Houston politics is in the middle of a changing of the guard.

On this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan sits down with communications strategist Shea Jordan Smith for a real, unfiltered conversation about where the city goes from here. From the legacies of Sheila Jackson Lee and Sylvester Turner, to the young wave of leaders stepping up — Dolores Lozano, Christian Menefee, and the State House candidates on the ballot right now — they break down what Houston's political future actually looks like.

The conversation also covers the stuff nobody else says out loud: the fear-mongering ads flooding the feed, why kitchen-table issues (gas prices, property taxes, Medicaid) beat culture wars every time, the real story behind the James Talarico vs. Jasmine Crockett primary, what political creators actually do behind the scenes, and the big question, who's next on the 2027 Houston City Council horizon.

Plus: election week energy, rapid-fire questions, and an NGO Spotlight on The Montrose Center and the work they do for LGBTQ+ youth in Houston.

Mark your calendar:

📅 Early Voting: Oct. 19–30

🗳️ Election Day: Nov. 3

🔴 LIVE every THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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Shea Jordan Smith

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander and CiErra break down MLK's 1967 question and whether Black institutions have ever answered it, starting with the Nicole Hannah-Jones school experiment, the New York Times writer who sent her daughter to an under-resourced public school instead of using her family's means, betting that affluent Black families could uplift failing schools by their presence. Pan and CiErra debate whether that's a radical act of community investment or a risky sacrifice, and whether the daughter was a pawn in her parents' experiment.

Pan and CiErra dig into the school choice debate, public school vs. charter school vs. micro schools, and the Toure controversy over sending Black kids to PWIs and private schools to "navigate whiteness." They break down the broken promise of integration, how it opened the capital pool while creating a hyper-individualism that left the community behind, and why MLK's call for Black institutions to organize for economic mobility still hasn't produced a Black Houston think tank. CiErra also delivers the Three Earths Theory of radical imagination, they cover 2026's book bans, even Where the Wild Things Are got pulled for being "too dark", and Pan explains why real solutions like Saturday Black history schools, resource-pooling coalitions, and a welcome network for Black families moving to Houston matter more than a thousand turkey drives.

Then CiErra shouts out The Black School in New Orleans' 7th Ward, Joe and Shawnie's organization teaching radical activism through art, which is opening its new building this Saturday, and Houston folks can join HBAD for civic engagement at their next meeting on October 20th. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.

They say send your kids to the school that gets them the best shot. I say if we can't get it together for the babies, what we gonna get it together for? Support The Black School's opening, check your civic engagement calendar, and pull up Thursday.

📅 Mark your calendar:

The Black School grand opening in New Orleans: October 10th

HBAD civic engagement meeting: October 20th

🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM

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In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Christian Alexander breaks down what in the hell is going on in America, from Trump's proposed $100 million Triumphal Arch near the Lincoln Memorial, to the fight over renaming the USS Doris Miller after a sitting president, to Pete Hegseth's controversial new Religious Affairs office at the Pentagon that critics say erases the separation of church and state. This is the political commentary you need before the midterms.Pan digs into the economy with sky-high gas prices and grocery prices, ICE raids devastating the agriculture industry, and why Trump is telling Republican voters to "act like I'm on the ballot" heading into the 2026 midterm elections. He also delivers a frank conversation about vote-splitting in Black political races, why so many Black candidates entering the same race costs the community real political power, and what it takes to build lasting Black political power in Texas and beyond.Then Pan takes a point of personal privilege to launch his brand-new website, christiantalexander.com, home of the Black Voter Hub, a one-stop resource for Black voters in Harris County and Fort Bend County to check voter registration, find polling places, look up important election dates, discover Black candidates, and get involved as an election worker or precinct chair. Visit christiantalexander.com to watch the show live, catch past episodes, and access the full voter resource hub.The show also covers the data center boom in Texas, where data centers have poured more than $343 million into communities across the state for infrastructure, schools, and emergency services, and why Pan warns rural communities that this PR money comes with water depletion, noise, health risks, and no real economic value. Plus, leaked audio reveals Ken Paxton admitting that Trump's appearance dropped Republican convention numbers, and Pan reacts to taxpayer-funded White House propaganda ads ahead of the midterms, including the claim that "America will never be a communist country" — and Pan's argument that America is actually an oligarchy where the state has been sold to big business.They say America will never be a communist country. I say look at who owns the state. The midterms start October 19b check your registration, find your polling place, and discover Black candidates at christiantalexander.com. 📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE this week THURSDAY at 8:30 PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclips⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816⁠

YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@politicswithpan⁠#Trump #TrumpAdministration #DorisMiller #PeteHegseth #Pentagon #ChurchAndState #midterms2026 #midtermelections #2026midterms #BlackPoliticalPower #BlackVoters #DataCenters #KenPaxton #Oligarchy #GasPrices #ICERaids #Mamdani #CoryBooker #TexasPolitics #TexasNews #HarrisCounty #FortBendCounty #PoliticalCommentary #BlackNews #BlackCommunity #VoterRegistration #Election2026 #TexasPolitics #USPolitics #PoliticsWithPan

Is Texas finally turning blue? In this episode of Politics and Pain, we break down why the Democrats have a real shot in the 2026 midterm elections and why Texas is more competitive than it has been in years. James Talarico is up in the polls against Ken Paxton, Gina is within striking distance of Greg Abbott, and the Republican Party is showing cracks nobody expected. From the suburban moms in Dallas-Fort Worth walking away from Ken Paxton to Greg Abbott suddenly pausing data centers because he's feeling the heat, something is genuinely shifting in American politics and we're covering all of it.We also get into the story everyone's talking about: Dan Patrick's AI deepfake of Vikki Goodwin and the lawsuit that followed, plus why the Lieutenant Governor's seat might be the most powerful position in the Texas State House. And it's not just Texas. John Fetterman cast the deciding vote in a razor-thin 49-50 Senate showdown, breaking with his own party on a major foreign policy vote while gas and diesel prices are crushing truckers, farmers, and small businesses across the country. We break down what that vote means for working families and why voters on both sides are fed up.This episode also digs into the AI takeover of the job market, why entry-level tech jobs are disappearing, the truth about data centers draining your water and your tax base, and how the Islamic Society of Greater Houston is registering 1,000 voters a week in Harris County. Whether you vote red, blue, or not at all, this episode shows you how the ground is moving under both parties heading into November.Topics covered: Texas midterms 2026, James Talarico vs Ken Paxton, Greg Abbott data center pause, Dan Patrick AI deepfake, Vikki Goodwin for Texas, Fetterman foreign policy vote, rising gas and diesel prices, AI replacing tech jobs, voter registration in Harris County, and the shifting 2026 political landscape.New episodes of Politics and Pain drop every Friday. Subscribe so you never miss the real political talk they won't give you anywhere else.📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816#TexasPolitics #Midterms2026 #JamesTalarico #TexasElection #KenPaxton #GregAbbott #DanPatrick #VikkiGoodwin #JohnFetterman #GinaHinojosa #Republican #RepublicanParty #DemocraticParty #Democrats #Election2026 #USPolitics #PoliticalPodcast #PoliticsWithPan

Ken Paxton says we're in a "common sense revolution", but common sense for WHO? In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan sits down with Shamier Bouie, chair of Houston Black American Democrats, nonprofit leader, and founder of the Community First Institute, to break down the battle for Texas and America's future.We react to Ken Paxton's speech at the RNC event in Dallas where he called James Talarico "the most radical Democrat in Texas history" and declared that if Republicans lose Texas, they lose the "common sense revolution" and America itself. We dig into where that slogan really comes from, tracing it back to Ontario, Canada in the 1990s and even Thomas Paine's famous "Common Sense", and ask whether the rhetoric means anything at all for regular people struggling with affordability, gas prices, healthcare, and housing.Then we compare the two candidates' plans head to head: Ken Paxton's "Protecting the Texas Promise" plan with its $50,000 down payment tax deduction, $25,000 medical expense deduction, and gym membership and Ozempic (GLP-1) tax deductions, versus James Talarico's agenda of raising the minimum wage, expanding overtime pay, universal childcare, canceling medical debt, paid family leave, expanding the child tax credit, down payment assistance for first-time homebuyers, and legalizing cannabis in Texas. If you've ever wondered why you make $100K and still feel broke, or why childcare costs $2,200 a month, this conversation is for you.We also cover the wild story of Amir Hassan, the Black Muslim-turned-Christian-nationalist Republican candidate in Michigan who was endorsed by Donald Trump and Senator Tim Scott, and still lost his primary by 20 points to Tom Smith, a man who raised only $2,000, hand-wrote his FEC filing, and dropped out of the race. What does that teach us about the MAGA base, Islamophobia, and the Trump political ecosystem?Plus: what Donald Trump's insults about James Talarico on national television reveal about his base, why voters confuse Trump's "authenticity" with honesty, the Octavia Butler and James Baldwin books everyone needs to read right now, and how Councilwoman Tiffany Thomas is mobilizing Black churches to build real collective power. Pan also talks about the crisis in public education and the idea of church-based micro schools, and Shamir shares the civic education work her organization, the Community First Institute, is doing with young voters in underrepresented communities.At the end of the day, both candidates know you're struggling, the question is which plan actually puts money back in your pocket. Listen to the full episode and decide for yourself.💬 Tell us in the comments: whose plan actually helps YOUR wallet, Paxton's tax deductions or Talarico's wage and childcare agenda?Follow Shamier Bouie:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamierishere/ Community First Institute: https://www.instagram.com/communityfirstinstitute/Shampups: https://www.instagram.com/shampups_/🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM📌 Follow Politics With Pan:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@politicswithpanclipsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/politicswithpan/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587471566816#KenPaxton #JamesTalarico #TexasPolitics #DonaldTrump #CommonSenseRevolution #Republican #Democrat #AmirHassan #BlackPodcast #PoliticalCommentary #TexasSenateRace #MAGA #Election2026 #midtermelections #BlackVoices #BlackCommunity #CivicEducation #TexasNews #USPolitics #PoliticalNews #PoliticsWithPan

