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Runoffs, border camp, Capitol chaos, Trump verdict: This Week in Texas Politics

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Runoffs, border camp, Capitol chaos, Trump verdict: This Week in Texas Politics


This Week in Texas Politics was dominated by the recent May runoff elections and the fallout, but there were several other big stories this week.

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FOX 7 Austin’s chief political reporter Rudy Koski and our panel of political analysts break down the big headlines.

RUDY KOSKI: Let’s get the headlines from our panel, and we’ll start first with Patrick Svitek with The Washington Post. Patrick, what’s your headline for the week? 

PATRICK SVITEK: The Speaker survives, but more incumbents lose. 

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RUDY KOSKI: Political analyst Mark Wiggins, your headline for the week. 

MARK WIGGINS: The return of the speaker. 

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RUDY KOSKI: And Brian Smith from St Edward’s University. Brian, what’s your headline for the week? 

BRIAN SMITH: Ken Paxton’s revenge train derailed: Dade Phelan holds on to his seat. 

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RUDY KOSKI: The school choice/impeachment revenge tour really scored some victories on Tuesday night, but Speaker Phelan survived. The GOP civil war did not end. And Patrick, there are two House members right now saying they’re going to take on Dade Phelan. 

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PATRICK SVITEK: You know, he is going to have to explain to members all these incumbent losses that he presided over. The knock on him is that he had to focus on his race and he wasn’t able to spread as much money and resources around to help all these other incumbents who were those caught in pretty heated primaries. 

MARK WIGGINS: You know, the folks are putting their name in the ring here. I think they see an opening. But if the speaker is able to retain his core of support, they’re going to be a real trouble. 

BRIAN SMITH: He only had three challengers in 2023, so this is nothing new for him. The big difference, of course, is the caucus has moved, Right. So, the coalition that elected him last time isn’t there. 

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RUDY KOSKI: Governor Greg Abbott did do an actual real victory lap on Friday down in Eagle Pass. He welcomed the first 300 Texas National Guard soldiers to his newly built border base camp, Mark, that, of course, is a clear political win. 

MARK WIGGINS: Yeah, I’ve said it before, border security continues to poll as a top issue for Republicans and Democrats in the state of Texas. It’s one where Republicans feel like they can show a favorable contrast with the Biden administration, and the governor is going to want to make sure he keeps the spotlight on that. 

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RUDY KOSKI: One of the things that was settled Tuesday night also involves Brant Hagenbuch. He was endorsed by Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Patrick. He won the Senate District 30 seat despite claims that he didn’t meet residency rules. Newly minted Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George on Thursday said he will not consider the complaint that was filed, indicating voters made the call in that race. So, Brian, certainly the first big test for the new GOP chairman. 

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BRIAN SMITH: Yeah, this was the first big test. And he sidestepped it nicely by saying, let the voters make the call. He’s got bigger problems with the caucus, that’s fractured in many ways. And if he gets into the weeds right now, they’ll never get out of them. 

RUDY KOSKI: Now, there were some notable developments regarding two congressional seats. Congressman Tony Gonzalez surviving a runoff with a Republican YouTube personality. And we learned that Democrat Congressman Henry Cuellar will face a House ethics investigation regarding the bribery indictment against him. Patrick, on Capitol Hill what’s the feeling up there? Which one is the hot seat? 

PATRICK SVITEK: Honestly, I think the focus has been more in the political world on Tony Gonzales’ prospects. I mean, you know, this was a race that I think really was emblematic of some of the divides we’ve seen among House Republicans on Capitol Hill. Some of Gonzales’ own Republican colleagues endorsed or campaigned for his challenger, Brandon Herrera, and it ended up being a legitimate political scare and close call for Gonzalez, who had a lot going for him. He had a huge financial advantage. And when the dust settled on primary runoff election night, I think he only won by a point or two. You know, I think it has to be a humbling experience for Gonzales, who is someone I should note likes to publicly boast about how much of a political animal he is and how he likes to confront his political opponents.

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RUDY KOSKI: Believe it or not, some legislating actually did happen this week. The Senate State Affairs Committee discussed concerns about voter ballot security and if Delta 8 and Delta 9 hemp products need more state regulations, both have potential for pushback. Mark, which one is the bigger political landmine? 

MARK WIGGINS: You know, I have to say, the one that has the most profound impact on all of us is going to be the election security issue. And I’d be interested to see if the legislature continues looking at some sort of tort reform to curtail some of these frivolous election laws. 

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RUDY KOSKI: No surprises in the Texas reaction to the conviction of President Trump. Outrage and joy split right down party lines. I think the January chaos in the House went to the back burner Thursday. And the maybe we just saw the first wave of a November tsunami starting, maybe. What do you think about that? 

