6.15.2026: Abbott Backs Closed Primaries

[00:00:02]Texas governor wants lawmakers to stop Democrat from interfering with GOP nominations.

[00:00:09]This is Monday, June 15th, 2026.

[00:00:14]>> Texas Scorecard presents the day's first news for the Lone Star State, the Texas Minute with your host Michael Quinn Sullivan.

[00:00:24]>> [music] >> Thanks for kicking off your week with the Texas Minute. If you enjoy the Texas Minute, please consider supporting our work by either making a tax-deductible donation or by sharing the Texas Minute with your friends and family. Either way, you can visit texasminute.com.

[00:00:45]That's texasminute.com to get started. Let's jump into today's news.

[00:00:52]Governor Greg Abbott threw his support behind closed primaries on Friday, telling delegates at the Republican Party of Texas convention that, quote, only Republicans will vote in Republican primaries going forward. Here's what the governor told Texas Scorecard shortly after his convention speech.

[00:01:11]>> I stand in favor of making sure that in the Republican primaries, we have only Republicans voting. Legislators can and should be more responsive to Republicans than a judge maybe.

[00:01:22]>> This came just days after Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced that she'll step down next month and nearly a year after her office became embroiled in a legal battle with the Republican Party over the issue.

[00:01:35]Texas currently operates under an open primary system, allowing voters to choose which party's primary they wish to participate in up to election day.

[00:01:46]Last year, the Republican Party of Texas sued Nelson's office after she declined to implement a closed primary proposed by the party. The lawsuit has argued that the change was necessary to prevent Democrat interference in Republican primary elections.

[00:02:02]Governor Abbott largely stayed out of the public dispute until now.

[00:02:07]An Eagle Pass man named Edgar Elizondo was sentenced on Friday to nearly 19 years in federal prison for his leadership role in an illegal alien stash house operation. The smuggling organization was discovered by a Homeland Security Investigation Task Force and included several stash houses in Eagle Pass. According to court records, Elizondo personally held illegal aliens at gunpoint and was involved in a gang shootout in Houston.

[00:02:34]A state law passed last year to protect Texas students from harm at the hands of school employees is ensuring that educators arrested for serious crimes are kept out of classrooms while the cases against them are prosecuted.

[00:02:47]The new law requires the State Board for Educator Certification to temporarily suspend the teaching certificates of educators arrested for certain felonies involving sexual or violent abuse, inappropriate relationships with students, or other serious misconduct.

[00:03:03]Prior to the law taking effect, educators arrested for serious crimes would have their teaching certificates flagged as under review, but sanctions weren't added until after suspects were finally convicted. Now, temporary suspensions are triggered when the Texas Education Agency receives misconduct reports or fingerprint-based criminal history alerts from law enforcement.

[00:03:27]The Texas Minute will be right back.

[00:03:30]>> News and analysis on what's happening in Texas. End your day with daily headlines from Texas Scorecard. Every day at 5:00 p.m. join me, Brandon Waltens, as we recap the biggest stories of the day and talk about why they matter to you. From the state capital to town hall, there's no shortage of events happening. Keep up with it all. Watch and subscribe to daily headlines from Texas Scorecard.

[00:03:53]>> [music] >> SpaceX completed the largest initial public offering in history on Friday, making the company the sixth largest in the United States with a market cap above $2 trillion.

[00:04:14]In addition to trading on the main Nasdaq exchange, SpaceX shares are dual listed on Nasdaq Texas. Nasdaq Texas opened in March. It's part of growing competition among exchanges seeking to attract companies to Texas. The Nasdaq Texas joined the Texas Stock Exchange and NYSE Texas in cementing Texas as a global financial hub.

[00:04:39]You can find details on that story and the others mentioned today by visiting texasscorecard.com.

[00:04:45][music] You know, in addition to sharing the show with your friends and family, you can also give it a rating on your podcast app, click the thumbs up on YouTube, and tap like on X. This edition of the Texas Minute was based on the original [music] reporting of Brandon Walton's, Eddie Holland, Aaron Anderson, and Mary Byrd. Our producer is Nick Shepherd. I look forward to seeing you at around the Lone Star State. Now, go make it a great day.