Joel Montfort
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montfort.me
Joel Montfort
@montfort.me
#TX politics. Political Scientist. Democrat. #ODAT #texasdemocrat, #txlege
Pinned
Firing up a TX politics starter pack covering politicians and news reporters. Please post other people you see here on bluesky so I can add them.

go.bsky.app/88DCTg1
I spoke with The Hill about the Texas Senate Democratic primary. I am really excited about November here in Texas. O'Rourke came within 225K votes of sending Cruz permanently on vacation in '18. I expect similar energy from Democrats this year.

thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com
January 24, 2026 at 12:59 PM
Immigrant Cubans in Florida, whose US citizen counterparts overwhelmingly voted for DJT, are being deported back home in record numbers. That socialism they were afraid of with us Democrats ended up being benign compared to the American fascism served up by the GOP.

www.nytimes.com/2026/01/19/u...
To Their Shock, Cubans in Florida Are Being Deported in Record Numbers
www.nytimes.com
January 21, 2026 at 11:53 AM
With the Governor of VA sworn in, Democrats now control 24 governorships in the US. That is up from 16 just a decade ago. The GOP wants you to believe Democrats are finished, but the numbers tell a very different story.
January 20, 2026 at 1:13 PM
The Tehran protests have turned violent with an estimated 200 dead. DJT stated he would intervene if the regime used violence. Are we going to bomb Iran again?
time.com/7345092/iran...
Doctor Says More Than 200 Reported Dead in Tehran Protests
"I'm not in the police to kill people," says one Iranian officer as the regime vows to continue its protest crackdown.
time.com
January 10, 2026 at 1:01 PM
The US population is expected to start declining around 2030 due to lower birth rates and little immigration. ICE is destroying America's future.

www.npr.org/2026/01/07/n...
U.S. population growth is slowing. The immigration crackdown is a major factor
Congressional forecasters have lowered their projection for U.S. population growth over the next decade by 7 million people as a result of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown as well as f...
www.npr.org
January 9, 2026 at 2:14 PM
Files? What files?
January 7, 2026 at 2:13 PM
Texas's booming economy has come to a screeching halt and started contracting, according to the Fed. Manufacturing has now declined for two consecutive months.

seekingalpha.com/news/4535706...
Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index stays in the red in December
Get the latest Dallas Fed Manufacturing Index update for December with key insights on production, shipments, and outlook.
seekingalpha.com
December 30, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Spoke with The Hill, along with a lot of other Texans, about Crockett's chances of winning in Texas and whether her divisiveness will work in her favor. thehill.com/homenews/cam...
thehill.com
December 17, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Well, well, if it ain't the repercussions of bad decisions by the Texas GOP. Our grid is at risk of collapse this winter because of....drum roll please.....AI data centers. #fixthedamngrid

www.audacy.com/krld/news/st...
ERCOT warns Texas grid faces elevated winter risk amid population growth and data center demand
The Electric Reliability Council of Texas says the state’s power grid faces elevated risk this winter as rapid population growth and expanding electricity demand from new tech data centers put added p...
www.audacy.com
December 16, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Engineered stone countertops release silica dust during the fabrication process, which can be fatal to fabricators who are exposed to it. Drs are petitioning CA to ban it. www.kqed.org/news/1206716...
Doctors Petition California to Ban Countertop Material Linked to Deadly Disease | KQED
Health advocates urged the state to follow Australia's lead, after the country banned artificial stone, popular in the production of kitchen surfaces, to prevent silicosis among stoneworkers.
www.kqed.org
December 16, 2025 at 12:56 PM
When our grid collapses again here in Texas the GOP and AI data centers will be to blame.
"The second quarter alone saw 78 applications totaling 70,000 megawatts."
www.chron.com/news/article...
ERCOT flooded with record energy demands as data centers devour Texas
AI-driven mega-projects pushed power requests past 230 gigawatts,
www.chron.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Jasmine Crockett's new video with Trump doing the voiceover. Take a listen.

youtu.be/bom6iadL9mI
Jasmine for Texas
YouTube video by Jasmine Crockett
youtu.be
December 9, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Collin Allred has dropped out of the Senate race and will run for Congress again against Julie Johnson in #TX33. I bet that means Crockett is definitely in.