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BRIAN SMITH: Well, this definitely changes the entire complexion of the race. 

MARK WIGGINS: There’s been extensive polling done on the question of whether a conviction makes voters less likely to support him. And it does. 

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RUDY KOSKI: He certainly is a bear that’s been poked. 

PATRICK SVITEK: Clearly, there is a short-term political gain for him to be had here, at least in terms of energizing his base supporters. 

RUDY KOSKI: Let’s end it there and wrap up the week with one word and we’ll start with Brian. Brian, what’s your word for the week? 

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BRIAN SMITH: Guilty. 

PATRICK SVITEK: Verdict. 

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MARK WIGGINS: I’m going to go with Survivor, back in the runoffs. 

RUDY KOSKI: And that is This Week in Texas Politics.

A longer discussion about the week can be found on the FOX 7 Austin YouTube channel.

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Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death

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Lawsuit: Brianna Aguilera’s parents allege underage alcohol service at Austin tailgate contributed to daughter’s death


The parents of Brianna Aguilera have filed a lawsuit against two organizations, alleging that they served alcohol to their underage daughter which contributed to her death in Austin.

Before Aguilera fell to her death from the Rio 21 Apartments in West Campus, the lawsuit states that she attended a tailgate at the Austin Blacks Rugby Club’s facility, organized by the UT Latin Economics and Business Association.

Both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association were listed as defendants in the lawsuit.

>> What we know about Texas A&M student Brianna Aguilera’s death in Austin

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Even though the lawsuit states Aguilera was “noticeably intoxicated” at the tailgate, her parents argue that the defendants continued to serve her alcohol.

According to court documents, Aguilera allegedly began stumbling at the tailgate and needed help standing at times. At some point, the lawsuit said she fell into the woods and lost her phone.

After leaving the tailgate at approximately 10 p.m., court documents state Aguilera died around two hours later.

The lawsuit also accuses the defendants of negligence and gross negligence for serving alcohol to Aguilera despite her age and allegedly overserving her.

In the suit, Aguilera’s parents demanded a trial by jury and sought at least $1 million plus interest, costs and punitive damages.

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Aguilera’s parents also seek damages for wrongful death, citing the defendants’ alleged misconduct.

Houston-based attorney Tony Buzbee, who’s representing the Aguilera family, commented on the lawsuit in a Tuesday news conference.

Watch the full news conference below:

“Brianna was obviously overserved,” Buzbee said. “Even the police have concluded that she was overserved at that tailgate. She was not 21.”

Buzbee also stated that the Austin Police Department has allegedly told multiple witnesses not to talk with him and Aguilera’s parents.

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“They told the three, the three individuals that were in that apartment that night when this young girl died. They told them, do not speak to Brianna’s mother or her lawyers,” Buzbee said.

He said that the lawsuit could provide a way for the witnesses to eventually come forward with information.

“By filing this lawsuit, not only will we hold accountable an entity or entities that were involved in overserving Brianna and other minors, but we will also be able to subpoena individuals and documents and video and data so we can continue our investigation,” Buzbee said.

KSAT’s sister station, KPRC, has reached out to both the Austin Blacks Rugby Club and the UT Latin Economics and Business Association for comment on the lawsuit. This story will be updated once the organizations provide a statement.


More coverage of this story on KSAT:

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Copyright 2026 by KSAT – All rights reserved.



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Austin, TX

Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas

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Cedar pollen eases, but record heat builds across Central Texas


Although record-breaking heat and spring-like warmth dominated the first few days of the new year, cooler — but still warmer than normal —temperatures settled in to start the first work week of 2026.

The heat will ramp up yet again Tuesday and Wednesday, with temperatures about 20 degrees above the normal early-January high of 62 degrees. 

Expect a blanket of low stratus clouds and some patchy dense fog Tuesday morning, but skies should begin clearing around lunchtime.

“In the meantime, a surface trough (of low atmospheric pressure)/dry line will push from the southern Edwards Plateau into the I-35 corridor, bringing temperatures into the lower to mid-80s,” meteorologists with the National Weather Service wrote in a forecast discussion Monday. “It is going to be very warm for this time of year, and some daily high temperature records could be broken.”

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Those temperatures could rival record highs at both Austin climate observation sites, Camp Mabry and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, where the standing record is 84 degrees, set in 1989.

Behind the dry line Tuesday, drier air will move into Central Texas, leading to a slightly cooler start Wednesday under mostly to partly cloudy skies.

Morning temperatures will dip into the 50s around sunrise before climbing into the upper 70s to mid-80s by the afternoon. Those highs would surpass the record of 80 degrees set in 2008 at Camp Mabry.

Temperatures the rest of the week will remain above normal with mostly cloudy mornings but sunny afternoons. 

