Happy Friday! Talk less and say more.

🌧️ Today's weather: Slight chance of rain, with a high of 70.

🎵 Sounds like: "Mr. Blue Sky"

💊 Situational awareness: Democratic Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson told the Texas Tribune he won't sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas, a departure from outgoing AG Ken Paxton.

Today’s newsletter is 1,052 lassoed words — a 4-minute read.

Democrats won big in Texas this week, including in North Texas counties with a long history of voting red.

Why it matters: Some political science experts predicted the Democratic Party would make headway in the Lone Star State, but they did not expect Democrats to win every statewide race.

• The breakthrough can be traced to a few places, including North Texas. More than a quarter (26.7%) of all votes for Sen.-elect James Talarico came from four North Texas counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton.

The big picture: The Texas shift to the left can be explained by dissatisfaction with national Republican policies and a more effective message on affordability by the Democrats rather than ideological issues, University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus tells Axios.

• Voters showed their disapproval with President Trump over rising prices and the war in Iran.
• Candidates endorsed by Trump had a bad night, including Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare, who lost his seat to Democrat Alisa Simmons.

By the numbers: Talarico received around 72% of the vote in Dallas County, 59% in Tarrant County, 55% in Collin County and 53% in Denton County.

• The margins were narrower in 2024, when Democrat Colin Allred ran against incumbent Republican Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred carried Tarrant County by two-tenths of a percentage point and lost in Collin and Denton counties.

Flashback: National Democrats tried investing in Texas in the past but were unsuccessful.

• The enthusiasm behind Beto O'Rourke's 2018 Senate campaign encouraged local organizing efforts, Rottinghaus says.

The intrigue: North Texas has inched toward the blue column over the last two decades, first in Dallas and then outer ring suburbs, SMU political science professor Cal Jillson tells Axios.

• But this week's results showed a surprisingly competitive side from the Democrats, Jillson adds.

What we're watching: Democrats will have to work to keep their momentum, Rottinghaus says.

• And Republicans may need to talk less about cultural and ideological issues — that trends better with their core base — and get back to "kitchen table" topics including housing, insurance and health care costs and the price of gasoline, he says.

Party strategies

Gov. Elect-Gina Hinojosa signaled yesterday that public education would be a priority for her administration, announcing a transition team that includes an anti-voucher Republican former state lawmaker and a former school board colleague.

Why it matters: The selections offer an early glimpse of how Hinojosa, a four-term Democratic state legislator, hopes to govern.

• Democrats won a majority of the Texas House but not the Senate.

Driving the news: Hinojosa confirmed during a press conference yesterday that her team is interviewing candidates to replace Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath.

• She pledged during her campaign to fire the Gov. Greg Abbott-appointed commissioner who oversees the Texas Education Agency, including the state's school accountability system and interventions in struggling districts.
• Hinojosa has criticized the agency's handling of state takeovers of school districts and pledged to pause the state's A-F accountability system. The TEA took over Fort Worth ISD last year.

Friction point: Hinojosa's education commissioner pick would need confirmation from the Republican-controlled Senate. Some Republicans have reportedly discussed efforts to limit the powers of the incoming governor and lieutenant governor.

• Asked about those efforts yesterday, Hinojosa urged lawmakers to respect the election results.
• "The people of Texas have spoken," she told reporters.
• "They want change, and I would hope that elected leaders from both parties don't get in the way of the progress we can make together to deliver for working people."

What's next: Hinojosa said additional transition team appointments will be announced later as she prepares to take office in January.

Transition team members

The National Cowgirl Museum in Fort Worth wrangled country music star Miranda Lambert on Wednesday to help unveil its $19 million expansion.

The big picture: The museum and hall of fame highlights women who shaped the culture and traditions of the West. The expansion includes new exhibit spaces and an indoor carousel that visitors can ride.

The intrigue: Western outfits previously on display at the Cowgirl inspired Lambert's wardrobe for her Las Vegas residency in 2022 and 2023. The museum now has an exhibit with the outfits from Vegas — a "full circle and special" moment, Lambert said in a news release.

• Another exhibit showcases how 38 cowgirls sought more opportunities for women by establishing the Girls Rodeo Association in 1948.

If you go: The museum is hosting a free parade tomorrow in Fort Worth's Cultural District, before officially opening to the public at noon.

🏈 NFL player Rashee Rice filed for bankruptcy in Dallas this week. Rice, who was involved in a 2024 crash that led to a plea agreement and settlement with the victims, cited over $1 million in liabilities. (WFAA)

🚔 Deep Ellum business owners say open spaces like parking lots — not restaurants and bars — are the problem as police investigate three separate Halloween shootings in the area. (KERA)

🧪 TCC Northeast Campus broke ground on its $85 million science building, expected to open in fall 2028. (FWR)

🎬 Stars of the new film "Jimmy," about actor Jimmy Stewart, hit the red carpet in downtown Fort Worth to help kickoff the 2026 Lone Star Film Festival. (Star-Telegram)

This metal was meant for comfort,

On display where we'd least expect it,

If we didn't accompany a loved one,

We would never see it.

📬 Do you know where in North Texas this art sits? Reply with the answer, and the first reader to guess correctly will earn a shoutout in a future newsletter.

This newsletter was edited by Bob Gee.

Our picks:

🪔 Naheed is wishing Happy Diwali to everyone celebrating the Festival of Lights this weekend!

🦖 Megan is bringing her earplugs to watch "Godzilla Minus Zero" on the big screen this weekend.

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