Texas
These Texans are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee
:focal(0x0:3000x2000)/static.texastribune.org/media/files/1e24899a823a730d86fbab2c71e7ecb1/Abbott%20CPAC%202022%20REUTERS.jpg?ssl=1 "These Texans are scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee")
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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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.”
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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!
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
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A Texas state trooper was killed in a crash in the Panhandle, becoming the 244th Texas Department of Public Safety officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, according to the agency.
Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday after a semi-truck pulled in front of him as he attempted a traffic stop around 4 p.m. on U.S. 287 in Childress County, DPS said.
In a statement, Col. Freeman F. Martin praised Romero’s courage, integrity, and service.
“Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” Martin said. “… Our hearts break alongside his family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.”
Romero previously served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office before joining DPS as part of Class B-2025 in Childress, the agency said.
He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.
Funeral arrangements are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
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