Inside Texas Politics: Border Surge

On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy about Libertarian candidate for governor Kathie Glass' possible effect on the general election in November, as the first resting place for disaffected Republicans might be with her party; the political calculus behind Wendy Davis running for governor instead of lieutenant governor; and the politics around the border surge — all those women and children puts the crisis in a different light that could tone down some of the rhetoric.

We also talked about the extra $1.3 million per week to the Department of Public Safety has been given in respose to that surge; Republican U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, whose narrow victory in Mississippi owes something to African-Americans in that state; and Democrats' celebration in Austin last week of the anniversary of Wendy Davis' filibuster. Ahead of their state convention this weekend, it served as a reminder of the events that put Davis and nominee for lieutenant governor Leticia Van de Putte at the top of the ticket and marked the beginning of the general election campaign.

Also: Jason and Bud talked to state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, and executive director of the state Democratic Party Will Hailer about the border surge and Democrats' strategy for November; and, in seperate interviews, Jason talked about the border surge with U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Dallas, and attorney general and Republican nominee for governor Greg Abbott.