Second Reading Podcast
Education Podcasts
Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project. Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Education Podcasts
Description:
Analysis of Texas Politics by Jim and Josh from the Texas Politics Project. Texas Podcast Network is brought to you by The University of Texas at Austin. Podcasts are produced by faculty members and staffers at UT Austin who work with University Communications to craft content that adheres to journalistic best practices. The University of Texas at Austin offers these podcasts at no charge. Podcasts appearing on the network and this webpage represent the views of the hosts, not of The University of Texas at Austin.
Language:
English
Episodes
New UT/Texas Politics Project Poll U.S. Senate Primaries in Texas
2/25/2026
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at recent poll results for the Texas primary races between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico on the Democratic side, and in the GOP contest between incumbent John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and Wesley Hunt.
Duration:00:52:44
A Chat with Brad Johnson about The Texas Bullpen, and Races and Election Vibes in Texas
2/12/2026
James Henson talks with Brad Johnson about the newly launched Texas Bullpen, then checks in on Johnson’s read of vibes in the Texas Primaries, in including congressional and legislative races and, of course, the U.S. Senate primaries.
Duration:01:11:58
A Hot Election Week in Texas
2/5/2026
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at three big stories in Texas that generated national attention as election season heats up in the state: the special election for Senate District 9, Colin Allred’s surprising re-emergence in the Democratic Senate nomination race, and Donald Trump’s public musings about endorsing in Republican Senate race.
Duration:00:51:41
Public Opinion on Immigration, Gun Rights, and the First Amendment in the Politics of the Latest Minneapolis Shooting
1/29/2026
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how the shooting deaths of protesters by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis activate a complex interplay among attitudes on immigration, gun rights, and the First Amendment. The discussion starts with a look at national polling in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally […]
Duration:00:50:17
A Weather Report on Issues in the 2026 Primaries
1/22/2026
James Henson and Josh Blank use Texas polling to compare and contrast the issues at play in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Texas. Plus, some brief discussion of the latest NYT/Sienna national poll and the coverage of polling conducted by campaigns.
Duration:00:52:47
Texas views on health care and immigration enforcement plus a check in on the 2026 U.S. Senate race
1/12/2026
James Henson & Joshua Blank look at results on health care, immigration, and the 2026 U.S. Senate race in the final UT/Texas Politics Poll of 2025 and what they portend for the 2026 election year.
Duration:00:53:26
Digging Up Public Opinion Nuggets from 2026 Texas Polling
12/11/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank dig up some highlights from UT/Texas Politics Project polling in 2025 on subjects including property taxes, speech rights, views of the legislature, healthcare, vaccines, and more.
Duration:00:54:05
Crockett and Cuellar Add New Twists to 2026
12/4/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how Donald Trump’s pardon of Henry Cuellar, and Jasmine Crockett’s likely entrance in the race to replace John Cornyn, have complicated the 2026 election in Texas – and maybe the U.S.
Duration:00:52:28
Texas Redistricting Blows Up (Again); the State of the Trump Coalition
11/20/2025
James Henson & Joshua Blank consider the politics of the federal court decision throwing out the recently redrawn Texas Congressional map, and the MAGA crack-up trope.
Duration:00:54:14
The Abbott Campaign Announcement & the Uncertain Political Environment
11/13/2025
James Henson & Joshua Blank talk about Gov. Abbott’s 2026 campaign kick-off, the public opinion context for property tax policy, and the still uncertain dynamics of the 2026 election.
Duration:00:52:07
New UT Polling and the Current Texas Landscape for the 2026 Election
10/30/2025
The Texas Politics Project Poll team – Daron Shaw, James Henson, and Joshua Blank – discuss what their latest poll tells us about the current Texas landscape for the 2026 election.
Duration:00:59:33
Assessing the State of the Constitutional Order in the U.S.
10/23/2025
Comparative constitutional scholar Zachary Elkins joins James Henson to discuss these state of Constitutional features like the separation of powers and checks and balances during the norms-challenging Trump presidency.
Duration:00:53:47
Gov. Abbott Sends the National Guard to Illinois and Wesley Hunt Formally Joins the U.S. Senate Race.
10/9/2025
After catching up on the federal shutdown, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political dynamics around Gov. Greg Abbott’s fast deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois at the order of President Trump, including a look at Texas attitudes toward Abbott’s response to Operation Jade Helm a decade ago.
Duration:00:43:41
Shutdown politics and public opinion in Texas
10/2/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank dig into what Texas polling can tell us about the public opinion context for the government shutdown.
Duration:01:00:44
Persistent economic concerns hover over views of Trump in Texas and early polling on the U.S. Senate Race
9/18/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the arc of the President’s standing in Texas and how they intersect persistent economic concerns in the state. Plus, considering approaches to early polling strategies in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
Duration:00:55:15
New Texas polling data on redistricting, marijuana, property taxes, and other legislative priorities
9/11/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank look at latest Texas Politics Project poll results on redistricting, marijuana, property taxes, and other priorities in the recently-concluded special legislative sessions – and share some historical data on Texans’ view of political violence.
Duration:00:57:13
A PAAT media panel on the special session + a sneak peak at new Texas Politics Project polling data
9/4/2025
Gromer Jeffers, Jr., Brad Johnson, Mark Jones, and Harvey Kronberg joined James Henson for roundtable on the second special session of the Texas Legislature, plus a sneak peak at new Texas Politics Project polling data on the same subject.
Duration:01:11:46
Change vs. more of the same in Texas
8/28/2025
Ross Ramsey joins James Henson and Joshua Blank to assess to consider the nature and durability of changes in Texas politics and institutions evident during the 89th Texas Legislature, including the partisan hostility recently on display in the lege, the strengthening of the governor’s office, and the influence of national politics on Texas politics.
Duration:01:05:00
Boundary Management in Texas
8/21/2025
In the wake of Texas House Democrats return to the legislature and the passage of the hotly contested new Congressional map by the reconvened House, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over some of the political and institutional implications of the mid-decade redistricting in Texas.
Duration:01:00:45
Timing is everything
8/14/2025
James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the uncertainty around Texas House Democrats’ quorum break over mid-decade redistricting, and the what the ensuing politics reveal about Texas politics. While the podcast was being recorded, Democrats announced their intention to return to Texas “to take this fight to the courts. So it goes.
Duration:01:03:25