Texas
Texas House nominees gear up for general election, Waco district to hold special election – The Baylor Lariat
By Kristy Volmert | Staff Writer
The race for Texas House of Representatives is especially competitive this year, as Democratic candidates from urban districts aim to overthrow the state’s long-standing Republican dominance.
Each of the 150 districts represented in the Texas House will elect a candidate in this year’s general election. Representatives will serve a term of two years and participate along with the Texas Senate in the 89th Texas Legislative session, which will take place from Jan. 14 to June 2, 2025.
Currently, a majority of the Texas House is Republican, numbering 86 out of 150, with only 42% of representatives being Democrats, 63 out of the 150 representatives. District 56, representing McLennan County, is temporarily vacant after Republican Charles “Doc” Anderson resigned in August. At the time of his resignation, Anderson endorsed Republican candidate Pat Curry as his successor, stepping down from office before finishing out his term to allow Curry to gain seniority.
Anderson asked Gov. Abbott to call a special election to nominate a representative to serve out the remainder of his term, which will end in January. This special election, as requested by Anderson, will be held on Election Day.
District 56 represents the majority of McLennan County, including the cities of Crawford, Riesel, West, Robinson, Woodway, Gholson, Ross, McGregor, Moody, Lorena, Bruceville-Eddy, Hewitt, Lacy-Lakeview, Beverly Hills and most of Waco.
Republican businessman Pat Curry will face Democratic nominee Erin Shank for this “special election”. According to Curry, Shank is a “relatively liberal” lawyer.
“In my opinion, we’d have way too many lawyers in Austin,” Curry said.
Curry said that he is honored to be endorsed by Anderson and hopes to use his term to strengthen community involvement, push further education reforms, lower property taxes and reinforce the Christian moral values that the government was originally founded upon.
“We need to carry our Christian values into many aspects of the law and the running of our government,” he said. “A lot has been lost on that. We need God back in our government.”
Curry said that he believes he will make a strong voice for the community, and is dedicated to pushing for reforms on their behalf. Education issues are among his main concerns, as Texas has seen a steadily decreasing rate of student success after graduating high school.
“Most of them are not reading at their grade level. Most of them are not doing math at their grade level either. That’s an issue,” Curry said. “Our school systems need to do better.”
Curry also said that unemployment is an issue, as many students are not well-equipped for the workforce upon graduation of high school or college.
“Workforce development is critical,” said Curry.
Gary Gates, Republican incumbent representative of Fort Bend County District 28, encourages college students to get out and vote.
“You’ve got a whole life ahead of you, and a lot of it is dependent on policies that are set down now,” Gates said.
Gates is currently finishing out his second term as a state representative of District 28 and is running for re-election against Democrat Marty Rocha. Gates describesd Rocha as a “hardcore democrat”.
Gates says that he is a “big believer is smaller government” and hopes to push for fewer government regulations.
Like Curry, Gates will focus on education reforms and property taxes.
“The kids coming out of high school today aren’t prepared for today’s job market,” Gates said. “I’m really trying to concentrate on expanding vocational training for those kids that aren’t going to go to college.”
According to Gates, high school graduates in today’s social world are “expected” to go to college, but that may not be the best solution for many graduates. He hopes to strengthen middle and high school level education so that students are better prepared for the workforce.
Gates said he will also address infrastructure issues in Fort Bend County. An insufficient availability of energy has restrained many areas from expanding and hindered the opening of new businesses, according to Gates.
“We’ve reached our capacity of the power that we can generate,” he said.
Gates intends to build additional power plants in the Richmond-Sugar Land area in order to enable growth and avoid local blackouts.
Aside from the strong Republican presence in the Texas House, Democratic representatives strive to expand their platforms as urban areas become increasingly Democratic, according to The Texas Tribune. Districts covering cites such as Houston, Dallas and San Antonio have a promising Democratic presence and hope to see a successful turnout for Democratic candidates so that they can push for things like abortion legalization and the elimination of private school vouchers.
However, Republican dominance is hardly threatened, according to Gates, as most independent voters in the state tend to lean right.
Both Gates and Curry agree that college students need to seize the opportunity to vote, and should become educated on what it is that they are voting for and about who their vote goes towards.
“You’ve got to be not only educated as a voter, but also you need to know about the person you’re voting for,” said Gates. “What exactly are they pushing for?”
Rocha and Shank were unable to be reached for comment.
Texas
How to watch Arizona State vs. Texas in 2025 Peach Bowl: TV channel, live stream
The quarterfinal round has arrived for the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff, and the nation will finally get a look at one of the biggest Cinderella stories of all time — the Arizona State Sun Devils.
The Sun Devils were picked to finish last in their first season in the 16-team Big 12 by the media. They were projected to win 4.5 games by the oddsmakers.
And at the beginning of the 2024 season, the Las Vegas oddsmakers had ASU +10,000 to win the Big 12 Conference. That’s 100 to 1 odds. If you had wagered $100 on the Sun Devils to win the Big 12 in August, you would have walked away with $10,000.
