With the midterm elections just weeks away, Baylor faculty and students gathered Thursday night in Bennett Auditorium for a panel discussion encouraging students to make their voices heard at the polls, even amid growing political division and dissatisfaction with both major parties.
Browsing: Politics
Congressman Pete Sessions and businessman Ross Perot Jr. spoke Thursday at the Baylor Club for the Waco Chamber’s State of the Nation Luncheon. Both emphasized Texas’s importance, economic growth, and a bright future.
Classical concert pianist, minister, author, and mother Jade Simmons is taking an unconventional route to the U.S. Senate, running as an independent write-in candidate in Texas’ Nov. 3 election. During an event Monday at Baylor, Simmons broke down what running independently means for her and the challenges of campaigning without a party affiliation.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke Saturday morning at The Palladium in Waco ahead of the Senate election Nov. 3.
Beyond the races for U.S. Senate and governor, Texas voters will decide who fills several statewide offices this November — positions that oversee everything from the state’s finances to its oil and gas industry.
This November, some new and some familiar names will fill the Texas Ballot. These elections could make major waves in Texas politics. Here’s a brief overview of the major candidates, the positions they’re running for and the job descriptions of those positions.
“The billionaires who are buying the system don’t care who you are,” Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico said. “They don’t care about your politics; they only care about their profits. They don’t see us as Democrats or Republicans; they don’t see red or blue; they only see green. They see us as one group of people. One group of people they can rip off.”
Students attending the event, whether in protest or to support Talarico’s campaign, held conflicting views over whether Talarico and his opponent Ken Paxton’s Christian values will be the deciding factor in the ballot box.
Red “Make America Affordable Again” campaign signs waved throughout a packed Mark & Paula Hurd Grand Ballroom Wednesday night as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico took the stage at Baylor. According to the Talarico campaign, 1,100 people RSVP’d for the event.
Trump encouraged voter turnout and touts policy victories, saying, “Pretend I’m on the ballot.” He also announced that if Republicans win the House and Senate, every adult U.S. citizen would receive a $5,000 dividend.
As James Talarico and Ken Paxton campaign for the U.S. Senate, both candidates have made Christianity a prominent part of their political identities. But the two candidates draw very different conclusions about how their faith should shape government, from the separation of church and state to the role of Christian values in public policy.
James Talarico will host a campaign event at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at the Mark and Paula Hurd Center. Baylor extended invitations to Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, and Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general. Paxton’s campaign was unable to accommodate Baylor’s available dates.
Tensions continued to grow over the summer between political adversaries as Texas state Sen. James Talarico called on Attorney General Ken Paxton to release internal records related to a controversial child sexual abuse case involving former Waco attorney and Baylor Law graduate Adam Hoffman.
With registration deadlines approaching, local election leaders and student organization presidents stress the importance of student voices at the polls.
Trump was sworn in at noon and gave his second inaugural address shortly after. Then, he headed to the Capital One Arena to be surrounded by 20,000 of his supporters and for the indoor inaugural parade, which saw speakers including tech billionaire Elon Musk.
Trump won the state across border security and economic lines on top of his perceived toughness on some cultural issues like “wokeness,” a return to conservative values and more.
Despite the differences in political parties and ideologies of these first-time voters, each of them emphasized one commonality: unity.
Hope for the administration and faith in Trump himself compelled thousands to stand shivering in hail, rain and snow, some even beginning to queue at 5 a.m. Across Sunday and Monday, temperatures reached the lower 30s at their highest and on Monday, temperatures dropped to 23 degrees during the day with a windchill that made it feel 10 degrees cooler. Regardless, supporters huddled up in the streets, at watch parties and — if they were lucky — in Capital One Arena to watch the ceremonies.
It matters very little if you like Hegseth’s politics or you don’t. We should all be able to recognize that a seasoned military leader with senior experience is desperately needed. Rhetoric isn’t enough. Words alone don’t win wars. Leadership qualities, knowledge of military tactics and a high level of experience do. As it stands, Hegseth hasn’t shown that he has any of these traits, and defense secretary is too important a position to roll the dice on an outside hire.
Our society forces everything from political figures and media companies into one of two political categories. It’s become an unstoppable battle that should never have begun.
Despite the hope of the Democratic Party, the Republican Party gained a lead and ran with the House Tuesday night. Though votes are still being counted, the GOP currently has a 17 seat lead. Despite this, the majority might still be up in the air with the GOP currently only holding one seat from the Democrats.
Remember the words of Abraham Lincoln, who, honestly, lived in a time of much deeper division than we do. “A house divided cannot stand,” he said, echoing the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. He knew it then, and we know it now: America has two choices.
Political polarization in America has gone beyond debates and ballot boxes, driving wedges between loved ones and turning neighbors into adversaries. As ideological divides deepen and tensions escalate, can we find a way to reclaim civil discourse, or are we destined to live in a nation where division and distrust define us?
In such a polarized political environment, the loudest action you can take is saying nothing at all. If people want to make assumptions about your character based on stereotypes, your ethnicity or even your age, let them.
Republican David Schenck ran against Democrat Holly Taylor and has been appointed the new Presiding Judge. Republican Gina Parker now occupies Place 7 over Democrat Nancy Mulder and Republican Lee Finley assumes Place 8 over Democrat Chika Aniyam.
Targeted for their rulings on recent abortion cases, the three Republican Texas Supreme Court justices up for reelection successfully fended off Democratic opposition, retaining all nine seats.
“If America can stand up and say that we want to get back to where America is strong, militarily respected, [with a] strong border, we defend freedom and we defend personal rights, that’s just a revolution yet again, and I’m excited to see it happen,” Holland said.
Tuesday night, Republican Donis “D.L.” Wilson won McLennan County Commissioner in a head-to-head race against Democrat Jeremy Davis.
“This campaign really became a calling from God,” Curry said.
Republican incumbent Christi Craddick won the Railroad Commissioner race for a third straight term on Tuesday night. She took nearly 60% of the votes compared to the other four candidates.
