Texas, he said, would make clear that only Republicans vote in Republican primaries.

Then came the court filing.

Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden, appointed by Abbott in July, told a federal judge Aug. 10 that the state would maintain the legal position taken by his predecessor, Jane Nelson. Texas continues to oppose the Republican Party of Texas’s effort to obtain a closed GOP primary in federal court and still seeks dismissal of the lawsuit.

That does not mean Howden rejects closed primaries. His filing says the Legislature is the proper forum for creating the system and that the secretary of state’s office would implement a change enacted into law.

But it leaves Texas Republicans with a legitimate question: If the governor supports the result, why is his administration still spending public money to fight the party seeking it?

This case decides more than who receives a Republican ballot.

It tests who controls a political party’s nomination process, whether party-association rights can override the state’s current election system and whether elected leaders will turn a convention promise into policy.

It also puts taxpayer money at the center of the dispute. Republican voters are helping fund the party pressing the lawsuit. Those same Texans also fund the state officials and outside lawyers opposing it.

That is the kind of power conflict Politics with the Big Dogs exists to examine: what elected leaders say, what government does and who pays for the gap between the two.

The lawsuit alleges HISD violated Wallace’s First Amendment rights by silencing her viewpoint and removing her from the meeting. Those claims remain allegations and have not been decided by a court.

Anthony Holm examines the conflict between the school library shelf and the public microphone. He also discusses Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, Gov. Greg Abbott’s $25 million effort to improve Republican performance in Harris County and his own prediction that Ryan Patrick may eventually seek the lieutenant governor’s office. No Ryan Patrick campaign has been announced.

The episode closes with the McKinney City Council’s 7-0 approval of a site plan for the McKinney Islamic Association. City staff said the plan complied with existing development requirements and did not require a zoning change.

Anthony examines the questions raised by Fauci’s private notes, the disputed origin of COVID-19 and the constitutional meaning of refusing to answer potentially self-incriminating questions. Invoking the Fifth Amendment is not an admission of guilt, but it does not end Congress’ responsibility to examine the government’s pandemic decisions.

The episode then turns to Texas, where a state sales-tax exemption for qualifying data centers is projected to cost $3.2 billion over the 2026-27 biennium. Anthony asks why Texas Republicans are subsidizing an industry that places growing demands on the state’s power grid.

Anthony also scrutinizes a poll showing Democrat James Talarico leading Republican Ken Paxton, compares Talarico’s campaign image with his past public statements and challenges Gov. Greg Abbott’s proposed $400 million roof-fortification program.

Different stories. The same demand: ignore the performance, read the record and ask who pays.

Anthony Holm asks whether the organizations that helped shape the primary are equally committed to winning the general election—or whether defeating a Republican trial lawyer mattered more than retaining a Republican-held seat.

The episode also examines Robert Howden’s appointment as Texas secretary of state and the fight for closed primaries, criminal allegations involving Arcola Mayor Fred Burton, a controversy surrounding Midland County Judge Terry Johnson, China’s surveillance apparatus and the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision concerning marijuana use and gun ownership.

Anthony begins and ends the episode by remembering Army Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, who was killed at 19 while serving her country and posthumously promoted to private first class.

Context: Charges against Fred Burton remain allegations and he is presumed innocent. Terry Johnson has not been criminally charged. Claims about Chinese influence should not be interpreted as evidence that American vote totals were changed.

• A $60,000 Texas Tech marketing web developer position raises questions about the reach of Gov. Greg Abbott’s H-1B freeze

• John Cornyn signals he may skip the Republican Party’s first national midterm convention in Dallas

• The National Border Patrol Council endorses Ken Paxton

• Texas officials respond to reports that border hospitals marketed maternity packages in Mexico

• Anthony credits Big Dogs listeners for helping force government action

• A Dallas Fed working paper connects unauthorized immigration to rising home prices and rents

• The constitutional line between a president’s power to repel an attack and Congress’ power to take the nation to war

• What Madison, Gerry, Washington, Hamilton, Jefferson and Buchanan said about presidential war powers

This week on Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony digs into the “Billboard Babies” story and marketing tied to maternity services in South Texas. He walks through the Spanish-language website, which advertised birth packages and the questions he believes Texas regulators and state leadership now have to answer after the campaign operated for years.

Then Anthony turns to former state Rep. Nate Schatzline’s move into Gov. Greg Abbott’s office and what it could mean for the fight to close the Texas Republican primary. Anthony is encouraged by Schatzline, but he wants to know whether conservative personnel will finally produce conservative policy.

