Good morning,

With a growing number of incidents in which individuals are interfering with deportation enforcement activities, today's One Click Survey asks if new laws or penalties are needed to dissuade the behavior.

This is the Texas Minute for Monday, January 19, 2026.

– Michael Quinn Sullivan 

Texas Files Direct Appeal to US Supreme Court in Redistricting Case

• Travis Morgan reports that Texas has filed a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court in a federal redistricting case that attempts to undermine the legislature’s newly enacted congressional map. This comes after the Court temporarily blocked a district court order that would have forced the state to revert to the 2021 congressional map.
      
• Now, Texas wants SCOTUS to reverse the lower-court decision and end the litigation. 

Abbott’s $105 Million Campaign War Chest Towers Over 2026 Field

• Gov. Greg Abbott is heading into the 2026 election year with a massive financial advantage, according to newly filed semiannual campaign finance reports. Brandon Waltens explores the data.
     
• During the most recent reporting period, covering the second half of 2025, Abbott's campaign reported raising $22.7 million through more than 48,000 contributions from all 254 Texas counties.
      
• The governor's campaign touted that he has received more than one million unique individual contributions over the course of his gubernatorial campaigns, with nearly 90 percent of those contributions coming from Texans. Abbott has 10 opponents in the Republican primary, though none have reported fundraising totals comparable to Abbott’s operation.
     
• In the General Election, Abbott’s likely opponent is Austin Democrat State Rep. Gina Hinojosa. She raised $1,038,189 during the same reporting period and ended the year with $661,125 cash on hand.

Candidates for Attorney General Rake in Campaign Cash

• With current Attorney General Ken Paxton running for U.S. Senate, the candidates seeking to replace him have been hitting the campaign trail. Paige Feild breaks down the fundraising numbers.
   
• State Sen. Mayes Middleton of Galveston has a little over $5 million in cash on hand, raising nearly $12 million and spending over $7 million. 
     
• U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Dripping Springs has more than $4 million in cash on hand, after raising roughly $4.5 million and spending over $1.2 million.
      
• Former DOJ official Aaron Reitz had roughly $2 million in cash on hand, raising over $1.6 million and spending roughly $1 million.
      
• State Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston reported $2.7 million in cash on hand, having raised $500,000 and spending over $860,000.

GOP Comptroller Field Report Millions in Campaign Cash

• Texas’ Republican primary for comptroller is shaping up to be a well-funded contest. The Republican field includes former state Sen. Don Huffines, Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, and former state Sen. Kelly Hancock, who has been serving as acting comptroller since Glenn Hegar’s departure last year.
     
• Huffines reported $11,773,001 cash on hand at the end of the year after raising $1,043,287 during the reporting period. His report also showed $3,981,450 in expenditures and $15,250,000 in outstanding loans.
     
• Craddick reported raising $1,796,951 during the same reporting period and ended 2025 with $2,833,307 cash on hand. Her report also showed $2,235,359 in total expenditures and no outstanding loans.
      
• Hancock’s campaign reported $7,081,725 cash on hand. He raised $2,117,744 during the reporting period and $1,113,611 in total expenditures, with no outstanding loans listed.

Sheets Opens Fundraising Lead Over Miller in Texas Ag Commissioner Race

• New campaign finance filings show Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller is lagging behind challenger Nate Sheets in fundraising as the two Republicans head toward a primary showdown in March. 
   
• Miller reported $290,677 in contributions and ended the year with $102,525 cash on hand. Sheets received $506,224 in contributions and ended the year with $373,235 in cash.
     
• The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Clayton Tucker in November, who reported raising $108,389 and ending the year with just $45,131 cash on hand.

Seguin ISD Threatens Legal Fight Over Resident’s Challenges to Explicit Materials

• A Seguin resident trying to challenge sexually explicit books in her local school libraries says she was told by the superintendent that taxpayers would fund attorneys used against her.​ Sydnie Henry has the story.
      
• Lynette Leanox independently audited the school library after learning about new child protection laws. She says she found 169 “inappropriate or indecent and profane” titles available to students. When attempting to report the titles, Leanox says Superintendent Jack Lee became visibly agitated, allegedly telling her there were “too many” challenges and that he'd use the district's "whole staff of attorneys" to fight her.
      
• Neither Seguin ISD nor the superintendent responded to questions.

Grooming, Assault, and Unprofessional Conduct

• Two Waco High School theater teachers have been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into what the school district there describes as “serious professional misconduct and/or negligence.”​​ Officials have not released specific details of the allegations, nor have they publicly named the teachers involved.
     
• Kelvin Leiva, a teacher in the Grand Prairie Independent School District, has been arrested and charged with sexually grooming a middle school student. A mother in the district commented online that “multiple girls” had received “inappropriate messages via social media” from Leiva.
     
• An employee in the Edinburg Consolidated Independent School District, Carlos Daniel Garcia, is accused of sexually assaulting a juvenile he met on a dating app. Garcia worked as an attendance clerk at a local middle school.

Today In History

On January 19, 1991, what is now known as the Big Bend Ranch State Park was officially opened to the public. 

Quote-Unquote

"There would be no difficulty in securing the rights of the people and the liberties of Texas if men would march to their duty and not fly like recreants from danger. Texas must be defended and liberty maintained."

– Sam Houston​

One Click Survey

Gov. Greg Abbott has blasted what he calls “organized” efforts to obstruct federal immigration enforcement, both in Texas and around the country.

Should new laws or enhanced penalties be enacted to address individuals who interfere with law enforcement operations?

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