The State of Texas: Texas Democrats face a choice between principles and practicality

What Texas is talking about today No Images? [Click here]( [Lone Star Beer]( [Texas Monthly]( February 7, 2018 QUOTE OF THE DAY "There are NO tsunami warnings in effect. It was only a TEST." —The National Weather Service Brownsville, [in a tweet]( on Tuesday morning. Forecast service AccuWeather sent an accidental tsunami warning to the Gulf Coast after a glitch during a routine National Weather Service test. BIG NEWS [T]([exas Democrats Face a Choice Between Principles and Practicality in the Governor's Race]( R.G. RATCLIFFE Texas Democrats suddenly face a crisis of conscience–the purity of principles versus the practical question of whether to support a centrist candidate in the primary who might, maybe, actually be able to defeat Republican Governor Greg Abbott in the fall. Up until now, Democrats could dismiss centrist businessman Andrew White as a Republican lite, the son of a former governor who had been a teenager in the privileged world of the governor’s mansion. They could, in good faith, cast a ballot for former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, a daughter of a migrant farmworker family. As a gay Latina, Valdez could bring diversity to the Democratic ticket and perhaps prompt Hispanics to vote. Besides, the race against Abbott is believed to be unwinnable, so vote your conscience. That shattered this weekend when the [Houston GLBT Political Caucus]( endorsed White over Valdez, and the Dallas Morning News also gave White the nod in an editorial that eviscerated Valdez’s knowledge of state government. The Houston Chronicle endorsed White as [the candidate most likely to defeat Abbott](, and named little-known Dallas investment banker Adrian Ocegueda as the newspaper’s second choice in the crowded Democratic field. [Read Story]( [Lone Star Beer]( OUR TOP STORIES [A]([Family's Dream Mountain Home in El Paso]( Every room has a spectacular view in this ultramodern house that makes the most of its surroundings. [Read Story]( [T]([alk Like a Texan: How Texans Use "Down," "Out," "Over," and "Up"]( Prepositionally, you can go over or out to Abilene—depending on where you're coming from. [Read Story]( [A Texas Televangelist Says You Don't Need a Flu Shot If You've Got Jesus]( Gloria Copeland’s anti-vaccination rhetoric comes a just few years after her family’s Fort Worth megachurch experienced a major measles outbreak. [Read Story]( MEANWHILE, IN TEXAS... Castro for President Julián Castro has “every interest in running” for [president in 2020](. The former San Antonio mayor and Housing and Urban Development secretary under Barack Obama was rumored to be on Hillary Clinton’s short list for vice president, and has actively spoken out against President Donald Trump’s policies on social media. Read our [primer on Julián Castro](. Abbott Against Sexual Misconduct On Tuesday, Governor Greg Abbott announced a proposal to [investigate sexual assault claims at the Capitol]( and prevent human trafficking. The “Preventing Crime, Protecting Texans, Punishing Criminals” plan includes $22 million for training local law enforcement and regional squads on investigating human trafficking cases, processing Texas’s backlog of sexual assault evidence kits, and designating the Texas Rangers for collecting reports of sexual assault from legislators and other workers at the Capitol. Read about the history of inappropriate behavior in the [Texas legislature](. Texas Legislators Work on Immigration Congress faces a March 5 deadline for immigration legislation before DACA ends, and several Texas legislators are working on plans. Republican Representative Will Hurd and Democrat Pete Aguilar from California got Senate support on Monday, before President Trump shot down the plan with a [tweet](. As of Tuesday, Senator John Cornyn is working on a plan more aligned with Trump’s call for a border wall, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram [reports](. In January, we wrote about [Trump’s effect on immigration](. FOOD & DRINK [The Texas Winemaker Who Helped Put Willamette Valley on the Map]( MICHAEL HOINSKI Rollin Soles spent his college days hanging out with Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett. Here’s how he became one of Oregon’s most prominent winemakers. [Read Story]( [Tastemakers: Austin]( [Tastemakers: Austin]( Supported by [Kissing Tree]( For the third installment of our video series,“Tastemakers: A Local’s Guide to Our Favorite Cities,” we go along for a ride in professional BMX rider Aaron Ross's 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera as he spends a fun-and food-filled day in his hometown, from hitting golf balls to enjoying his favorite grilled cheese. [Watch now]( [Lone Star Beer]( MORE FROM TEXAS MONTHLY [W]([hat Trump's Solar Tariffs Mean for Texas]( SONIA SMITH [M]([eet the World's Top Joel Osteen Impersonator]( MICHAEL HARDY [K]([oko Ramen]( DANIEL VAUGHN [It's Movie Night at the Alamo—No, the Real One]( R.G. RATCLIFFE [Subscribe to Texas Monthly and Save!]( Get the best of Texas with Texas Monthly. [SUBSCRIBE TODAY]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Texas Monthly PO Box 1569 Austin, TX 78767 Texas Monthly has sent you this alert because you signed up to receive it either online at texasmonthly.com, at the website of one of our business partners, or when you filled out a reader response card. You may cancel your subscription to this and other Texas Monthly newsletters at any time. Please see our Privacy Policy. [Like]( [Tweet]( [Forward]( [Preferences]( | [Unsubscribe](