And in a surprisingly personal moment, Anthony explains why expanded Pell Grant eligibility for workforce training matters to him as a kid from rural Iowa who earned a GED and understands that college is not the only path to opportunity.

The episode also takes on Graham Platner, Democratic double standards, Iran and the political stories Anthony could not fit into the radio hour.

The podcast has more. Listen now, subscribe and visit www.politicswiththebigdogs.com to sign the petition to end taxpayer-funded lobbying.

In this special July 4 episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony walks through the Declaration of Independence as a legal and political document — a list of grievances against unchecked authority, abusive government, ignored petitions, controlled courts, denied jury trials and power that no longer answered to the people.

Anthony also explains why the Constitution came later, why consent of the governed matters, why rights come from God rather than government and why the American experiment still depends on ordinary citizens who understand liberty well enough to defend it.

This is not just a Fourth of July message. It is a reminder that the founders risked life, liberty and property for an idea almost unheard of in human history — that government gets its just powers from the people.

This week on Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down why the Texas A&M tenure fight matters, why DEI keeps showing up after Republican leaders said it was stamped out and why conservative wins mean nothing without enforcement.

Anthony also looks ahead to the next Texas legislative session, where casino interests, school choice funding and taxpayer-funded lobbying are already shaping up as major fights. His warning is direct: Republicans cannot campaign like conservatives, then govern like managers of the status quo.

In the extended subscriber-only portion, Anthony keeps going with more than 10 additional minutes on Medicare fraud, the Supreme Court, religious liberty in prison and what he calls an epidemic of Texas teachers sexually abusing students.

This episode is about the fights Texas conservatives were told were already over.

Anthony breaks down the convention energy in Houston, the chairman’s race, Ken Paxton’s presence, Gov. Greg Abbott’s speech and the growing demand from grassroots conservatives to close the Republican primary. He explains why it is not enough for Republican leaders to say only Republicans should vote in Republican primaries. The real question is whether state leaders will stop using taxpayer dollars to fight the party’s own effort to protect its primary.

Then Anthony turns to one of the episode’s most important themes: appointments matter. From the Secretary of State to the Texas Funeral Service Commission, he lays out how donor influence, agency appointments and hidden power can shape policy outcomes in ways most Texans never see until the damage is already done.

Anthony also touches on the rise of organized parents in Maine, Trump and Paxton, the possibility of a national Republican gathering in Dallas and why grassroots conservatives cannot afford to ignore the “small” fights buried inside government.

This is a warning about how power actually works in Texas.

This week on Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down the governor- and speaker-led retreat for Republican House members, the casino lobby’s role, TLR donor power, closed primaries, California election rules and why grassroots conservatives cannot afford to relax after the runoff.

Anthony also explains why appointments matter, from the Texas Historical Commission to the secretary of state and how insider decisions can shape election integrity, party power and the conservative agenda.

This week on Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony starts with Tom Smith, the Republican nominee for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, and explains why this down-ballot judicial race matters more than many voters realized. The Court of Criminal Appeals is not just a criminal law court. It is also a constitutional law court, and Anthony says Texans learned that the hard way when the court blocked the attorney general’s office from prosecuting election-related crimes.

Smith talks about the court’s 500-day backlog, his runoff win, conservative judicial philosophy and why voters are finally paying attention to a court that too many Republicans used to skip over.

LEARN MORE | Tom Smith for Judge

Then Anthony turns to China — and why Chinese spies, bounties and foreign intimidation are not just Washington, D.C., issues. He connects the United Kingdom’s handling of Chinese espionage to Texas, the Houston Chinese consulate and Gov. Greg Abbott’s warning about Chinese Communist Party operations targeting Texans.

From there, Anthony takes on Mike Pence, John Cornyn and the old Bush-style Republican establishment for saying Republicans have “lost their way.” Anthony agrees — but not for the reasons they think. His argument is that the establishment Republicans who held power for decades lost their way by growing government, failing to secure elections, defending big business over free enterprise and leaving grassroots conservatives behind.

Finally, Anthony pivots to James Talarico. Now that Ken Paxton is the Republican nominee, Anthony says the race is a binary event: Paxton or Talarico. He breaks down Talarico’s past comments on transgender sports, critical race theory and what conservatives need to understand before the general election fight begins.

This episode is about what happens after victory.

The grassroots won a major fight. Now they have to stay awake, stay organized and go forth and conquer.

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down Ken Paxton’s win over John Cornyn, Don Huffines’ rise, Bo French’s victory over Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright and what those outcomes mean for the Texas GOP, taxpayer-funded lobbying and conservative policy in Austin. He also takes on Texas A&M’s latest tenure controversy, gives credit to Texas Scorecard for exposing the truth and highlights the fight of Jennifer Combs, a Trinidad, Texas, woman arrested after raising concerns about her city’s water.

