Texas
Why North Texas Republicans say they back different presidential candidates
NORTH TEXAS – After months of campaigning in the Hawkeye State, Republican voters in Iowa are set to hold caucuses and decide who will win the first-in-the-nation contest for President.
Heading into the caucuses, the Real Clear Politics average of polls between January 5th and 14th shows former President Donald Trump in first place by a wide margin at 52.5%, continuing a months-long trend.
Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who served as Trump’s U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, has risen to second place with 18.8%, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has dropped to third place with 15.7%.
Tech billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy remains in fourth at 6.8%.
We spoke with four North Texas Republicans who each support a different candidate and asked them why they believe their candidates are best positioned to beat President Joe Biden in November.
Orlando Salazar, who supports Trump said, “He was terrific the first time around. He fulfilled a lot of the promises that he said he was going to do. He moved Israel’s, our embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which many, many presidents had promised to do, and he actually did it. He shut down the border. Our economy was terrific. He rebuilt our military.”
Sanjay Narayan, who backs Ramaswamy said, “I think President Trump has a fantastic record to run on, which is one of the ironies of this because I think Vivek is one of the best defenders of President Trump’s legacy and has the ability to not only defend that but also move America first to the next iteration which is how do we bring the country together by addressing what is really at the core crux of the issue, a loss of national identity.”
Tina Aviles, who supports Haley said, “Poll after poll is showing that Nikki Haley is surging because she is a voice of reason in this fray, and that is what Americans are looking for, and the way that we’re seeing this. We’re looking at some critical swing states that are going to decide the vote. And in poll after poll is showing that Nikki Haley will be able to be the one who could beat Joe Biden in those critical swing states.”
Jonathan Boos, who believes DeSantis should become the nominee said, “Ron DeSantis is best positioned to do that for a couple of reasons. First, I think he’s one of the few candidates that can unite both the Donald Trump wing of the party and then maybe Nikki Haley, Chris Christie wing of the party. Ron DeSantis won his reelection overwhelmingly in the State of Florida. So, between those two things and just his record that he’s able to run on and being able to just relate to kind of an average person, I think he’s going to be the strongest candidate in November against Joe Biden.”
There are no caucuses for Iowa Democrats this year because President Biden wanted South Carolina, a more diverse state, to be his party’s first Presidential contest.
Iowa Democrats can vote for their preferences by mail and results will be announced on Super Tuesday, March 5, the same day Texas holds its primary.
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A tatted Texas man was sentenced to 40 years behind bars last week for slashing the throat of his elderly lover, who was three times his age, in a heinous murder last year, according to reports.
Alberto Rafael Ferrer Cabrera, 27, was handed down the four-decade sentence by Bexar County Judge Kristina Escalona on Friday for fatally slashing Donald Atha Weynandt, his 81-year-old common-law husband, in San Antonio on Feb 1, 2025, according to KENS5.
Cabrera, who was 26 at the time, confessed to a 911 dispatcher around 5 a.m. that morning that he had stabbed and killed Weynadt, KSAT reported.
Cops responded to the home and pronounced the octogenarian dead at the scene, according to the outlet.
A motive for the fatal slashing was never determined, but Cabrera was reportedly “stressed” at the time about bringing his 4-year-old son to the US from Colombia, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said.
By the time Cabrera completes his 40-year sentence, he will still be significantly younger than his lover was when he was slaughtered.
Cabrera had a detainer placed on him by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement shortly after his arrest and was charged with illegal entry from a foreign nation, alongside murder charges. But the charge no longer appears on his online court records, KSAT reported.
Weynandt’s daughter, Katrina Mercado, previously told the outlet that she had never spoken to Cabrera and “personally did not trust the situation.”
“It’s hard to believe,” Mercado said. “I think the questions will forever be developing over time, processing what happened.”
The shocked daughter said she ultimately wished for Weynandt to be remembered as a “loving father.”
“Mr. Weynandt deserved to live out his life in safety and dignity,” District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in a statement obtained by the outlet. “Our office remains committed to holding those who commit acts of violence fully accountable.”
As the Trump administration ramps up immigration enforcement, Texas has come to play a central role in hosting the detained migrants. Texas is home to the largest ICE detention center, a sprawling tent city on the edge of Fort Bliss in El Paso known as Camp East Montana, and the only family detention center, outside San Antonio.
Almost 20,000 people are currently detained at ICE facilities in Texas. Many of the detainees have reported poor conditions, including inadequate food, insufficient medical care and overcrowding. At least seven migrants have died in Texas lockups in just the last few months.
To discuss the current state of ICE detentions, TribCast is joined by Texas Tribune political reporter Alejandro Serrano and investigative reporter Lomi Kriel, who have been covering the fallout.
Watch the video above or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday.
A large explosion at a Valero oil refinery near the Texas Gulf coast Monday shot plumes of smoke into the air and forced some nearby residents to shelter in place.
But Port Arthur Mayor Charlotte Moses told CBS News, “We had no fatalities and no injuries! Valero is working diligently to contain the fire and currently we have no air quality issues.”
Still, she urged residents in parts of the west side of the city to say put.
Refinery spokesperson Carol Herbert told CBS News, “All personnel have been accounted for. Valero’s emergency response team is responding and coordinating with local authorities. … As always, the safety of our workers is our top priority.”
The explosion comes amid a spike in gas prices driven by uncertainty over the global oil supply because of the Iran war.
The refinery has about 770 employees and can process about 435,000 barrels of oil per day, according to Valero’s website. The plant refines heavy sour crude oil into gasoline, diesel and jet fuel.
Images and video posted online show a large plume of smoke and flames billowing out from the refinery. Some residents reported hearing a loud boom and seeing their windows shake.
“For your safety please remain in place until the ‘All Clear’ is given by emergency personnel,” the City of Port Arthur said in a post on its Facebook page.
Valero didn’t respond to an email or call from The Associated Press seeking comment.
Texas state Rep. Christian Manuel said in a post on social media that the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality had arrived at the refinery with air monitoring equipment and was working with local and state partners.
He told nearby residents to stay inside.
“Please limit outdoor activity, keep windows and doors closed, and follow guidance from local officials,” he said.
Port Arthur is about 90 miles east of Houston.
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