Stories we're following this morning at Progress Texas:
James Talarico has accepted three invitations from TV operators to engage in debate with Ken Paxton, while the Paxton camp agrees that debates "should" happen, but has not confirmed any of those dates: https://www.fox7austin.com/news/james-talarico-challenges-ken-paxton-3-televised-texas-senate-debates
...Texas Senate debates have not favored challengers or underdogs in the last few cycles, as evidenced by Beto O'Rourke and Colin Allred against Ted Cruz: https://www.statesman.com/news/columns/article/ken-paxton-james-talarico-texas-senate-debate-22349865.php
Governor Abbott has bypassed Nate Schatzline for Secretary of State, appointing instead longtime aide Robert Howden - Schatzline remains as a "special advisor on elections": https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/texas-appoints-new-secretary-of-state-ahead-of-2026-midterm-elections/
...Williamson County elections officials, dominated by Republicans, have begun accusing voters of being felons and threatening to kick them off the voter rolls if they can't prove otherwise within 30 days: https://www.lonestarleft.com/p/texas-republicans-latest-attempt
Houston saw a major demonstration for accountability in the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo yesterday: https://www.fox26houston.com/news/houston-rallies-demand-justice-lorenzo-salgado-araujo
...Just as the FBI has been told not to investigate public confrontations with ICE, and to allow the Department of Homeland Security to investigate itself instead: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/19/us/politics/fbi-ice-agents-investigations-shootings.html
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