This episode is about whether regular Texans still have the power to beat the donor class, expose government abuse and force accountability.

This is not a scattered episode. It has three major lanes:

1. The establishment is losing control

Anthony opens with Trump’s endorsement of Ken Paxton and frames it as a turning point in the Texas Senate race. His position is blunt: Paxton was already positioned to beat John Cornyn, but Trump’s endorsement makes it “game over.”

He connects that to a larger national pattern: Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana, Rep. Thomas Massie in Kentucky and now Cornyn in Texas. Anthony’s view is that Trump is helping dismantle the “moderate RINO” establishment, and the same shift is happening in Austin.

His repeated emotional note here is victory: “Hallelujah.” He sees grassroots conservatives finally beating the donor class.

2. The donor class is being exposed

This is where Anthony gets specific and heated.

He spends significant time on what he describes as the “gazillionaire cabal” in Texas politics: Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Associated Republicans of Texas and major donors who he says fund Democrats and moderate Republicans while trying to defeat real conservatives.

He names the pattern: big donors pour money into establishment candidates, defend moderates, attack constitutional conservatives and try to keep control of the Legislature.

His core complaint is not just that they spend money. It is that they use that money to stop grassroots conservative priorities, including:

• Banning taxpayer-funded lobbying
• Reducing property taxes
• Stopping predatory gambling
• Fighting school indoctrination
• Protecting conservative policy wins

He frames this as a power struggle between ordinary conservative activists and a small class of wealthy political gatekeepers.

3. Predatory gambling becomes the main policy battlefield

The second half of the episode turns into a focused policy interview with Destin Sensky, executive director of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility.

Anthony and Destin dive into:

• Casino interests are trying to expand gambling in Texas
• A $500,000 donation to Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright
• Why casino groups would care about a Railroad Commission race
• The Texas Lottery scandal
• The argument that the lottery is already predatory gambling
• The push to make anti-gambling a Republican Party of Texas legislative priority
• The connection between gambling, big business and political influence

Anthony’s line of attack is that casino operators are not just selling entertainment. He frames them as predatory corporate interests trying to buy their way into Texas politics.

Destin gives the episode its policy structure by laying out three major priorities Texans for Fiscal Responsibility wants advanced at the Republican Party of Texas convention:

1. Eliminate the maintenance and operations portion of school property taxes, eventually moving toward eliminating property taxes.
2. Ban taxpayer-funded lobbying.
3. Abolish the Texas Lottery and prevent expansion into other forms of predatory gambling.

During this week’s episode, Anthony is energized because he believes the grassroots are winning. But he is also warning that the same powerful forces are already regrouping around new issues, especially gambling.

This extended episode opens with the Declaration of Independence, unpacking its three revolutionary ideas—equality, God‑given rights (life, liberty, pursuit of happiness), and self‑government—and argues that modern America is drifting dangerously far from that vision. From career politicians clinging to power in Austin and D.C. to a political class more interested in reelection than liberty, Holm calls for a return to citizen‑led government and real accountability.

Anthony then dives into the rise of Islamic institutions in Texas, including a Muslim‑only water park event and the controversial Texas American Muslim University in Dallas. He questions whether these developments align with American Judeo‑Christian values, individual rights, and free markets, warning that many establishment Republicans are too timid—or too compromised—to confront the issue.

Next, he breaks down James Talarico’s attack on Senator John Cornyn over the federal gas tax and how a far‑left Democrat managed to outflank a longtime Republican senator on tax relief.

The episode then turns to the state of public education in Texas: four‑day school weeks, administrative bloat, unions and educrats protecting adults over kids, resistance to real measurement of student outcomes, and the fight over A–F school ratings.

Finally, Anthony spotlights Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the company quietly tracked and monetized children’s viewing data despite marketing its platform as safe and ad‑free. Tying it to previous wins against Facebook and Google, he frames the case as part of a broader fight to protect Texans from Big Tech deception.

If you care about liberty, faith, family, education, and the future of Texas, this episode is fast, fiery, and unapologetically conservative—demanding that Americans remember who we are, what we inherited and what it will take to keep it.

First, he breaks down the controversy over the Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark in Granbury, Texas—a taxpayer-funded facility rented out for a “Muslims only” Eid event tied to leaders from the East Plano Islamic Center. Anthony explains why a public water park being closed to non‑Muslims raises serious constitutional, legal, and cultural concerns and connects it to the broader growth of Islamic communities and mosques in Texas.

