Cruz’s Potential Challengers and Controversial Women’s Health Funding

The week in Texas politics with the Texas Tribune.

By Rhonda FanningAugust 12, 2016 3:43 pm

It’s Friday, so that means it’s time to talk politics. Joining the Standard is Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune.

Sen. Ted Cruz took a tour of Texas this week, the first visit since he declined to endorse Republican nominee Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention. But not everyone in the Lone Star State is happy to see him again.

“I think there is a little bit of fence-mending going on here,” Ramshaw says. “Obvioulsy, there’s talk about a potential challenger for him in his senate race in 2018 – I think he needs to be making a swing through Texas to make sure he’s okay with his base.”

One of the names getting tossed around as a potential challenger: U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul. But Ramshaw says that’s just speculation.

“This is only murmuring. McCaul has said he has no intention to try and challenge Cruz, I just think there are folks who are really angry that Cruz couldn’t find it in himself to endorse Donald Trump,” she says.

What you’ll hear in this segment: 

-Whether U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro has a chance to take Cruz’s seat

-The controversy surrounding The Heidi Group, Planned Parenthood, and the Healthy Texas Women program