Advertise on podcast: Quorum Report Radio

Not even 48 hours after their historic win in Fort Worth, Texas Democrats were already at each other's throats in the US Senate primary with former Rep. Colin Allred all but calling Rep. James Talarico a racist and a pro-Talarico group slamming Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the first attack ads of the party's nominating contest. But are these the nastiest attacks ever seen in Texas? The boss, Harvey Kronberg, and Current Revolt founder Tony Ortiz join the discussion. Plus, we'll take you to South Texas where a Trump made the rounds trying to pump up Latino Republicans ahead of the midterm elections. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music is by Checkmayne in Houston.

This week, why don't we all have a conversation about why we are now in a place where federal immigration enforcement includes the deadly shootings of American citizens? How did we get here? After the ICE shootings in Minneapolis and the detention of children and tear gassing of protesters in South Texas, I can't help but think about the way a Republican President's administration 20 years ago prosecuted Border Patrol agents for shooting an unarmed man on the Texas-Mexico border. The difference between then and now is truly unbelievable. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Reporting from the campaign trail this week in Dallas-Fort Worth: As a potentially catastrophic winter storm bears down on Texas, Republicans and Democrats are going head to head in a special election in deep red Tarrant County that even Little Gov. Dan Patrick thinks the GOP could lose. As Patrick said, Democrats might pull off an upset victory because it's something Republicans were able to do in a special election in South Texas a few years ago. Plus: Where the hell is Wes Hunt? One of the things he's doing is running from reporters who want to know why he isn't showing up for work in DC. And, my conversation with legendary Texas defense attorney Dan Cogdell, who defended AG Paxton during the impeachment. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Reporting this week from Houston: The Republican primary for Texas Attorney General includes talk of fighting the "dark forces of the left" and making state government the enforcer of biblical values. Reporter Jen Rice checks in about the governor's plan for the state to take over Houston elections. And we check on the Uvalde families seeking at least a small slice of justice following the massacre at Robb Elementary School. NBC News Correspondent Ryan Chandler joins us about that. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

The year begins with unrest around the world after US Military action in Venezuela and an ICE shooting in the Midwest that's reverberating on the campaign trail in the Great State with less than six weeks to go before early voting starts in one of the most consequential elections on Earth: The Texas primary. Plus, President Trump kind of admits what the whole redistricting war that started in Texas was really about. And no, I do not hate any of the candidates running even though some of y'all wish I did. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music is by Checkmayne in Houston.

It's a Christmas extravaganza this week as we close out the year with a debate about ketchup on tamales with Chad Hasty, check in with my mother about her favorite songs of the season, and a Christmas Miracle as Dan Patrick brings a voice of reason to the debate over property taxes. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Democrats who were hoping they could avoid what's sure to be a nasty US Senate primary in Texas are about to find out if they've got the stomach for it. We'll take you to Rep. Jasmine Crockett's launch event in Dallas and you'll get some historical perspective on how combative candidates have fared in Texas. Plus the redistricting wars that started at the Capitol in Austin at the behest of President Trump may end up being a wash, which might mean Democrats won't get as much national help as they otherwise could have as they try to defend seats south of Interstate 10. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

The way President Trump and New York Mayor-elect Mamdani's meeting at the White House went this week—not a fight but nearly a love fest—tells you that the MAGA right and the far left Democratic socialists largely fundamentally agree about the number one issue informing voter attitudes right now: The state of the economy. Plus, the Democrats had a big win on redistricting this week but what happens next? Let's review some of the way it played out at the Capitol. And yes our listeners are right that there are plenty of quality Thanksgiving songs to jam out to before cranking up the Christmas tunes. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Panicked headlines across America and Texas as Congress dealt what many say is a lethal blow to the hemp industry. But our friend Susan Hays, an attorney who's become an expert on the subject, joined the show to say everyone should take a breath and she stressed this is a much longer game than most are saying. Plus, Rep. Tony Gonzales is now sort of addressing rumors about the apparent suicide of one of his staffers. And is Mike Collier's decision to run for Lt. Gov. as an independent going to screw Democrats out of a statewide win next year? There's a previous election we can look at for some perspective. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.

The game is certainly afoot now, with Governors Gavin Newsom and JB Pritzker rallying Democrats in Texas while Gov. Abbott announces his reelection. Meantime, "Big John" Cornyn is in the fight of his political life. Driving across Texas to cover it all this weekend led to a broken windshield for me right as Rep. Jasmine Crockett gave her clearest explanation yet as to why she might run for US Senate. No kidding, a rock hit my windshield right as I was listening to her explain herself. Plus: Why does no one believe Lt. Gov. Patrick when he says he's running for reelection? Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

After a special election in an off year, the reminder is always to never read too much into the results. But my reminder to myself is there's no way to get y'all to avoid doing that, so let's talk about it all. One key race in Tarrant County may speak to a serious and potentially durable enthusiasm gap between Democrats and Republicans. Plus, Texas House Democrats appear to have helped California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his effort to counter Texas redistricting. Oh, and Evan thinks it's way too early to be playing Christmas music in stores or anywhere else. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston. 

The race for US Senate in Texas may be turned upside down if Rep. Jasmine Crockett jumps into the Democratic primary. Crockett says she may seriously consider it if the courts uphold the newly drawn congressional map demanded by President Trump. But we start with growing concerns that a proposal to fund critical water infrastructure projects across Texas may fail at the ballot box. Plus: After blocking legislation in the Texas Senate to address altered images in campaigns, Patrick was railing this week against an altered image in a Texas Senate campaign that he said is "satanic." Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Our publisher, serial entrepreneur Harvey Kronberg recently appeared on the Changing Austin Podcast to talk about where Quorum Report has been and where we're going: "Since joining the Quorum Report in 1989 as a contract writer, Harvey Kronberg has become a trusted voice in Texas politics. In this episode of the Changing Austin podcast, Stacy Armijo sits down with Kronberg for a candid conversation about how Austin has evolved over the past four decades. From its laid-back “slacker” reputation in the 1970s to its transformation into a booming tech and policy hub, Kronberg shares first hand stories from the frontlines of Texas journalism and politics." Check it out.

In Texas politics, two things have the unique ability to inspire candidates: God and queso. But if the queso is bland, it might say something about the candidate. And if someone says God told them to run for office, watch out. We now have potentially nasty statewide Democratic primaries shaping up in addition to the GOP primaries that are already heated. As those campaigns got rolling, Democratic activists took to the streets of Texas cities as small as Brenham and as big as Dallas and Houston to protest against President Trump's Administration. And why are some Texas Democrats saying their new state party chairman sounds like Donald Trump? Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.  

Only in Texas politics could you call someone "the biggest asshole" and it's in defense of that person. You'll want to hear what that has to do with a White House call to the Texas GOP this weekend and what Speaker Dustin Burrows' comments to the Republican Party might mean for the operations of the House. Then you'll get the scoop from El Paso, where the redistricting battle that led to a smackdown at the Texas Capitol this summer is now playing out in a federal courtroom. Jen Rice was one of the only reporters to hear all the arguments. She'll check in. Plus: What is Congressman Wes Hunt really doing with his bid for the US Senate? Some newly resurfaced audio of him might provide a clue. And Gov. Abbott's pissed at Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, who spent some of the week mocking the Texas National Guard deployment in Chicago and baiting Abbott into a bit of a debate involving hot dogs. Yes, really. Our producer is the famous Evan Sherer and the original music for the show is by Checkmayne in Houston.