Next, he examines the decline of the Bush–Cornyn wing of the Texas GOP. Anthony explains why he believes moderate Republicans have lost touch with constitutional conservatism, border security, and free‑market values, and why grassroots voters are increasingly rejecting figures aligned with the old Bush–Cornyn establishment.

Finally, he explores the high‑stakes fight over open vs. closed primaries and redistricting. Anthony walks through the Texas GOP’s push to close Republican primaries, the state’s use of taxpayer money to fight that effort, and the role of big donors and incumbents. He then looks at new Supreme Court guidance on race‑neutral, “colorblind” redistricting, how states like Florida and Louisiana are using it to strengthen GOP representation, and why he believes Texas is lagging behind despite having 38 U.S. House seats.

Throughout the episode, Anthony calls for citizen‑led government, ending taxpayer‑funded lobbying, and restoring Texas and American founding values in law and policy.

From the U.S. Senate runoff between Ken Paxton and John Cornyn to major ICE operations in Houston, the details begin to connect. Policies, enforcement decisions and political strategy are no longer isolated headlines — they’re part of something bigger.

Anthony breaks down:

• The contrast shaping the Texas Senate race and what it signals for the future

• ICE arrests in Houston and what those numbers actually reveal

• His firsthand experience inside the CDL system — and why enforcement matters

• The role of institutions like the Southern Poverty Law Center and how influence works

• Redistricting, the Voting Rights Act and what the courts are now saying

• Why Texans are being called to pay closer attention than ever before

This episode moves fast, but the takeaway is simple:

The more you look, the more connections.

If you care about how power, policy and real-world consequences intersect — this conversation matters.

This week’s episode pulls back the curtain on three powerful systems — education, medicine and government — and reveals a pattern Texans can’t afford to ignore.

We start in Texas classrooms, where undercover investigations show that DEI and critical race theory are still present. They’ve been renamed, rebranded and quietly continued. Administrators admit it. Professors navigate around it. And students are still being taught through the same ideological lens.

Anthony sits down with Accuracy in Media — a national investigative organization that uses hidden-camera journalism to expose what’s really happening inside schools and universities. Their findings raise serious questions about whether laws are being followed at all.

Then, we turn to power at the Capitol.

The Texas Medical Association — one of the most influential lobbying groups in the state — has elevated new leadership that will shape policy conversations moving forward. What does that mean for legislation, for influence and for the direction of Texas?

Finally, we head to Washington.

Multiple members of Congress resign. Millions in taxpayer dollars tied to fraud. A hidden system paying out settlements with your money. And a bipartisan effort to keep it all out of public view.

Three stories. One theme:

The system says one thing. Reality shows another.

If you care about transparency, accountability and the future of Texas, this is an episode you cannot miss.

Subscribe. Share. Stay informed.

What begins as a conversation about education quickly expands into something much bigger.

Anthony breaks down concerns around curriculum in Texas schools, including how cultural and religious topics are introduced—and what that means for parents who want transparency and balance. He raises questions about how Texas history, including the Alamo, is being framed and whether the state’s own story is being told with clarity and conviction.

The conversation then shifts to Houston—why it continues to draw attention from state leadership and how its policies may be placing it at the center of a broader political struggle in Texas.

This episode also builds on our earlier conversation with James Quintero of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, revisiting the issue of taxpayer-funded lobbying and why many Texans are now taking action.

Throughout the episode, one message is clear:

You are being governed—whether you’re paying attention or not.

If you care about what your children are learning, how your tax dollars are being used and who is shaping the future of Texas, this episode is for you.

Anthony and Rebecca walk through what happened, how quickly policies were implemented and why so many institutions—from employers to government agencies—moved in lockstep. Rebecca explains how Texans for Vaccine Choice was created.

The conversation goes deeper than COVID-era decisions. It raises larger questions about medical freedom, government authority and how emergency powers can reshape individual rights in ways that feel permanent. Was consent truly voluntary? Did the government cross a constitutional line? And if it happened once, what prevents it from happening again? This episode is about more than mandates. It’s about pressure, compliance and the cost of standing your ground.

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down the growing debate over the 14th Amendment and what it actually says about citizenship in the United States.

Focusing on the key phrase “subject to the jurisdiction thereof,” Anthony walks through the legal, historical and constitutional arguments shaping one of the most important questions in modern immigration policy.

But this episode goes beyond the 14th Amendment.

Anthony also examines whether Texas has a Republican-in-name-only problem, why major donors may be influencing conservative policy and how recent Supreme Court decisions are reshaping the cultural and legal landscape.

