‘Inside Texas Politics’: Keith Self, Abbie Kamin, Maxie Johnson and the Busy Week in the U.S. House

A groundbreaking moment in Texas politics unfolds as James Tallarico, a Democrat, leads both Republican frontrunners Ken Paxton and John Cornyn in two new polls—marking the first time a Democrat has held such a lead in a statewide Texas race. This surge comes amid deep Republican infighting, with Paxton and Cornyn locked in a bitter primary battle that could fracture the party’s unity. Meanwhile, in Washington, Congressman Keith Self warns of unsustainable defense spending, questioning the $1.5 trillion war funding request for Iran and criticizing the Pentagon’s $52 million proposal to rename the Department of Defense to the Department of War—calling the cost, not the name, the real issue. On the ground, Houston councilmember Abby Kamen opposes a new law forcing police to cooperate with ICE, warning it could lead to legal challenges and erode civil liberties. In Dallas, Councilmember Maxie Johnson demands urgent action on random gunfire that has endangered residents, including his own family, and opposes closing the historic Houston Street Viaduct, citing access for Southern Dallas. The episode also examines the fallout from the Supreme Court’s redistricting decision, which now allows partisan gerrymandering without racial bias, and Camp Mystic’s abrupt withdrawal from reopening after a traumatic public hearing over the unresolved death of a missing camper.