© 2024 Texas Public Radio
Real. Reliable. Texas Public Radio.
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Texas Matters: 2018 Election Preview, Observations Of A Harvey Tent City

David Martin Davies | Texas Public Radio
/
Texas Public Radio

The filing deadline has come and gone for Texas political candidates who are running in the 2018 mid-terms.

On this episode of "Texas Matters," we'll look at the re-election bids of Gov. Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz with KERA's Christopher Connelly (0:41); allegations of sexual harassment by Texas Congressman Blake Farenthold (1:49); the 2018 midterms with Harvey Kronberg, founding editor of the Quorum Report (3:00); the return of tourism along the Texas coast (16:46); and a commentary from Yvette Benavides (21:48) about what life was like in those coast towns before Harvey.

Texas congressman Blake Farenthold will not be running for re-election in 2018. This comes amidst growing allegations of sexual harassment and workplace abuse in Farenthold’s office. The Corpus Christi Republican has held his seat since 2011. In recent weeks, it was revealed he settled a sexual harassment case with a former staffer several years ago. That settlement cost taxpayers $84,000.

Then later in the program, Hurricane Harvey obliterated much of tourist economy for the Texas Coastal Bend, especially in Aransas County. Months after the storm, cities are now struggling to rebuild without the usual influx of cash tourism brings. But, there is a feathery bright spot which could help bring the snow birds back.

And finally, many in Texas know the towns of Port A, Rockport and Fulton well. We’ve vacationed there. Had adventures there. We recall our days on the coast with nostalgia. Maybe you still have a special seashell from your time there tucked away in a treasure box. As so it is with TPR commentator Yvette Benavides.

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org or on Twitter @DavidMartinDavi

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi