Ken Paxton was the Attorney General of Texas when major controversial Chinese land purchases occurred. [1, 2]

• The Purchases: Between 2016 and 2018, Chinese billionaire and former military officer Sun Guangxin bought roughly 140,000 acres of land in Val Verde County, Texas, near Laughlin Air Force Base. [1, 2, 3]
• The Attorney General: Ken Paxton took office as the Attorney General of Texas in January 2015 and held the position during these acquisitions.

They also worry that increasing imports will make the market even tougher for an already-struggling U.S. cattle industry.

Report cards for the state of Texas and the Republican incumbents.

I’m a small-business owner. I’ve had larger organizations and competitors steal my work, and I have not had the money, lawyers, or institutional power to protect myself. I’ve struggled to afford health insurance and to pay rent while trying to keep a business going.

That is what small-business vulnerability actually looks like. It is not solved by a politician collecting an endorsement from NFIB or by calling deregulation a supposed small-business agenda.

A truly pro-small-business agenda would help independent owners protect their ideas and work, access affordable legal support and capital, compete fairly against larger companies, obtain health care, and stay housed while building something sustainable. It would care about stable customers, fair markets, public infrastructure, and workers who can afford to live in the communities where small businesses operate.

NFIB does not speak for all small businesses, especially not the smallest, most vulnerable, or least connected among us. It operates as a large business advocacy organization itself. In its latest reported fiscal year, NFIB had $114.9 million in total revenue, with $106 million, or 92.2%, reported as program-service revenue.

Its priorities often reflect the interests of established employers, political insiders, and businesses with the resources to navigate legal, financial, and regulatory systems; not owners who are one stolen idea, one rent increase, one medical bill, or one denied loan away from closing.

Ken Paxton’s NFIB endorsement does not mean that he represents Texas small businesses. It proves that he represents the version of “small business” NFIB chooses to elevate, and it's the one centered far too much on employer power, while too often ignoring the independent owners who need actual protection.

The Houston Chronicle editorial board has a editorial about the tension between rural Texas opposing data centers and Trump insulting those who oppose data centers. Here is a key quote:

President Donald Trump must think that Texans want to be “backwards and poor.”

He must think that Texans, particularly rural Texans, want to “kill the Golden Goose.”

He must think that Texans, whether Republicans or Democrats, want to surrender to China. 

At least that’s what he posted this week on social media. 

Between his bizarre AI videos and usual political rants, Trump apparently decided it would be a good idea to take a swipe at Americans who do not want data centers being built near them. 

“The only reason that communities throughout the U.S.A. should not want Data Centers is if they want to end up being backwards and poor,” he wrote.

“[L]et Data Reign.”

Maybe the president doesn’t realize that he’s talking about a majority of Texans. Recent polling by the Texas Politics Project found that 57% of Texans oppose the construction of a data center in their community — and 60% of rural voters oppose construction. Only 30% of Texans said they would support such a move. 

Talarico's ad aired for the first time Saturday during Texas Christian University’s opening football game against the University of North Carolina as part of an existing eight-figure statewide ad buy.

“Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in Texas,” Talarico says in the ad, highlighting Paxton’s large real estate portfolio and impeachment. “We cannot afford Ken Paxton’s corruption.”

What do you think?

So recently heard a speech from Jon Rosenthal & honestly I have not known much about the Railroad Commissioner’s roles and responsibilities. Digging a little more ( more of just kicking some dirt with my shoe) I learned about his opponent, Bo French. Before I go more into my opinion / just needing to post this somewhere, I must say at the end of the day I truly do consider myself a centrist. For example I may not have agreed with Wesley Hunt, but I do feel he had a good head on his shoulders & him serving our nation truly still resonates with me.

That being said, Bo French, holy moly is this really the Republican’s guy ? Like realllyyyyyy ?

The Position of Texas Railroad Commissioner:

I am aware that a lot of people in this subreddit are already familiar with the day to day tasks of the Texas Railroad Commissioner, but here is a run through if you searched “Texas Railroad Commissioner” into Reddit for more info. We have 3 commissioners with equal power & their day to day is to keep the backbone of Texas running, oil & gas. They regulate drilling, production, closure of wells, safety & environmental protection / cleanup of the bread and butter of Texas’ economy. The only line where a persons race / religion may be involved is by the employment with DEI & Visas.

Now our good friend Bo French:

After seeing his stances, with all honesty, I do not think he knows what he is running for. Even though Bo’s FAMILY has a background in oil & gas and his current company has ties to the Middle East I feel his campaign is solely based around anti-Muslim, anti-Hispanic, anti-Semitic and anti-Native American rhetoric (like come on). You could see him on his social media accounts talk negatively about all the races mentioned above, which seems like the only stance he has & again has little to do with the Commissioner position. His racist comments have even come to the point where Dan Patrick has asked for his resignation. I always try to look at people’s perspectives & try to understand why people make the choices they do, but this is pure bigotry & racism. I would not be surprised if Bo has a white hood and cloak somewhere in his closet.

Final Thoughts:

If the standard Texan posted the same thing Bo does, they would rightfully have a HR meeting on their calendar. Joking about races / conditions has its settings, Dave Chapelle on white people, Shane Gillis on individuals with Down Syndrome ( I do understand these 2 examples are not hate fueled) , but on Twitter as a member of a political party ?

The things this man has said to the world, truly makes Donald Trump look like a Boy Scout, imagine what is said behind closed doors ?

Sorry if this part is too much, but at a certain point how is this ok ? I know our education ranking is terrible, but did we learn nothing in school ? Would you let those you know sit at your table with these views ?

I know a lot of voters at certain points of their ballot just choose the party they follow, but if this is what you support, hatred that mimics that of Germany in the 1930s, I don’t want you at my table or anywhere near my family .

Texas is the nation’s largest cattle-producing state, so federal cattle policy has a significant impact on Texas ranchers.

During the 2008 financial crisis, TARP disbursed $443.5B to stabilize the financial system.

USDA provided $161B in agricultural assistance from FY2019–2023, with Texas receiving $18.1B.

Should Texas lawmakers advocate for stronger emergency support when independent ranchers face conditions threatening their ability to remain in business?

Or should ranching primarily be left to market forces?

Sources:

Treasury: https://home.treasury.gov/data/troubled-asset-relief-program/

GAO: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-25-107174