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MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Greg Abbott and Sen. Ted Cruz will be among the Texas Republicans who will address the Republican National Convention beginning Monday in Milwaukee, the Republican National Committee announced Saturday.
The list of speakers also includes U.S. Reps. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, Monica De La Cruz of Edinburg and Wesley Hunt of Houston. All three are vocal supporters of former President Donald Trump, who will receive the party’s formal presidential nomination at the convention. Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who defected from the Democratic Party to become a Republican last year, will also be on the main stage.
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Abbott and Cruz were both floated as potential presidential candidates early in the cycle, though they never launched their own bids.
The last time Cruz spoke from the convention mainstage was in 2016, when he declined to endorse Trump after coming short in that year’s Republican primaries. Cruz has since become a vocal Trump supporter.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick will not attend the convention, even though he is the chair of Trump’s reelection efforts in Texas. He canceled his appearance in the wake of Hurricane Beryl, which killed at least 10 people. Much of the Houston area was without power for days. An estimated 700,000 customers remained without electricity Saturday afternoon.
“My first priority is not the Republican National Convention; it’s pushing CenterPoint and other utility companies in damaged areas to get power back and ensure our state continues to deliver what citizens need,” Patrick said on social media Friday.
Patrick’s statement was in response to a call from the Texas Democratic Party for him, Cruz and Abbott to stay in Texas rather than attend the convention. Abbott drew criticisms for going on a pre-scheduled business trip to Asia.
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“Our state’s leaders should not be jetting off to applaud Donald Trump while Texans are still suffering,” Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Friday night. “The Texas Democratic Party calls upon Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Ted Cruz to skip the Republican National Convention, and prioritize mitigating Beryl’s aftermath.”
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Cruz stayed in the Houston area for much of last week, missing votes in the U.S. Senate, to survey the damage and speak with those impacted by the storm. He and other lawmakers from Houston from both parties pushed the Biden administration to quickly approve disaster aid for the state.
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Cruz’s 2021 trip to Cancun during a winter storm drew ridicule from Democrats, who are hoping to unseat him this year with U.S. Rep. Colin Allred. Cruz said the trip was a mistake and returned to Texas. Allred’s campaign has continued to refer back to the trip in its messaging.
Cruz’s campaign shot back that Allred was in Washington with the rest of the U.S. House last week.
“It took Can’t Comment Colin five days to visit Houston. Texas Dems should check their own nominee before they try to be relevant,” a Cruz spokesperson said in a statement.
Allred’s campaign said Cruz’s actions during Winter Storm Uri is what voters will remember this fall.
“No matter what Cancun Cruz says or does, Texans will never forget he abandoned them during the deadly freeze in 2021. Come November, Texans will elect a Senator they can count on,” Allred’s campaign said in response.
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Jackson and Hunt are among Trump’s most fervent supporters on Capitol Hill. Jackson served as the White House physician to President Barack Obama and Trump and has remained a loyal Trump supporter since. Hunt has hosted outreach programs to court more Black voters to support Trump.
De La Cruz won her Rio Grande Valley seat in 2022 after national Republicans poured millions of dollars into the race. Her race was a litmus test for GOP efforts to court Hispanic voters in Texas. Her race for reelection this year is Democrats’ top U.S. House target in Texas and the most competitive congressional seat in the state.
“It is truly the honor of a lifetime and my story is the American Dream come true,” De La Cruz said in a statement. “I look forward to making the case for why we need President Donald Trump to fix our economy and restore law and order at the southern border.”
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
– 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
– 15 State Senators
– 7 State Board of Education members
– 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
– 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
– 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
– Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
– Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
– County Courts at Law
– Justices of the Peace
– District Attorneys
– County Attorneys
– Sheriffs
– Constables
– Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:
Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
How do I register to vote if I haven’t?
You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs
What can I do if I have questions about voting?
You can contact your county elections official or call the Texas Secretary of State’s helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683). A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The coalition has hotlines available in other languages. Disability Rights Texas also assists voters with disabilities.
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Big news: director and screenwriter Richard Linklater; NPR President and CEO Katherine Maher; U.S. Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-California; and Luci Baines Johnson will take the stage at The Texas Tribune Festival, Sept. 5–7 in downtown Austin. Buy tickets today!
