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July 15, 2026      4:52 PM

Eager Democrats ramp up fundraising in legislative campaigns but even potentially endangered Republicans will have every dollar they need

TEC filings are trickling in; James Russell is on the case breaking it all down

If I had to choose between World Cup match this afternoon and the July semiannual campaign finance reports, I’d still choose my time-honored tradition of providing you the closest we can get to the Page 6 of campaign finance roundups. Why not both, though? Much of this was tapped out on the computer with the game on in the background. I’ll keep my preference private, much like my partisanship.

As for partisanship, Democrats are getting aggressive in their campaign spending up and down the ballot.

Much of the focus is on holding the Texas Senate seat held by Sen. Taylor Rehmet and trying to flip Texas House seats. But it’s worth considering: two of the Democratic incumbents in tight races this fall voted for Speaker Dustin Burrows. Some might argue there’s no point in flipping seats if all power is ceded to the majority party anyway. Other seasoned veterans would say a Texas House with a more balanced partisan configuration is a different body altogether.

Cynicism aside, here’s what we have so far. What follows is gleaned from available reports. We’ll update the story as more are posted by the Texas Ethics Commission.

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By James Russell

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July 15, 2026      2:08 PM

Texas Rangers will investigate Houston ICE shooting, Abbott confirms

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July 15, 2026      10:44 AM

Abbott, Patrick, and Burrows ask state agencies to cut base budgets by 3 percent in requests for next session

The request from the Big 3 comes in a letter to agency heads; the exception to the 3 percent cut is for public education and school vouchers

Subscribers can download a copy of the letter from the Big 3.

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July 14, 2026      3:43 PM

Kronberg says Abbott's silence on Houston ICE shooting shows a double standard

After ICE agents shot two citizens in Minnesota, Abbott had said ICE needed to "recalibrate" what the agency is doing. Quorum Report Publisher Harvey Kronberg told Spectrum News in Austin that Abbott's silence after the shooting of an undocumented Houston resident is telling

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July 14, 2026      3:42 PM

After ICE shootings in Houston and Maine, agents have been ordered to cease most vehicle stops for now

The New York Times has details:

The Trump administration has ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to halt most vehicle stops while carrying out operations across the country, according to people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about the directive. The order comes after ICE officers killed two people over the past week in Houston and the coastal city of Biddeford, Maine, amid a recent surge in immigration arrests. Both were shot after agents tried to stop their vehicles, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The pause on vehicle stops could hamper the agency’s ability to increase arrests as it faces increasing pressure to deliver on the president’s promise of mass deportations. But it comes as some influential lawmakers and state officials have demanded answers about the latest shootings.

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July 10, 2026      11:35 AM

People on the Move

Campaign pros, lobby moves, and agency news

It’s not just that silly season comes earlier now.

It’s that it never ends.

Here we are suffering through not only triple-digit temperatures but also a version of what we used to call “mudslinging,” which back in the day featured often exaggerated but somewhat reality-based claims about candidates but now mostly consists of silly nicknames and fitness challenges. What? Oh, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said on Fox News that Rep. James Talarico is “a 90-pound weakling” who “couldn’t lift a ten-pound weight in a gym if he helped it.”

Yeah, that quote seems a bit garbled but it is what Patrick said.

Bottom line: This is why one political professional recently said “yes, we care about the politics, but we’ll really care later.”

Meantime, there are substantial career moves to share across campaigns, advocacy, and Texas government. To let the entire Texas Capitol community know about a new gig or venture, you know the drill. Send it to ksbraddock@gmail.com and use POTM in the subject line. Please and thank you.

Here’s a red-hot summer edition of People on the Move.

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By Scott Braddock

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