Beth Van Duyne

Twelve U.S. House seats covering the Dallas-Fort Worth area are on the Nov. 3 midterm ballot, with early voting running Oct. 19-30. Most races feature Republican incumbents—Keith Self, Pat Fallon, Lance Gooden, Jake Ellzey, Craig Goldman, Ronny Jackson, Beth Van Duyne and Roger Williams—facing Democratic challengers, plus a Libertarian in District 26. Three open seats stand out: District 30, vacated by Jasmine Crockett after her Senate run; and Districts 32 and 33, left open by Julie Johnson and Marc Veasey, respectively, after mid-decade redistricting reshaped them from Democratic-leaning to Republican-favored territory. In District 33, Colin Allred faces Patrick David Gillespie. Results are expected after 7 p.m. on Election Day.

A Republican gathering in Dallas drew heavy television coverage, with Bloomberg's Texas Edition examining how the event played out on screen and what it signals for state and national politics. Coverage touched on prominent Republican figures including Doug Burgum, Ken Paxton, and Jim Jordan, alongside broader themes tying Texas's economy — energy, data centers, artificial intelligence, and finance — to the political moment.

The reporting also noted Texas Democrats such as James Talarico, Wendy Davis, and Beto O'Rourke, framing the convention within the state's competitive political landscape ahead of upcoming House and Senate races. For prediction markets, the coverage underscores continued attention on Texas as a battleground for control of Congress and on how Republican messaging around energy and technology could shape voter sentiment in a state central to national election forecasting.

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, is voicing support for the Trump administration's proposal to impose a $100,000 filing fee on H-1B visa petitions, framing it as a necessary check on what she describes as widespread abuse of the program. She argues that weak oversight has allowed employers to sideline qualified American workers in favor of foreign labor, exploiting loopholes in a system originally designed to fill specialized skill gaps.

The comments add to ongoing political debate over the future of the H-1B program, which has drawn scrutiny from lawmakers on both sides amid concerns about wage suppression and displacement of domestic tech and skilled-labor workers. The proposed fee, if implemented, would mark one of the most significant cost increases to the visa process in years, potentially reshaping how companies approach hiring foreign talent and fueling continued congressional and industry debate over immigration and labor policy.

Texas Rep. Beth Van Duyne (R) accused Senate Democratic nominee James Talarico of holding views that "would kill Texas," calling him "pretty much a complete DSA candidate" during a Sunday interview, despite Talarico never having been a member of the Democratic Socialists of America. Van Duyne cited his focus on transgender youth protections and claimed he supports putting "all the means of production" under government control — a characterization Talarico's actual platform, which includes higher taxes on the wealthy, a $15 federal minimum wage, and corporate PAC restrictions, does not support. Talarico, a Presbyterian minister, has campaigned on Christian faith while opposing efforts to impose religion on others, and has criticized the state's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

The exchange comes as the race against GOP nominee and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has tightened, with Decision Desk HQ giving Talarico roughly even odds and Cook Political Report recently moving the contest from "Lean Republican" to "Toss Up."