Looking to turn things around this season, the Texas A&M Aggies have the first big hurdle coming up.
Exactly one month prior to kickoff against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Mike Elko and company will suit up for training camp. Hitting the field for the first time of the season will give them the chance to iron out the kinks in their game plan and begin to build chemistry, which will certainly be important to finding success in the new-look SEC.
From a returning quarterback to new coordinators and everything in between, Texas A&M has some work to do before it’ll be ready to kickoff in the fall. If all goes well, the Aggies could see the revival they’ve been hoping for since firing Jimbo Fisher.
But that’s contingent on training camp.
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Here are a few things to watch for as Elko’s squad gears up for the year:
Conner Weigman’s 1st Full Season
Standout quarterback Conner Weigman is entering this third season within the Aggies’ program, but he’s played less than one season’s worth of games.
Taking over the starting position late in the season during his freshman year and only getting four games before breaking his foot in his sophomore year has prevented Weigman from truly becoming the quarterback that Texas A&M had hoped he would be. This season, however, that’s set to change.
“He’s healthy now,” Elko said, dispelling any lingering worries of his quarterback’s health. “You’re starting to see that energy. You’re starting to see him really come into himself and, obviously, it’s going to be really important for us to get good at quarterback play this fall.”
Sep 9, 2023; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Conner Weigman (15) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Miami Hurricanes during the first quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
Naturally, Weigman will be quintessential to the Aggies’ overall performance next season. In the four games he did start in 2023, he reached nearly 1,000 yards and threw eight touchdowns on a completion percentage near 70.
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His talent is unquestionable. The real concern will be whether or not he’ll be able to stay on the field throughout the year.
If a perfect world did exist and Weigman played all 12 games of the regular season the way he did the first four, he would have finished second overall in passing yards and passing touchdowns in the SEC.
Next season’s success can’t be based on hypothetical numbers, but it does say something about the kind of potential Weigman brings to the Aggies. If he can stay healthy, Texas A&M will already be in a much better position than it was one season ago.
Weigman just has to go prove it.
A Scrappy Offensive Line, Among Other Things
Protecting Weigman up front will be a group made up of four returners.
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At center will Mark Nabou Jr., joined by Chase Bisontis, Reuben Fatheree II and newcomer Ar’maj Reed-Adams. Leading them is Trey Zuhn III — one of the Aggies’ offensive captains — who will also play a large role in keeping the offense fluid throughout the year.
That was something that Elko preached heavily.
“Our ability to get really talented and really good on the offensive line, as quick as we possibly can, will play a huge role in our ability to be successful on offense,” Elko explained. ”I do know that they will be a much scrappier, much grittier, much tougher group as we move into the fall.”
Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies offensive lineman Trey Zuhn III (60) in action during the first quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Kyle Field. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
With Le’Veon Moss, Amari Daniels and Rueben Owens returning in the backfield next season, that line up front will have a large responsibility. None of Owens, Daniels and Moss had a true breakout season last year, but with a much stronger passing game, that’s sure to change.
While Weigman opens up the field as a passing threat, the trio of backs for Texas A&M can make its offense a big threat for opposing defenses. And at the forefront of it all?
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Zuhn III and his scrappy offensive line.
“We’ve put in a ton of work,” the captain said. “Just having that much experience on the offensive line now, it’s going to be huge. We’ve been able to gel together these past couple of months, working hard, competing against each other in the weight room and on the field.”
Klein & Bateman: 2 New Coordinators
Elko isn’t the only new face on the Aggies’ coaching staff.
After being hired in late November, it didn’t take long for the coach to add new offensive and defensive coordinators. With Bobby Petrino now back with his Arkansas Razorbacks and D.J. Durkin set to assume the same role with the Auburn Tigers, Texas A&M was in need of new leadership.
The result? Collin Klein on offense and Jay Bateman on defense.
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After spending ample time with the Kansas State Wildcats, Klein brings with him experience and an easy-to-work-with personality that ultimately drew Elko to hiring him to head of the Aggies’ offense in its quest to build upon previous seasons instead of starting from scratch.
“Collin brings an innovative mind,” Elko said of his new offensive coordinator. “I think the thing that really drew me to Collin was his knowledge of the game of football, his intelligence level and understanding how to attack defenses.”
