KXAN-TV

Democratic Texas Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson, a former state senator from Dallas, says he will conduct a top-to-bottom review of lawsuits and investigations initiated under outgoing AG Ken Paxton, who is leaving the office in January after an unsuccessful U.S. Senate bid. Johnson is the first Democrat elected to the post in nearly three decades.

Johnson said he would withdraw from some pending lawsuits, stop using abortion laws to target out-of-state providers, and redirect resources toward neglected functions including crime victim compensation, child support enforcement, and consumer protection. He pledged greater transparency than Paxton's office, though he said detailed plans are still being developed.

Democrat Clayton Tucker declared victory in the Texas agriculture commissioner election, leading Republican opponent Nate Sheets as vote counting neared completion. Tucker's win marks the first time in 40 years that Democrats have held the office. A political and labor organizer, Tucker centered his campaign on opposition to data centers, criticizing their water usage and framing the race as a fight against corporate influence over family farms. Sheets had not conceded or issued a statement as results came in. The two candidates had previously questioned each other's eligibility for the office, and outgoing commissioner Sid Miller declined to endorse either during the campaign.

A dispute over public records tied to SpaceX's planned "Terafab" semiconductor facility in Grimes County, Texas, has grown into a multi-party legal fight. Resident Marie Egyed and the Grimes County Citizens for Responsible Development sought documents on tax abatements and the county's approval process; the Texas Attorney General's Office largely sided with releasing them, but SpaceX sued to block disclosure, citing security risks as a defense contractor. Austin attorney Bill Aleshire has now filed to intervene, seeking a court order forcing Grimes County to release the records. The case, moved to Travis County District Court, could set precedent for transparency around large Texas development deals.

Mysterious mailers and text messages referencing the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT) have circulated across Texas, prompting confusion, nonprofit disruptions, and calls for investigation. TENT says it did not create or authorize the materials. Preservation Austin received unrelated calls after its number appeared near TENT's in search results, while LGBTQ+ youth nonprofit OutYouth temporarily paused services over safety concerns. The Texas Tribune traced mailer tracking IDs to Maryland-based SnailWorks, which denies producing or distributing the mailers. State Rep. Jeff Leach has twice asked Attorney General Ken Paxton to investigate potential privacy, data, and deceptive-practices violations, though the content itself appears largely protected under the First Amendment. No sender has been identified, and the episode has fueled "false flag" speculation ahead of the 2026 midterms.

Early voting for the November election opened in Travis County, Texas, running Oct. 19-30 ahead of Election Day on Nov. 3. Election officials are preparing polling sites as local party leaders and advocacy groups report strong voter interest. The League of Women Voters emphasized the impact of local races, while the Travis County Democratic Party cited record voter registration and primary turnout. State Rep. Vikki Goodwin, a Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, said voters appear more engaged than in recent cycles, while the Travis County GOP said it sees no major shift in Texan voter sentiment. Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton also received an endorsement from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Elsewhere, early voting also began this week in Florida counties like Seminole, where officials expect strong turnout ahead of races for governor, U.S. Senate, and congressional seats, along with statewide ballot measures.

Travis County election officials received 1,100 additional voter registration records from the Texas Secretary of State's office, part of a broader processing issue affecting roughly 15,000 records statewide. The Secretary of State's office said a technical issue delayed updates submitted through the state's Texas.gov name-and-address change system, but the problem was identified and resolved, with counties now receiving the records ahead of early voting. Officials stressed the affected records involve existing registrations, so impacted voters can still cast ballots. The backlog follows Travis County's recent processing of 32,000 records from the Texas Department of Public Safety, with thousands of paper applications still under review. The state reported a record 19 million registered Texas voters for this election.

The city of Austin says it is close to a deal with the University of Texas that would transfer ownership of Lions Municipal Golf Course, known as Muny, to the city. The agreement, which would amend the 1989 Brackenridge Development Agreement, also involves the West Austin Youth Association and could include an updated UT lease at Mueller, an exchange of city rights-of-way, a "mutually agreed regulating plan," and creation of a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone. City staff plan to brief the Environmental and Planning Commission in October, with a full City Council vote set for November 19; remaining details would go through boards and commissions before final adoption in spring 2027. Officials credited a large donor gift to UT for helping clear the path to the deal.

Muny, opened in the early 20th century, was Austin's first public golf course and the first in the American South to desegregate, in 1950. Preservationists, organized under the Muny Conservancy, have fought development proposals for the site for decades, with the city operating under a month-to-month lease with UT since 2019.