<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0Hu6OD_1Gu0rr2r00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0Hu6OD_1Gu0rr2r00" width="214" height="300" ></figure>In an effort to protect identities, some individuals have been granted anonymity, and their names have been replaced with pseudonyms to tell the story authentically. The pseudonyms are Taylor Baker ‘28, Nathan White ’28, and Jack Simon ‘27, all students at the high school. Any similarities to other individuals’ names are purely coincidental and unintentional. For the first time in over three decades, Texans elected both a Democratic senator and governor. On Tuesday, Nov. 3, State Rep. James Talarico prevailed against Attorney General Ken Paxton for Senate while State Rep. Gina Hinojosa beat out three-term Gov. Greg Abbott.The election gave the Democratic Party control of the U.S. Senate and House, and locally, gave 18-year-old Round Rock Independent School District (RRISD) alum Ayaan Moledina a seat in the RRISD Board of Trustees. Moledina was the youngest person to ever be elected to the RRISD Board of Trustees. The midterms produced mixed reactions at Westwood, with students focused on issues including immigration, funding, education, and political integrity.Talarico is estimated to have won with 55% of the votes over Ken Paxton’s 43%, with around 99% of the vote count collected and processed. The double-digit victory was significant, as Texas has not elected a Democratic senator in the state since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988. Texas was one of seven Senate seats flipped by Democrats this election cycle, with Mississippi and Alaska still too close to call.“I think the results turned out very great,” Taylor Baker ‘28 said. “There were a lot of firsts. I’m very happy how things are going and how a lot of states have turned blue.”One “first” occurred in Kansas, where voters elected their first Democratic senator since 1932. Many left-leaning students felt energized about the shift left of various states on Tuesday. Some, however, held a much more center-leaning view on the election results and candidates involved.“I wasn’t surprised by it,” Nathan White ’28 said. “I knew it was going to go blue. I didn’t really want either of them to win [because] honestly, I didn’t like any of them. Paxton [is just for] greed and the money, and Talarico just talks about six biological genders, and he’s a Christian that hates Christians.”White’s dislike of both candidates highlights two of the main criticisms of each candidate. Throughout the election cycle, both Talarico and Paxton took jabs at one another: Talarico’s campaign criticized Paxton’s source of funds, which came mostly from Political Action Committees (PACs) and wealthy donors like Elon Musk; Paxton’s campaign, on the other hand, focused on statements made by Talarico that they claimed were radical, and opinions they claimed he flip-flopped on.“I don’t like that [Talarico] supports trans kids in bathrooms and I also don’t like him saying [that] God’s non-binary,” Carter Cobb ‘27 said. “I don’t like him. I think he’s fake. I think he switches up a lot just depending on where he is, [and] I think he just says stuff to make people happy.”During his campaign, Talarico advertised his initiative as catering to the average Texan and offering hope. The slogan “Texas is not for sale” expressed his disapproval of corporations he believes have taken advantage of ordinary Texan citizens and attacked his opponent’s lifestyle, which Talarico has stated is lavish and a source of funds. Talarico spoke again about his stance on corruption during his speech in Austin on Tuesday. He argued that millionaire and trillionaire donors sought to buy elections and maintain a broken political system.“I like the fact that [Talarico] isn’t for corruption,” Jack Simon ‘27 said. “He’s against it, and he wants to overturn Citizens United and get money out of politics. I like him a lot more compared to a lot of different Democrats. He’s more moderate in the sense [that] he still wants that strong border security, and he’s willing to work across the aisle with other Republicans, which is something I’ve wanted both sides of the government to do for a long time.”Eva Malik ‘27 campaigned for a candidate this fall, and said that Talarico stood out to her because of his campaign’s tone.“​​I think his campaign was actually really amazing,” Malik said. “I think it’s very common in politics. You have these hateful ads spewing just hate from both sides, [and] I think he handled a lot of the comments that Paxton made very well. He built a campaign more on achievable goals as opposed to what Ken Paxton was running on, which didn’t seem that achievable, looking at his past.”In the gubernatorial race, Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Greg Abbott in a rare upset. Abbott was in a bid for his fourth term, having served as governor since 2015. Hinojosa is set to be the third woman and first Latina governor, as well as the first Democrat since Ann Richards, who departed in 1995. She’s also the first to displace an incumbent in a gubernatorial race in Texas since 1994.