From the White House to the Texas Legislature, this is a conversation about power, principle and whether conservative leadership is truly aligned with the Constitution.

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down the growing divide between constitutional conservatives and establishment Republicans in Texas. From John Cornyn to Carl Tepper to James Talarico, this conversation goes beyond headlines to expose what’s really shaping power, policy and the future of the state.

This is a conversation about more than politics. It’s about free enterprise vs. big business, Judeo-Christian values vs. cultural drift and whether Texas will hold the line—or follow the rest of the country.

Anthony connects the dots between local leadership, national influence and global threats, making the case that what happens in Texas doesn’t stay in Texas.

If you care about the Constitution, the rule of law and the future of conservative leadership, this episode is for you.

Listen. Share. Stay informed.

Long before she entered the Texas House, Luther became a national symbol of resistance during the COVID shutdowns. As a salon owner in North Texas, she reopened after one of her stylists told her she had not eaten because she was feeding her children. Luther refused to shut back down, refused to apologize and was sent to jail.

Now, six years later, she reflects on that fight, what she learned about courage, how her faith deepened and why she later chose to run for office.

The conversation also covers the devastating brain aneurysm that nearly killed her, her long recovery, her sense of purpose after survival and what surprised her most about serving in the Texas Legislature.

This is a full-length streaming conversation and a special extended episode you will not hear in full on the radio.

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony breaks down what the Texas primary results mean for the future of the Republican Party, the conservative movement and the direction of the state.

Key races and results discussed include:

• The Cornyn vs Ken Paxton U.S. Senate runoff

• The future of longtime Republican leadership in Texas

• The major congressional race involving Tony Gonzales

• Texas House primary battles reshaping the GOP

• Grassroots conservatives vs the political establishment

• What the results say about the direction of the Republican Party

• Why primary voters may have just reshaped Texas politics

Anthony also closes the show with a national security update on escalating tensions with Iran and what Americans should understand about the threat.

If you’re researching candidates, understanding the Texas Republican primary results or trying to make sense of the Cornyn-Paxton runoff, this episode breaks down the stakes.

Listen, subscribe and share.

And remember: informed voters shape the future.

• Who is influencing Texas primaries?
• What is TLR (Texans for Lawsuit Reform)?
• What is RATLR.org?
• Are Republican primaries being shaped by PAC money?
• What should conservative voters know before they cast a ballot?

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony is joined by James Wesolek, Executive Director of RATLR (Republicans Against TLR), to break down the growing debate over Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) and its influence in Texas House primaries.

This episode is about power, accountability and the direction of the Texas Republican Party.

If you are researching candidates before voting in the March 3 Texas Republican Primary, this conversation is for you.

Over the past several weeks, Anthony has sat down with all three Republican candidates running for Texas Comptroller. You’ve heard their cases. You’ve heard their priorities. Now it’s time to compare them side by side.

In this episode, Anthony talks with Don Huffines about what he believes the Comptroller’s office should be.

The Comptroller doesn’t make headlines, but the office controls revenue projections, audits, state spending transparency and oversight that impacts every Texas taxpayer.

In this episode of Politics with the Big Dogs, Anthony sits down with Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham to break down how Texas is using its own land, legal authority and constitutional power to confront the border crisis.

But this conversation goes far beyond the border.

Buckingham explains what the General Land Office actually controls — millions of acres of Texas land, mineral rights, coastal assets and energy leases — and why that authority matters in a world where foreign adversaries are buying American land.

Anthony raises a critical national security issue: China’s strategic land purchases across the United States. Many Americans do not understand the difference between surface ownership and mineral rights — or why foreign control of mineral rights near infrastructure, agriculture or military installations could pose long-term risks.

This episode explores:

• How Texas purchased land to build border infrastructure

• The legal authority behind state land ownership

• How state sovereignty works in practice

• Why mineral rights matter more than most voters realize

• The difference between surface rights and subsurface energy control

• The national security implications of foreign land purchases

• How Texas is positioning itself in response

Anthony then widens the lens to the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race and the larger debate over border enforcement and state authority. As figures like John Cornyn, Ken Paxton and Wesley Hunt become central to conversations about the direction of the Republican Party, voters are asking a deeper question: who will use power decisively, and who will defer to Washington?

This episode connects land, sovereignty, energy, mineral rights and electoral leadership into one clear framework: control.

Who controls the land.

Who controls the energy.

Who controls the enforcement.

Who controls the future of Texas.

If you’re preparing for the March primaries and want to understand how Texas government actually operates — not rhetorically, but structurally — this conversation delivers clarity.