Jul 18, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko speaking at Omni Dallas Hotel. / Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports
As for Bateman, he’s been around the SEC — most recently with Billy Napier in Florida — and knows what it takes to compete in arguably the toughest conference in college football. Texas A&M has a history with a strong defensive unit, so the pressure is certainly on for him as well.
Since Elko and his staff have arrived in College Station, the change in culture has been made clear by the program. Players are “where they’re supposed to be” and are “more receptive” to leadership as it comes from multiple fronts.
Obviously, there is more to be done before that culture shift can impact the result on the field, but the Aggies are in a good place. After all, two new coordinators and a much better attitude?
It’s not as if the Texas Rangers have major holes in the lineup that need to be plugged before the trade deadline. That wasn’t the case last season.
The Rangers made serious additions in 2023, especially on the pitching side. The club brought in top-flight starters in Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery shortly before the deadline after an early trade for reliever Aroldis Chapman.
Health and depth might be the biggest needs for defending World Series champions in 2024. The Rangers are still waiting on slew of pitchers to return, including Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle and Cody Bradford. Third baseman Josh Jung is closer to coming back, while the status of outfielder Evan Carter is somewhat murky.
The overriding theme is time, as the Rangers for a considerable infusion of talent once they get healthy. In the meantime, with the trade deadline looming, Texas can make some moves to address depth in the race to chase down the Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners in the American League West.
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A recent report from MLB.com suggested that the Rangers should get help behind catcher Jonah Heim.
Rangers catchers have the fourth-lowest OPS in the Majors (.597), and while Jonah Heim is locked in as the starter, adding a second backstop to pick up some of the load would benefit Texas as it tries to chase down the Astros and Mariners in the AL West.
– MLB.com
Colorado Rockies backstop Elias Díaz was listed as a possible fit. With the Rockies out of contention and in a “sell” position, unloading the veteran catcher and his $6 million contract makes sense. Díaz is a solid hitter (.270/.329/.724) and defender who could take some of the load off Heim during the stretch run, much as Mitch Garver did last season.
Díaz was an All-Star in 2023 and was named the game’s MVP after hitting a home run in the eighth inning.
The trade deadline is July 30.
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ESPN’s Buster Olney reported Friday afternoon that the Texas Rangers were among the teams in discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays about Isaac Paredes and Yandy Díaz.
Díaz made the All-Star team in 2023 as a first baseman and Paredes was an All-Star third baseman this summer.
This comes just after The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported the Rangers were looking for a bat and had called about Díaz. The Rays have also declared themselves as sellers, shipping outfielder Randy Arozarena to the Mariners and pitcher Zac Eflin to the Orioles, so Tampa Bay is open for business.
Both Díaz and Paredes play positions that the Rangers are well-stocked at, so both would be in line fill in as DH or play in the field as needed. The Rangers rank dead last in the MLB in OPS out of the DH slot in their lineup, so any extra bat would be welcome.
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The Texas Rangers got hot and are now buyers. So which bats are options at the deadline?
Díaz narrowly won the AL batting title over Corey Seager in 2023 with a .330 batting average, but his numbers are down a bit this season. His .726 OPS is down from his career .805 mark and his .932 2023 mark, but would still present a considerable upgrade for the Rangers.
Paredes is having a better season, currently with a .797 OPS and 129 OPS+, but would present a bit more of a positional logjam with Josh Smith and Josh Jung manning third base.
Paredes has also cooled off considerably as the season has worn on. His .867 OPS in March/April and .915 OPS in May has dipped to .713 in June and .640 in July. Paredes is batting just .136 in July.
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Amid hot streak, Texas Rangers’ path ahead of trade deadline is clear: add
Both players are on affordable contracts beyond this season as well. Díaz is signed through 2025 for a total of $18 million with a $12 million team option for 2026, while Paredes is under contract through the 2027 season.
The Rangers have made it known they are buyers at the deadline after catching fire in July just ahead of the deadline as rumors of being sellers swirled. But urgency remains high after Friday’s walk-off loss to the Blue Jays, as the first-place Astros and second-place Mariners both won. Texas trails Houston by 3.5 games and Seattle by 2.5 games heading into Saturday.
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