It is often said that showing up is half the battle, and that is often true in American politics but especially so in Texas, where Democrats have anxiously waited all year for word about if, and according to new reporting when, Beto O’Rourke might join the 2022 race...
Joe brings over a decade of experience as a political operative and creative strategist to Texas Signal, where he serves as our Senior Advisor and does everything from writing a regular column, Musings, to mentoring our staff and freelancers. Joe was campaign manager for Lina Hidalgo's historic 2018 victory for Harris County Judge and is a passionate sneakerhead.
5 big questions about the redistricting session
With the third special session of 2021 getting underway tomorrow, Texas politics is again heating up to a boiling point. This set of maps may determine the fate of our district lines for the next decade, and we’re expecting a busy session. We’ve begun to see glimpses...
Musings: How to Beat Greg Abbott, revisited
Way back in early February, I made a bold proclamation: despite his decades in office in millions in his campaign coffers, Governor Greg Abbott was eminently beatable in 2022. Here we are, half a year later, and from my perspective as an extremely pissed-off...
Musings: Timid Souls
With a group of Texas House Democrats returning to the floor of the statehouse in waves over the past week, my mind keeps going back to the epic “Man in the Arena” speech by Teddy Roosevelt. The speech, which Roosevelt gave in 1910 while touring Africa and Europe...
Musings: Broken
I just want to state for the record up top that this is an opinion piece, and I’m speaking for myself. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my career in politics everything you have to give up to help people get elected to do big things for people, and I can...
Musings: President Biden, Senator Manchin, come on down
Few United States Senators have ever, or perhaps will ever, operate from a position of privilege quite like Bobby Kennedy had when he was elected to represent the state of New York in 1964. The son of one of the wealthiest families in American history, the youngest...
Musings: The pandemic isn’t over.
Just in case you’ve missed the news, I’d like to begin my column this week with a very specific warning: Across the United States, coronavirus cases are surging. In Texas, we’re feeling that problem more than most states, as we continue to badly lag in our vaccination...
Musings: This is a good time to run for governor
With the developing news that legislative Democrats may be preparing to break quorum in an effort to stop the Jim Crow 2.0 voter suppression legislation that Republicans have long been coveting, Texas Democrats must also step up to the plate and answer a difficult...
Democrats leave Texas, break quorum to fight voter suppression
On Monday, multiple news reporters confirmed Texas state House Democrats were preparing to disrupt Republican election legislation by breaking quorum and leaving the state. At least 58 Democratic members are expected to leave the state, with the majority flying...
Musings: Allen West’s Big Misadventure
There’s something about the American West generally and Texas specifically that has always attracted people looking for a place to start over. People who have washed out of every corner of American life have found their way to Texas. Some of them found life in the oil...