www.wfaa.com/article/news...
Colin Allred drops out of U.S. Senate race, will challenge Julie Johnson for Congress
Allred is out just hours before Jasmine Crockett is expected to announce her own run for Senate. Allred said he is leaving to avoid a costly runoff.
www.wfaa.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:17 PM
The Democratic Rep Cuellar pardon just got more interesting. Trump blasted him over the weekend for not switching parties, saying he had "a lack of loyalty." The conman got conned.

www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/t...
Trump suggests Rep. Cuellar, pardoned Democratic congressman, should have switched parties after clemency grant
President Trump took aim at Rep. Henry Cuellar, a Democratic congressman from Texas whom he recently pardoned, in a Truth Social post.
www.cbsnews.com
December 8, 2025 at 1:03 PM
If Texas congressional races see the same 13-point swing that #TN07 did, Democrats would likely flip #TX28, #TX34,#TX35, and #TX23. #TX15, #TX09, #TX24,#TX32, #TX23 would all be tight races.

thehill.com/newsletters/...
thehill.com
December 3, 2025 at 1:20 PM
ICE snatches a college freshman heading home for Thanksgiving in Texas and deports her to Honduras in violation of an emergency court order prohibiting her deportation.
www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/t...
Freshman deported despite emergency court order
A freshman headed home to Texas for Thanksgiving was deported, defying a court order. Her college dreams now hang in balance.
www.nbcdfw.com
November 29, 2025 at 3:07 PM
How many years away are we from the first robot murdering a human? 5? 10?

gizmodo.com/you-must-rea...
You Must Read This Riveting Whistleblower Lawsuit About Allegedly Dangerous Robots
A safety technician was fired as a company allegedly rushed ahead in commercializing a powerful humanoid robot with bone-crunching capabilities.
gizmodo.com
November 23, 2025 at 3:01 PM
There is so much to unpack here. DJT giving the thumbs up with Mamdani, in front of the Roosevelt portrait with Lincoln looking on. Then there is the representation of horseshoe politics, and they are in front of an arch. 🤯
November 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
Border Patrol is spying on citizens who drive in the US and pulling over anyone they deem suspicious. They are desperately trying to hide it from the public. apnews.com/article/immi...
Border Patrol is monitoring US drivers and detaining those with 'suspicious' travel patterns
The U.S. Border Patrol is monitoring millions of American drivers nationwide in a secretive program to identify and detain people whose travel patterns it deems suspicious.
apnews.com
November 20, 2025 at 1:53 PM
A pedofile and a murderer walk into a guilded bar... and the joke is on us.
If this nation had moral standards, a pedophile would not be allowed to host a murderer in the Oval Office.
November 19, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Here we go again with Halligan's folly. She never presented all of Comey's indictments to the grand jury that are now part of the charges brought against him in court.
abcnews.go.com/US/comey-see...
Judge grills government over apparent lapses in Comey indictment
Lindsey Halligan, the U.S. attorney who brought charges against James Comey, told a judge that the full grand jury that indicted Comey did not see the indictment.
abcnews.go.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
As @hcrichardson.bsky.social points out in her email today, it is the 162nd anniversary of Lincoln's famous speech at the location of the Battle of Gettysburg.
November 19, 2025 at 1:14 PM
While the state of Illinois and the Feds battle out deployment of troops in the state, TX has wasted $5M deploying its National Guard troops who have done nothing, waiting for the court's approval. When will we tire of Abbott's wasteful spending in this state?

www.texastribune.org/2025/10/29/t...
Texans oppose National Guard deployment to cities out of state
At President Trump’s direction, Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the deployment of hundreds of troops to Illinois to “safeguard” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
www.texastribune.org
November 18, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Sylvester Turner's Congressional seat #TX18, which has been without representation for 11 months, finally has a runoff date of January 31st.
www.texastribune.org/2025/11/17/t...
Abbott sets Jan. 31 runoff for 18th Congressional District
The Houston-based seat will have been without representation for about 11 months.
www.texastribune.org
November 17, 2025 at 9:31 PM
In a highly unusual move, the magistrate looking over the grand jury indictment of James Comey has asked the prosecutor, Lindsey Halligan, to share her indictment materials with the defense because she may have committed misconduct
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/u...
Judge Says Justice Dept. May Have Committed Misconduct in Comey Case
www.nytimes.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:29 PM