Explore every episode of the podcast Second Reading Podcast

With early voting underway and election day just around the corner, James Henson & Joshua Blank discuss the latest polls, the early voting numbers (and their limitations), and the final spending before the 2026 Election comes to its inevitable end. This episode was recorded by Claire Millet and edited by Brianna Padron.

With Donald Trump planning to return to Texas again next week, James Henson & Joshua Blank ponder his polling numbers in Texas and whether he hurts or helps Republicans (after a quick look at the latest wave of Texas polling). This episode was recorded by Claire Millet and edited by Brianna Padron.

James Henson and Josh Blank look at the trial ballot results in the U.S. Senate contest in Texas as well as for other statewide races in the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll. Listener warning: it gets a little wonky. This episode was recorded by Scott Leben and mixed by Brianna Padron.

Ross Ramsey, co-founder and former Editor of The Texas Tribune, joins James Henson to put the 2026 election campaign in perspective. They discuss the factors making the state more competitive, and how deep the change in Texas politics evident this cycle go. This episode was recorded by Scott Leben and edited by Brianna Padron.

James Henson and Joshua Blank abandon the top of the ballot this week to look at the state of play in Congressional and legislative elections in Texas. This episode was recorded by Scott Leben and edited by Brianna Padron.

Jim Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the ins and outs of all the polling data being generated in the Texas 2026 election, how to read it, and what it’s telling us so far. This episode was recorded by Scott Leben and edited by Brianna Padron.

Spurred on by two new statewide polls, James Henson and Josh Blank look at the knowns and unknowns in the Texas election environment.  Call it an exercise in epistemological humility. This episode was recorded by Will Kurzner and edited by Brianna Padron.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at Texas public opinion (and vibes) to assess the possible impact of the 2026 National Convention in Dallas on elections in Texas. This episode was recorded by Scott Leben, and mixed by Brianna Padron.

While the latest UT/Texas Politics Project Poll found very mixed expectations among Texas voters about the expected impact of data centers in different domains, James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the results and look at how messaging from a pro-data center group, and from Gov. Abbott, align with the perceived trade-offs revealed in the latest […]

With new polling data from the August poll, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over what the trial ballots and other election-related items can and can’t tell us about the state of Texas races as summer winds down.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at public opinion data from rural Texas to assess how big a problem Republicans have among rural voters.

James Henson and Joshua Blank return from a July podcasting hiatus to catch up on Texas polling in the Senate and gubernatorial races, and consider the influences on the election environment in Texas. This episode was recorded by Xayda Garza and mixed by Astrid Alvarez and Julie Rios

James Henson & Joshua Blank look at Texas intersections with this week’s big Supreme Court decisions, and ponder the seeming emergence of stronger political parties in the U.S. and Texas. This episode was recorded by Astrid Alvarez and mixed by Uriel Murillo

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at 2026 Texas trial ballots and strikingly negative views of data centers and AI in the June Texas Politics Project Poll. This episode was engineered and mixed by Uriel Murillo.

In the wake of Gov. Greg Abbott’s signal-rich letter to Texas utility regulators on data centers in Texas, James Henson and Joshua Blank assess the public opinion on the issue and wade into the thicket of politics and policy as attention to the issue among policymakers and stakeholders grows. This episode was recorded and edited […]

After a week in which Texas Republicans circled the wagons for legislative elections and national Democrats announced #txlege targets, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the landscape for legislative races, and compare differences and similarities in public opinion in 2018 and 2026. This episode was engineered by Els Brady, and mixed by Uriel Murillo.

In the wake of run-off wins by GOP candidates like Ken Paxton, Mayes Middleton, and Bo French, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about dynamics in both parties, and what’s comes next in the general election and governing circles in Texas.

James Henson and Joshua Blank join the response to the much-discussed memo from Ragnar Research’s Chris Perkins on signs of sagging participation among Republican primary voters in Texas, and make some connections with the shifting politics of immigration and border security in the Texas GOP. This episode was engineered by Lucas Toussaint and mixed by […]

James Henson and Josh Blank look at the quasi-normal looking polling on the general election matchups for Texas Governor and Lt. Governor, and assess macrolevel indicators of the political mood in Texas. This episode was recorded and edited by Nathan Crews at LAITS Studios.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at highlights from the just-released UT/Texas Politics Project poll, including resurgent concerns about prices and the economy, the  sharp partisan differences fueling overall opposition to the U.S. war with Iran, and some interesting underlying numbers in the U.S. Senate race and the Cornyn/Paxton/Talarico triangle.

James Henson and Joshua Blank check in on Gov. Abbott’s pressure on Houston, Dallas, and Austin to change immigration enforcement politics and planned spending by both parties on Texas Congressional races, then go deep on the Texas Lyceum Poll’s look at Texans’ views of the quality of life in Texas. This episode was recorded and […]

James Henson talks with Bayliss Wagner of the Austin American-Statesman and Hearst Newspapers about her reporting on the scandals that led to Texas Congressman Tony Gonzales’ exit from the U.S. House, including the role of non-traditional and social media in the emergence of the story in mainstream media.

James Henson talks with Professor Robert D. Moser of The University of Texas at Austin Government Department about U.S. interest in Iran, how the escalation of the conflict with Iran intersect those interests, and the consequences of the war for national and international politics.