In this episode of Politics with Pan, host Pan delivers an unfiltered breakdown of replacement theory, the viral fear of being "replaced" spreading across social media, and what it reveals about the social climate of America less than two months before the election. Pan argues that right-wing figures around the world are using immigration panic to fire up their base, and he traces how the same playbook is playing out in Texas and as far away as Australia, where immigrants are told to assimilate or go home.The episode digs into the Texas Railroad Commissioner race between Bo French and John Rosenthal. Pan reacts to Bo French's viral tweet attacking a University of Texas graduation photo full of Indian students and breaks down why the slogan "Don't Talarico my Texas" is really a dog whistle for keeping Texas safe for right-leaning white Christians. Pan contrasts French with John Rosenthal, a Houston-area engineer and community advocate, and explains why Rosenthal is the candidate Texas needs.Pan pulls the numbers into the conversation with a tweet claiming that in 1970 the white population of Texas was 89 percent and today it is 39 percent. From there, he makes the case that the fight over voting, democracy, and the economy is really a fight to keep whiteness on top, hidden behind dog whistles like small government and states' rights. Pan examines how the same forces pushing replacement theory are now chasing the AI gold rush, dissecting Elon Musk's claim that artificial intelligence will grow the global economy by 20 to 30 percent and questioning who actually benefits. He connects that to the wave of data centers being built in rural, majority-minority Texas towns like Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Refugio, massive concrete structures with no reuse case that drain local water and enrich only a handful of people.The episode also confronts Greg Abbott's pitch that Texas is the best state for business, asking why the governor never mentions whether Texas is a great state to have a baby, raise a family, or attend a properly funded public school. Pan contrasts the state's obsession with attracting business with the realities facing everyday Texans and points to leaders like Gina Hinojosa and James Talarico as the change the state needs. He then zooms out to national politics, covering the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America, why the DSA is winning voters traditional Democrats are losing because they cannot be bought by dark money, and how the American government has become for sale to the highest bidder.Pan turns to the 2028 election and makes his predictions, analyzing AOC's surge in prediction markets, whether America would elect a Democratic socialist Puerto Rican woman, and why he believes the Democratic establishment will fall back on propping up a tall, slender white man with good hair. He reacts to JD Vance pleading for another chance, Ted Cruz reflecting on Trump's attacks, and explains why he believes the pendulum will swing back to the left in 2028. Pan also walks through the real scenarios by which Donald Trump could technically pursue a third term, from a vice presidential loophole to suspending the Constitution during a manufactured emergency, and argues that voting out his cronies is the only firewall.The conversation closes with the fights hitting close to home. Pan breaks down the NCAA's save college sports push as an attempt to strip Black and brown athletes of NIL money and generational wealth, critiques the corporate greed driving mining in national parks and the destruction of natural resources for profit, and asks the question at the heart of it all: when is enough, enough? Pan ends with a direct challenge to viewers, that local elections matter more than federal ones, that no one is coming to save you, and that you have to be the change you want to see.📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd🔴 LIVE every Friday at 7PM