“I was born in 2009,” Malik said. “As long as I [can] remember, it’s been Greg Abbott who’s been the governor.”Education was a focal point for some. Abbott has a track record of funding private education through vouchers, which has soured his reputation with Simon.“I like the fact that there is a bit of change coming to Texas because we have been behind in a lot of things like education,” Simon said. “I really disagree with the $10,000 school vouchers that Abbott’s been supporting.”Multiple students also championed Hinojosa’s views on women’s rights. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022, women’s reproductive rights have gained enormous attention in the public eye. Both up-and-coming and legacy politicians have responded with their views on the matter. Hinojosa is in a unique position, as she has experienced a pregnancy loss. However, she’s also said that reproductive rights aren’t an immediate legislative priority.“Her opinions on abortion are pretty personal because she herself went through [a pregnancy loss],” Simon said. “That hit close to home a bit because my neighbor [also experienced a pregnancy loss], and [Hinojosa’s] been campaigning about that issue for a while.In May 2021, Hinojosa rejected a bill that attempted to ban abortion rights with no exception for rape. She has used her personal experience with the subject of childbirth to define her stance on abortion and related legislation.“[She appealed to] women in general to get involved in politics and to be the representation that we haven’t had in Texas before,” Malik said. “Her advocacy for women’s rights is just truly amazing. It’s just something I never thought I’d see accomplished in Texas.”Still, many who endorsed Abbott this election season, like President Donald Trump, support the general argument that Democrats, Hinojosa included, will do less to quell issues of immigration on the Texas border with Mexico. Abbott worked closely with Trump during his first term as he championed the border wall, and again in Trump’s second term. “We need [fewer illegal immigrants],” Cobb said. “I think legal [immigration] is good. I don’t know why we allow illegal [immigration].” Closer to home, Ayaan Moledina, an RRISD alumnus, won the Place 3 seat on the RRISD Board of Trustees, with 40.8% of the vote. He unseated the incumbent, Amber Feller Landrum, by a margin of about 16 points. Moledina will join the district in the midst of a $6 million budget deficit. Moledina’s immediate policy priorities include promoting a culture of inclusivity and safety on campus, providing students with opportunities to communicate with district leadership, and expanding mental health support in part by increasing faculty training on the topic.“I understand where he’s coming from, the fact [that] he wants to bring more mental health services to students,” Simon said. “Westwood is known as Stresswood — It’s known for its rigor, and people obviously struggle with mental health everywhere.”However, there have been doubts about Moledina’s capability due to his age. Moledina, 18, met the age requirement to run by just a few days.“He wants to increase funding [for teachers],” Simon said, “There [isn’t] really money that he can really bring out there. I just don’t really trust a [teenager] to run a multimillion-dollar budget.”Others, however, feel that Moledina’s age is something to welcome, and necessary to ensure younger voters have their voices heard.“I know a kid my age who ran actually for the school board, and he won,” Malik said. “I think a lot of this, with the overturning of seats in both the House and Senate, can be attributed to more popularity with voting itself and a lot of kids who had these opinions and my grade or maybe my age group, my demographic, even, are not able to vote and be able to have their voice represented.”An election season that began with highly polarized factions and a state with a reputation of conservatism ended with victors that contrast sharply with their predecessors in terms of ideology, background, and policy. Election turnout in Texas surpassed the 2018 record, with more than 7.7 million people casting their ballots. With more and more young people getting involved in politics as they reach the age requirement to vote, more are recognizing the importance of choosing the candidate that is right for them.“These candidates are going to represent us,” Malik said. “If you neglect choosing a candidate that best represents you, you aren’t going to be represented that well.”</div></body>

Show less about: Donald Trump

Block Source: westwoodhorizon.com

Misinformation

Clickbait

Old or repetitive news

Explicit content

Location not relevant

In an effort to protect identities, some individuals have been granted anonymity, and their names have been replaced with pseudonyms to tell the story authentically. The pseudonyms are Taylor Baker ‘28, Nathan White ’28, and Jack Simon ‘27, all students at the high school. Any similarities to other individuals’ names are purely coincidental and unintentional.

Blue Wave Washes Over Texas

NewsBreak

In an effort to protect identities, some individuals have been granted anonymity, and their names have been replaced with pseudonyms to tell the story auth

Blue Wave Washes Over Texas

Comments / 2