Texas updates: poll shows Jasmine Crockett leading Senate primary, leaders propose property tax cuts, Builders Texas seeks solutions, 911 calls reveal camp flood crisis.
Jasmine Crockett Leads Senate Primary Poll
A new poll released by the Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center at Texas Southern University found that 51% of 1,600 likely Texas Democratic primary voters support U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, while 43% favor State Rep. James Talarico. The survey, conducted from Dec. 9 to Dec. 11, has a margin of error of +/- 2.45%. The poll was released on Friday morning, the same day Crockett officially entered the race.
Crockett said she was humbled by the results, noting that she will continue to share a message about making life more affordable for Texans. She also said the poll shows she is the best chance to win a general election against a Republican.
> “The Texas Southern poll illustrates that voters know what I know: that I’m in the best position to mobilize voters who’ve been overlooked, ignored, and excluded,” Crockett said in a statement. “Over half of democratic voters agree that I am the candidate who will be most successful in getting infrequent voters to show up en masse. Getting those voters to show up and make their voices heard is the only way for a Democrat to win in Texas.”
Talarico’s campaign spokesperson responded on Friday, saying, “While many voters are still learning about James, he starts out very competitive. Polling consistently shows that the more people get to know James, the more they support him. As voters hear his message of taking on the billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians, James will earn their support and win.”
The poll also highlighted demographic differences. Crockett leads among women (57%-36%), voters 55 or older (59%-34%), and black voters (89%-8%). Talarico leads among white voters (53%-40%), men (52%-42%), Latino voters (51%-41%), and young voters under 34 (63%-34%).
Name recognition also diverges sharply: 21% of likely Democratic primary voters say they don’t know enough about Talarico, while only 6% feel the same about Crockett.
Property Tax Plans: Abbott vs. Patrick
Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick presented contrasting approaches to cutting property taxes. Abbott emphasized eliminating school district property taxes altogether as part of a five-point plan, stating, “We can and we must completely abolish the school district property tax for homeowners and homestead owners.”
Patrick introduced a plan called Operation Double Nickel, which would freeze the senior homestead exemption at a value of $55 and add a $40,000 exemption for all homeowners. He said, “We are going to take the senior homestead exemption where your taxes are frozen and your values are frozen down to 55.” He added that the change would cost the budget about $1.3 billion, describing it as very doable.
Patrick also argued that ending school property taxes would necessitate a sharp increase in the sales tax, saying, “You’d have to go from eight and a quarter cents to 14 or 15 cents. You’d have to double the sales tax.”
Abbott countered that the Texas budget surplus exceeds $11 billion a year, and that the surplus should be returned to Texans: “When we get that budget surplus, the first thing we should do with it and the only thing we should do with it is return it to you, the people.”
Both leaders expressed willingness to cooperate. Patrick praised Abbott’s effort, saying, “I applaud the governor for trying to get property taxes down low. We can agree or disagree on some things.”
Builders Texas Seeks Citizen-Based Solutions
Builders Texas, a nonprofit organization, announced an expansion into Texas aimed at fostering bipartisan dialogue. Executive Director Stacey Blakely said the move comes amid polls indicating Americans want productive conversation over partisan politics.
> “It’s exhausting. (Americans) are tired of the chaos. They want solutions, and the demonizing of others, the ‘us vs. them,’ there’s a real fatigue around that,” Blakely explained.
Blakely described the organization’s “Citizen Solutions” approach as giving citizens a voice in policy making, identifying what matters to them, and determining how they think problems should be solved. The first focus will be health care, a top issue for Texans.
Builders plans to gather ideas from citizens, work with a panel of policy and industry experts to turn those ideas into realistic proposals, and then hand the proposals back to citizens so they can engage with lawmakers. Blakely emphasized that the goal is real change driven by Texans.
911 Calls Reveal Camp Flood Crisis
On July 4, 2024, 911 calls from Camp Mystic and Camp La Junta were released, detailing the chaotic response to the deadly flood. In a call around 4 a.m., a Camp Mystic caller said, “We are disconnected from the main camp by a bridge, and we can’t get in contact with our main office.” The caller added, “We are all getting out of all the cabins, but some of the cabins are filling up with water.”
Another Camp Mystic call at about 7 a.m. came from a director who said, “We need search and rescue because we’re missing as many as 20-40 people.” The dispatcher transferred the call to the Sheriff’s Department.
Camp Mystic’s spokesperson told KXAN, “The release of the recordings is a painful reminder to our community of the catastrophic flood of July 4. We continue to pray for all those affected by this disaster.”
In the same flood, Camp La Junta callers reported, “We are totally flooded. We have cabins that are starting to fill up. What do we do?” Dispatchers advised getting children to higher ground and waiting for rescue teams. A dispatcher later said, “I do not have an ETA. Unfortunately, the entire city is impacted.”
Despite the devastation, Camp La Junta’s operators posted on Instagram on July 17 that every camper, counselor, and staff member made it home safely. The camp highlighted the bravery of its counselors.
Key Takeaways
- Jasmine Crockett leads the Senate primary poll after only four days in the race.
- Governor Abbott and Lt. Gov. Patrick propose different strategies to cut property taxes, with Abbott favoring elimination of school taxes.
- Builders Texas aims to unite Texans across political divides through citizen-based policy solutions.
- 911 calls from Camp Mystic and Camp La Junta expose the severity of the July 4 flood and the challenges faced by rescue teams.
The day-to-day developments in Texas-from political races to public safety-highlight the state’s dynamic landscape and the urgent need for responsive leadership.