How improbable has Arizona State’s run to the Peach Bowl been? According to Vegas Insider, the Sun Devils winning the Big 12 is the sixth-greatest upset in betting history, just behind the Boston Red Sox winning the World Series in 2004 (+12,000).
The oddsmakers continue to doubt the Sun Devils, listing them as 12.5-point underdogs to the Texas Longhorns in the 2025 Peach Bowl.
Arizona State is used to being in this position, and running back Cam Skattebo has unwavering confidence in the Sun Devils’ ability to compete at the highest level.
“They continue to keep saying that people are going to try to stop me.. There’s nobody out there that can stop me,” Skattebo said on Monday. “We played in 13 games, and I’ve been the target on each one, so I’m not too worried. We’re going to play our game and play ball and see what happens there.”
Here are details on how to watch No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas on New Year’s Day.
Arizona State vs. Texas TV channel, live stream
The oddsmakers have Texas as 12.5 to 13.5-point favorites. Here are the latest betting odds, courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
Who: No. 4 Arizona State vs. No. 5 Texas in the Peach Bowl College Football Playoff quarterfinal
Spread: Arizona State +12.5 (-112)
Kickoff Time: Wednesday, Jan. 1 at 11 a.m. MST
Our Prediction: Arizona State 24, Texas 21
TV Channel: ABC, ESPN
Live Stream: Stream Arizona State-Texas live on fuboTV (Start your free trial)
Live Updates, Highlights: Follow the game on Arizona State On SI for live updates, in-game analysis and big-play highlights throughout Wednesday’s matchup
More Arizona State & Big 12 Analysis
Texas
Texas returns to Atlanta less than a month after losing SEC title game to face Arizona State in CFP
ATLANTA — The Texas Longhorns were in Atlanta less than a month ago, playing for a championship.
That one didn’t go as planned.
Now, the Longhorns get an A-T-L do-over when they face Arizona State at the Peach Bowl in a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day.
Fifth-seeded Texas (12-2) insists it has gotten over the disappointment of losing an overtime thriller to Georgia on Dec. 7, a result that denied the Longhorns a title in their debut season as a member of the SEC.
“Of course we’re going to kind of feel that a little bit, but we kind of want to move on and just get ready for Arizona State,” Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. said. “They’re a good football team and we kind of don’t want to think about that (Georgia) game all over again.”
The Longhorns showed no signs of a hangover when they held off Clemson in the opening round of the expanded 12-team playoff.
If they can knock off Arizona State — Texas is a two-touchdown favorite — it will be back to their home state for a semifinal game against either Oregon or Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
Fourth-seeded Arizona State (11-2) has been one of the nation’s most surprising teams.
The Sun Devils went 3-9 a year ago in Kenny Dillingham’s first season as head coach. Making the move from the disintegrating Pac-12 to the 16-team Big 12, Arizona State was picked to finish dead last this season.
Instead, it was tied with three other teams for the top spot during the regular season and claimed the title all to itself in the Big 12 championship game, rolling past Iowa State.
This is a chance for Arizona State to prove to everyone that its stunning season was no fluke.
“We’re going to face one of the best teams in the country, if not the best team in the country,” Dillingham said Tuesday on the eve of the game. “It’s a really tall task for our guys. But by the same token, if you’re a competitor, you want to compete versus the very best in the best environments.”
Ewers vs. Leavitt
Quinn Ewers has a stellar resume as the Texas quarterback.
Sam Leavitt is out to prove he’s the better man.
The Arizona State QB has been a major reason for his team’s unexpected success. He’s eager for a head-to-head showdown with Ewers, who has passed for 2,867 yards and 26 touchdowns this season.
Leavitt has put up similar numbers, with 2,663 yards and 24 TDs.
“I’m just excited for the opportunity,” he said. “People keep counting me out since Day 1, and I’m going to go prove why I’m the better quarterback.”
Skattebo’s big stage
Cam Skattebo is Arizona State’s biggest star, a bowling ball of a running back who has become one of the rare players in FBS history to put up more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage.
He doesn’t lack for confidence, either, calling himself the best runner in all of college football.
The Peach Bowl provides a prime opportunity to back up his bravado, especially against a defense that has struggled with missed tackles.
“I feel like I’m the best,” Skattebo said. “I’m excited to play those guys because I’m going to present to them something new that they haven’t seen before. I’m excited, and hopefully they’re ready to play some football.”
Exes from Texas
The Longhorns will see plenty of familiar faces when they look across the line.
A half-dozen players on Arizona State’s overhauled roster used to play at Texas. They all ended up in Tempe through the transfer portal.
The list of ex-Longhorns players also includes receivers Jake Smith and Troy Omeire, defensive back Xavion Alford, defensive ends J’Mond Tapp and Prince Dorbah, and defensive tackle Zac Swanson.
