The Texas Minute episode for March 4, 2026 begins by announcing that U.S. Senator John Cornyn has been forced into a primary runoff with Attorney General Ken Paxton. Host Michael Quinn Sullivan then presents news segments on various Texas political stories. August Pflueger, chair of the U.S. House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, is featured criticizing Democrats in the U.S. Senate for blocking Department of Homeland Security funding, arguing it jeopardizes Texas security. The episode reports a federal lawsuit by Muslim parent Medi-Cherkawi against Texas for excluding certain Islamic private schools from the state's school choice program, alleging religious discrimination. New Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program rules are detailed, which will prohibit purchasing candy or sweetened drinks with SNAP benefits starting April 1st, aimed at improving nutrition. After a promotional break for Sarah Gonzalez's show "Come and Take It," the episode returns to analyze primary election results. It notes the May 26th runoff date and highlights key races: Cornyn vs. Paxton for U.S. Senate, State Senator Mays Middleton vs. U.S. Representative Chip Roy for Attorney General, and businessman Beau French vs. incumbent Jim Wright for Railroad Commission. Other results include Don Huffines winning the comptroller race, Nate Sheets defeating Ag Commissioner Sid Miller, and Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick winning easily. Surprising outcomes are mentioned, such as State Representative Steve Toth defeating U.S. Representative Dan Crenshaw in CD2, and scandal-plagued U.S. Representative Tony Gonzalez heading to a runoff with Brandon Herrera. The episode concludes by directing listeners to TexasScoreCard.com for more details and crediting the production team.