In Episode 39 of Politics with Pan, the clock is ticking, and Pan is sounding the alarm. With less than 60 days until Election Day on November 3rd, the stakes for Black voters across Texas and the nation have never been higher. This solo episode is a full-throttle breakdown of everything you need to know before heading to the polls, covering mail-in ballot deadlines, voter suppression tactics, the high-stakes Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton, and a shocking discovery on the White House's own website that every parent and educator needs to see. Pan kicks things off with his now-viral "Bring Back Shame" message, challenging the community to stop accepting apathy from non-voters and start holding friends, family, and neighbors accountable for participating in their civic duty. He breaks down how local elections directly shape your everyday reality, your taxes, your schools, your healthcare, your trash pickup, your public transit, and makes the case that sitting out is no longer an option when the people in power are actively working to silence your vote.This episode dives deep into the voter suppression unfolding right now in Tarrant County, where Republican officials slashed 92 Election Day voting locations, leaving predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods like zip code 76104 with no place to vote at all. Pan exposes the Trump administration's coordinated attacks on mail-in voting, which disproportionately impact Black seniors and disabled voters who depend on this method to cast their ballots. Pan also announces the launch of The Black Voter Hub, a groundbreaking new resource piloting in Harris County designed to aggregate information on Black elected officials and candidates across Texas. This hub will help voters discover and support candidates who reflect their community on the ballot. On the Senate race front, Pan delivers a detailed breakdown of the James Talarico campaign, which is making history as the first Democrat to lead a Texas Senate poll since 1988 and has outraised Ken Paxton. He praises the campaign for bringing on Black senior advisors Linda Brown and Judy Foston, while offering a candid, unfiltered assessment of a congresswoman's down-ballot strategy to support four Black county judge candidates across the state.The most explosive segment of this episode comes when Pan uncovers arcade.gov, a propaganda portal on the White House's official website featuring browser games like "Flappy Bill," "Build The Wall," and "Rio Run." Pan walks through these games in real time, exposing racist caricatures and anti-immigrant messaging, all funded by taxpayer dollars. He warns parents and educators to stay vigilant, noting that these free browser games could easily find their way into schools and reach children who have no context for the propaganda they're consuming. This segment draws a direct line between government spending, manipulation, and the broader fight for Black political representation.Throughout the episode, Pan makes a passionate case for the Black community to become insular, to build economic and civic infrastructure from within, using the Black church as the foundational institution for organizing. He challenges pastors and clergy to step up, calls on community members to teach and uplift one another, and demands that elected officials bring resources back to the neighborhoods that put them in office. He also breaks down Texas budget politics, the state government's revenue caps on local governments, and why higher local taxes are an inevitable consequence of three decades of Republican control.#Trump #Republican #Democrat #Progressive #DSA #BlackVoters #TexasPolitics #VoterSuppression #Election2026 #CivicEngagement #JamesTalarico #KenPaxton #TexasSenateRace #VotingRights #HarrisCounty #TexasDemocrats #BlackCommunity #PoliticalPodcast #PoliticsWithPan

In episode 38, Pan sits down with Welby Good, Chief of Staff of the Harris County Democratic Party, for an unfiltered conversation about whether voters still give a damn about democracy and what the Democratic Party must do to win them back.This episode tackles the Democratic Party's messaging problem head-on, examining why the slogan of "saving democracy" fails to connect with everyday people who are struggling to pay for groceries, gas, and housing. Pan argues that the layperson doesn't care about abstract political slogans when the economy isn't working for them, and Welby admits that Democrats don't have a good brand and must get clearer about what they are actually fighting for.The conversation breaks down how the party system really works, explaining that county, state, and national Democratic parties are structurally separate entities and that money does not simply funnel down from the top. Welby shares what it means to organize the largest county Democratic Party in Texas and the third largest in the nation, and how the party is working to register and engage voters through grassroots efforts like meeting people where they are at social clubs, community events, and on the social media platforms where this generation actually lives.Pan and Welby also examine the rise of the Democratic Socialists of America and why the DSA is winning voters that traditional Democrats are losing. From Mamdani in New York to Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, they analyze how tangible results, free childcare, shoveling snow, better city services, are doing more to earn votes than any slogan, and what the Democratic Party must learn from that playbook.Pan also asks the deeper question: where does Blackness end and the party line begin? Pan and Welby discuss the backlash against Black Republicans in Black spaces, whether Black political wins should be celebrated across party lines, and what it means to be Black first before being a Democrat. Pan pulls the history into the conversation with the story of Floyd McKissick and Soul City, North Carolina, the ambitious effort to build a self-sustaining Black city in America , as a case study in cross-party pragmatism and the cost Black leaders pay for working with the other side.Throughout the episode, they confront the polarization tearing communities apart, comparing modern partisan politics to gang violence where you must pick a side or get pushed out. They critique the crabs in a barrel infighting holding Black communities back, call for unity through legacy institutions like the NAACP and the Urban League, and examine how gerrymandering, practiced by both parties, continues to rig the system and strip power from voters. 📅 Mark your calendar:Early voting in Harris County: October 19thElection Day: November 3rd

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