“All those guys, obviously, they’ll be extra fired up to play the Longhorns,” Texas defensive back Michael Taaffe said. “Anytime you leave a school and you know some people, it’s always fun to play those guys.”
Dillingham said the Texas transfers have made a huge impact on the Arizona State program.
“We know what we’re getting when we’re getting a guy from that program, and that’s a guy who has worked really hard, competed and been pushed,” the Sun Devils coach said. ”Those are the things that we like to bring in.”
Turning it over
Turnovers usually play a key role in big games. It will be interesting to see how that works out in the Peach Bowl.
Arizona State has coughed up the ball only eight times, tied for the second-fewest turnovers in the FBS. Texas, on the other hand, has forced a nation-leading 29 turnovers.
Dillingham said it will be important to keep the pocket clean around Leavitt.
“It all starts with pass rush,” he said. “They get pass rush, they get tipped balls. Their defensive line gets in throwing windows.”
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praised Skattebo and the rest of the Sun Devils for losing only three fumbles all year, to go along with five interceptions.
“You just don’t not fumble the ball. You work at not fumbling the ball,” Sarkisian said. “They’ve done a great job of controlling football games by not turning it over.”
Suspended star
Arizona State will have to play the first half without star defensive back Shamari Simmons, who is suspended for the first two quarters after being ejected for targeting in the Big 12 championship game.
“Shamari is a leader on our team,” Alford said. “It’s very unfortunate that he’s not going to be with us in the first half in the game, but he’ll still be there as a leader and as a teammate on the sidelines and things of that nature.”
Redshirt freshman Montana Warren will take Simmons’ spot in the lineup during the first half.
“God always has a plan, and I just feel like his plan right now is just basically showing who Montana Warren is to the world,” Simmons said. “He’s going to be a great defensive back for Arizona State for a long time coming.”
Texas
Exclusive | Knife-wielding Tren de Aragua gangbangers are repeatedly attacking border crossings in desperate move to force their way into US before Trump takes office
Knife-wielding Tren de Aragua gang members are mobbing border crossings at El Paso, Texas, in an attempt to break into the US — and have said they will attack border guards who try to stop them, according to a shocking Texas law enforcement memo leaked to The Post.
Last week, 20 of the Venezuelan gangbangers — armed with blades, tire irons and broken liquor bottles — tried to force their way into the US at a border gate, the missive from the Texas Department of Public Safety read.
Another attempt to break through is expected for New Year’s Day, the memo warned.
The brutal prison gang is becoming increasingly more desperate to seed more members into the US before President-elect Donald Trump takes over, said Victor Avila, a retired agent for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
“You’re seeing that violence at the border because they know that it’s going to change in 27 days. It’s going to change. It’s going to be different, and they’re going to be sought after,” he told The Post.
Texas authorities were alerted to the gangbangers’ attempts to force their way into the US by an anonymous informant, who said the violent border break-ins by the gang “would continue every night” at around 3 a.m.
The tipster said the gang intends to “cause harm” to the Texas National Guard soldiers who are stationed there — “especially when they are left alone with no agents” to help them.
A Texas law enforcement source told The Post that “gunfire has picked up big time” along the El Paso border in recent days, adding that authorities have also had to fire more pepperballs at groups trying to breach the border.
DPS didn’t immediately respond to The Post’s request for comment.
The renewed violence is centered just a few miles down the border wall from where The Post witnessed a violent El Paso border riot on March 21.
In that assault, more than 200 illegal migrants broke through razor wire and dash to the wall. Some of them brutally assaulted Texas National Guard soldiers in the melee.
At least one of the rioters was seen stomping on a service member’s knee as the group tried to break through.
El Paso is a headquarters for Tren de Aragua — with many members passing through the border town before heading out for other areas of the country — including New York City and Aurora, Colorado.
Avila, the retired DHS agent, said the gang has successfully “teamed up” with the cartel on the Mexican side of the border to conduct smuggling operations.
The latest warning of the gang’s increased violence is linked an anti-American ideology that Avila compared to terrorist groups.
“I think that TdA is coming in with an instruction from their home country. And I think that their ideology is more of a terrorist ideology of destruction,” said Avila.
“They hate the United States just like terrorists do and they will kill, destroy, take over businesses, take over stores and take over apartment complexes, do whatever they have to do to destroy our way of life in the US,” he added.
In September, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott declared TdA a foreign terrorist organization and revealed that more than 100 of the rioters witnessed by The Post in March were believed to be members of the Venezuelan gang.
The state also deployed additional state law enforcement resources to tackle the gang’s growing presence in the Lone Star State.
Abbott also instituted a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence for TdA smugglers moving migrants into Texas.
“Texas is aggressively going after these foreign terrorist organizations of TdA,” the governor declared at the time.
“Our goal among law enforcement in the state of Texas is to defend our state from the growing threat of TdA. We are not going to allow them to use Texas as a base of operations to terrorize our citizens,” he fumed.
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