Experts in the News

"Texas Hispanics will play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the presidential and U.S. Senate races in Texas," said political science fellow Mark Jones. "While survey results indicate Republicans Donald Trump and John Cornyn are in the lead over Democrats Joe Biden and MJ Hegar, both Biden and Hegar remain within striking distance of victory.”

Political science fellow Mark Jones contended that the mid-summer poll numbers could be a bit deceptive and unreflective of the president’s latent support in Texas, but “These polls certainly indicate Donald Trump has a fight on his hands."

"I think an election is doable. Mail-in voting is a clear solution, although there are downsides, because with mail ballots you can make a mistake," said political science fellow Mark Jones.

Of the nine Texas congressional primary runoff elections being held on July 14, none is more significant for the outcome in November than the one in Texas congressional district 22, political science fellow Mark Jones explained.

"The optics of holding a 5,000- or 6,000-person convention in a city with an escalating Covid-19 infection rate were bad for Republicans as we move toward November," political science fellow Mark Jones said of plans to hold the Texas GOP event in Houston. Mayor Turner's decision to cancel the convention was "a favor for the city of Houston, Gov. Abbott and Republicans who want to win in November."