James Henson and Joshua Blank survey the early signs of the developing general election campaign in Texas as well as lingering primary dynamics in both parties. Topics include the early Republican attacks on James Talarico, the rock throwing between Acting Comptroller Hancock and AG Paxton, and efforts to test the issue environment in the general […]

James Henson and Joshua Blank check into the latest twist the GOP run-off election for the U.S. Senate, then turn to what public opinion polling in Texas might tell us about the impact of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran given the current path of the conflict.

After months of anticipation, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the results of the Texas primary election.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at recent poll results for the Texas primary races between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico on the Democratic side, and in the GOP contest between incumbent John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and Wesley Hunt.

James Henson talks with Brad Johnson about the newly launched Texas Bullpen, then checks in on Johnson’s read of vibes in the Texas Primaries, in including congressional and legislative races and, of course, the U.S. Senate primaries.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at three big stories in Texas generating national attention as election season heats up in the state: the special election for Senate District 9, Colin Allred’s surprising re-emergence in the Democratic Senate nomination race, and Donald Trump’s public musings about endorsing in the Republican Senate primary.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how the shooting deaths of protesters by federal immigration authorities in Minneapolis activate a complex interplay among attitudes on immigration, gun rights, and the First Amendment. The discussion starts with a look at national polling in the immediate aftermath of the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally […]

James Henson and Josh Blank use Texas polling to compare and contrast the issues at play in the Republican and Democratic primaries in Texas. Plus, some brief discussion of the latest NYT/Sienna national poll and the coverage of polling conducted by campaigns.

James Henson & Joshua Blank look at results on health care, immigration, and the 2026 U.S. Senate race in  the final UT/Texas Politics Poll of 2025 and what they portend for the 2026 election year.

James Henson and Joshua Blank dig up some highlights from UT/Texas Politics Project polling in 2025 on subjects including property taxes, speech rights, views of the legislature, healthcare, vaccines, and more.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at how Donald Trump’s pardon of Henry Cuellar, and Jasmine Crockett’s likely entrance in the race to replace John Cornyn, have complicated the 2026 election in Texas – and maybe the U.S.

James Henson & Joshua Blank consider the politics of the federal court decision throwing out the recently redrawn Texas Congressional map, and the MAGA crack-up trope.

James Henson & Joshua Blank talk about Gov. Abbott’s 2026 campaign kick-off, the public opinion context for property tax policy, and the still uncertain dynamics of the 2026 election.

The Texas Politics Project Poll team – Daron Shaw, James Henson, and Joshua Blank – discuss what their latest poll tells us about the current Texas landscape for the 2026 election.

Comparative constitutional scholar Zachary Elkins joins James Henson to discuss these state of Constitutional features like the separation of powers and checks and balances during the norms-challenging Trump presidency.

After catching up on the federal shutdown, James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the political dynamics around Gov. Greg Abbott’s fast deployment of Texas National Guard troops to Illinois at the order of President Trump, including a look at Texas attitudes toward Abbott’s response to Operation Jade Helm a decade ago.

James Henson and Joshua Blank dig into what Texas polling can tell us about the public opinion context for the government shutdown.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at the arc of the President’s standing in Texas and how his ratings intersect persistent economic concerns in the state. Plus, they consider approaches to (very) early polling in the 2026 U.S. Senate race.

James Henson and Joshua Blank look at latest Texas Politics Project poll results on redistricting, marijuana, property taxes, and other priorities in the recently-concluded special legislative sessions – and share some historical data on Texans’ view of political violence.

Gromer Jeffers, Jr., Brad Johnson, Mark Jones, and Harvey Kronberg joined James Henson for a roundtable hosted by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas on the second special session of the Texas Legislature – plus a sneak peak at new Texas Politics Project polling data on the same subject.

Ross Ramsey joins James Henson and Joshua Blank to assess to consider the nature and durability of changes in Texas politics and institutions evident during the 89th Texas Legislature, including the partisan hostility recently on display in the lege, the strengthening of the governor’s office, and the influence of national politics on Texas politics.

In the wake of Texas House Democrats return to the legislature and the passage of the hotly contested new Congressional map by the reconvened House, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk over some of the political and institutional implications of the mid-decade redistricting in Texas.

James Henson and Joshua Blank discuss the uncertainty around Texas House Democrats’ quorum break over mid-decade redistricting, and what the ensuing politics reveal about Texas politics. While the podcast was being recorded, Democrats announced their intention to return to Texas “to take this fight to the courts.” So it goes. Note: in a rushed update, […]

With adopting the new Congressional maps ordered by Donald Trump and response to the July 4 floods at the top of the agenda, James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about the politics of agenda management as the Texas Legislature prepares to return to the Capitol next week for a politically-fraught special session.

In a webinar hosted June 26 by the Professional Advocacy Association of Texas, James Henson and Johsua Blank look at attitudes on issues and actors in the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature in a special video edition of the podcast.

The UT/Texas Politics Project Poll team – James Henson, Joshua Blank, and Daron Shaw – look at the much-noted decline in President Trump’s job approval numbers in their June pol and how Trump’s standing intersects attitudes on the economy and immigration, as well as what can be read into the current positions of Senator John […]

James Henson and Joshua Blank talk about how immigration protests, the Trump administration’s push for redistricting in Texas, and the short-lived in-state tuition lawsuit have disturbed the post session lull in the Lone Star State.