Ep. 36 (Video): Texas Republicans Ranked From Least to Most Corrupt and Radical

The primaries are over. The runoffs are done. What Texas Republicans just sent to the general election ballot may be the most corrupt and radical slate this state has ever seen. This week, Kate and Alex rank all eight GOP statewide nominees — scored on corruption and radicalism — and break down what Democrats need to know before November. Plus: Alex is back from a week off with a new look and good news to share. We discuss:  The Paxton-Cornyn runoff is a postmortem on the Texas GOP establishment. Paxton won by nearly 30 points. Cook Political Report has shifted the Senate race to "Lean Republican" — real signal for the fall. The rankings, from least to most corrupt and radical: #8 Nate Sheets (Agriculture Commissioner) #7 Dawn Buckingham (Land Commissioner) #6 Mayes Middleton (AG nominee) #5 Greg Abbott (Governor) #4 Bo French (Railroad Commissioner nominee) #3 Don Huffines (Comptroller nominee) #2 Dan Patrick (Lieutenant Governor) #1 Ken Paxton (U.S. Senate nominee) Love what we're doing? Become a member at patreon.com/missiontexaspodcast — just a few dollars a month keeps independent Texas media alive. And if you can't spare the cash, a five-star review goes just as far. God bless Texas. 🤠 00:00 Texas Republican Election Overview 00:24 Alex's Return and Missed Opportunities 01:07 Runoff Recap and Republican Party Shift 02:43 Trump's Influence and Paxton's Victory 04:54 Republican Voter Indifference to Corruption 07:57 Cornyn's Loss and Changing GOP Base 08:33 Ranking Republican Candidates by Corruption and Radicalism 14:33 Mays Middleton's Rise and MAGA Alignment 18:40 Texas Attorney General's Role and Abbott's Strategies 24:31 Top Radical and Corrupt Candidates Explored 33:49 Dan Patrick's Influence and Radical Agenda 40:31 Ken Paxton's Corruption and Legal Issues 48:39 Electoral Strategies and Upcoming Elections 53:36 Personal Updates and Democratic Unity Emphasis