyn can survive this because his passion is seen as more of a knife fighter who will toe the Republican line and follow Donald Trump and the Maga base of the party.

Yesterday morning, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, who was bested by State Representative James Tallarico in a close Democratic primary, called for unity.

Embattled South Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez has admitted he had an affair with an aide who died after setting herself on fire last year.

Gonzalez is also headed to a runoff after failing to get 50 percent in Tuesday's vote.

The Dallas County Republican Party closed two countywide voting centers, meaning some people were turned away on Election Day.

Conspiracy theories have said the voting centers let individuals cast multiple ballots.

Idaho is the latest state to reject Justice Department demands for unredacted voter data.

The DOJ says it's needed to stop non-citizen voting, but Idaho's Republican Secretary of State says that's virtually non-existent, and turning over voter rolls would violate privacy rules.

Watchdogs say a looming Supreme Court decision could end up disenfranchising voters of color.

Louisiana versus Calais may decide if race can be considered in redistricting.

Neelu Jenks with Fair Vote Washington says the state's Yakima County drew a majority Latino district five years ago after a court ruled it had been diluting minority voting power.

She says it could be at risk.

"This is a fundamentally important decision to the very fabric of how much change has happened in our nation since 1965.

These are rights that took generations to win that can be undone by a handful of decisions."

On a nearly party line vote has rejected a war powers would have limited the Wh to wage war in Iran.

Anna Peace Force says maybe as have already been killed causes an explosion of an talking about food, sanit Protection.

Defense Secretary the operation could last GOP Senator Steve Daines says he's retiring.

Six Republicans and four Democrats have announced they won't seek re-election to the chamber.

I'm Zamone Perez for Pacifica Network and Public News Service.

Find our trust indicators at publicnewsservice.org.