A cold front is forecast to move across the region later in the week with a slight rain chance Thursday and Friday, but most of the rain will fall north and east of Austin. However, cooler and more seasonable weather is expected this weekend. 

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This past weekend, Austin experienced the highest cedar pollen counts so far this season with a count of 3,200 grains per cubic meter Saturday and a peak of 4,000 grains per cubic meter on Sunday. However, the count dropped to just over 1,000 grams per cubic meter on Monday. Humidity has been on the rise in the past few days, and winds have been much lighter. Those factors have helped “settle” the cedar pollen for the time being. 

Luckily, the winds have turned southerly and are much lighter, so the pollen has settled a bit. A small chance of rain on Thursday and Friday should also help dampen cedar pollen before it becomes airborne. However, above-normal temperatures will allow tree pollen cones to continue opening, setting the stage for another pollen surge when the next breezy cold front arrives.



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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas

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Venezuelan oil reboot not expected to spur windfall in Texas


With former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro out of power, President Trump said he wants to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. 

That idea has raised questions about whether it could cause a price spike at the gas pump and a downturn in the Texas oil patch region. 

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Now, a spike at the pump and a production slump in the Texas oil patch may not happen this year, but with oil prices down, a budget crunch for state lawmakers may be waiting when they return to Austin in 2027.

What they’re saying:

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The situation in Venezuela is creating a lot of political uncertainty, but a Texas energy expert said he is not expecting that uncertainty to cause an oil patch crash or a gas pump pike in 2026.

Prices at the pump are low and despite some recent big swings, up and down, analysts say 2026 could see the lowest prices since the pandemic. That prediction has people like Dale Owens cautiously optimistic.

“Things change so drastically nowadays. I mean, look what’s happening with the government, so anything can affect the price. But right now I’m really happy that it’s stable,” said Owens.

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There are big reasons for that local gas price stabilization, and it predates the leadership change in Venezuela, according to Ed Hirs, an Energy Fellow at the University of Houston.

“The first is that the president has asked MBS (Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman) and OPEC nations to continue pumping a pace. Number one. Number two, this helps hamstring the Russian economy and its war effort. And that’s also one of the goals of not only the European Union, but of the Trump administration. And number three, we’ve got the midterm elections coming up,” said Hirs.

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The price of a barrel of oil is expected to increase slightly because of the uncertainty regarding Venezuela. Texas crude oil production, according to an update released Monday, was stable in December, but state data also showed drilling permits for 2025 were at 369 and that’s down from 459 in 2024.

“When President Trump took office, oil was about $80 a barrel, today it’s under $60 a barrel. We are the high-cost producers in the global commodity oil market, and the cost of drilling these wells has gone up by between 5% and 12%, primarily because of Trump’s steel tariffs. Not only does the imported steel now cost a lot more, but domestic producers raise their So the producers in West Texas and across the Permian Basin are getting squeezed by much lower revenues, $20 a barrel less and much higher cost. It’s not a good capital investment for Wall Street,” said Hirs.

Dig deeper:

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The oil industry remains a big part of the Texas economy and the state budget. State lawmakers will return to Austin in 2027 to crunch numbers for a new two-year budget.

“I think they need to be looking at the budget. So the state comptroller needs to be running the numbers now based on lower oil revenues, not only for state lands, for example, for the universities, but for the state tax receipts. And that applies to the counties and cities that rely on these revenues to keep their budgets balanced. It’s going to be lower for longer,” said Hirs. 

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There are also doubts about whether the Texas refineries will get a financial windfall if the Trump Administration is able to reboot the oil industry in Venezuela. There are about six refineries in Texas and Louisiana that can process the heavy crude that is located in Venezuela.

“Well, it might help keep them open. But Lyondell just closed down a 100-plus-year-old heavy crude refinery on the Houston Ship Channel because it just doesn’t make any sense to reinvest in it. And it was going to require $750, $800 million of new capital investment just to keep the plant operating at par,” said Hirs.

What’s next:

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Stocks for several oil companies did increase on Monday. Chevron, at one point, had a 10% stock price surge, mainly because Chevron is the only U.S. company operating in Venezuela. Other energy-related companies also saw an increase, like Exxon, as well as industry suppliers like Baker-Hughes and Halliburton. 

The action on Wall Street came after President Trump said he wants energy producers to pay for the oil production rebuild. Hirs described the administration’s plans as being “naive.”

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Past attempts to rebuild another country’s oil infrastructure seem to back up the doubts raised by Hirs. In 1989, after the Soviet Union collapsed, companies like Exxon went in to rebuild — only to get kicked out later by the Russians. Hirs also noted the rebuilding effort in Iraq, started by President George W. Bush, hasn’t returned production there to pre-war levels. And it’s the same story for Libya, which was done under President Obama.

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski and previous coverage

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