KSEV Mornings · November 5, 2026 · Hour 1
Day two of the midterm fallout: Craig Coglianese on Brian Harrison’s push to rein in governor emergency powers before Gina Hinojosa takes office, James Talarico’s Fox News interview, social media for young voters, and JD Vance tying the losses to the Iran war.
Craig Coglianese opened the show solo — Wayne Dolcefino joins by phone from California in hour 2 — with Ron DeSantis saying Florida is now the only big red state, and a warning that 2028 gets messy fast for Republicans if Texas is in play. His lead take: keep Texas red, and back Brian Harrison’s push to pull back the governor’s emergency powers while Republicans still control Austin.
Brian Harrison and emergency powers before Hinojosa
Craig said pulling back emergency powers for the Texas governor’s office is the kind of thing a Republican House, Senate and governor should do now, so senators who still control the chamber can demand things without giving the next governor a blank check. He admitted that if the roles were reversed he’d be upset, but argued the timing is the point: “Republicans are in control right now. We have all the pieces. Why not do it?” He also said people who stayed home share the blame, and that you can’t put all of it at President Trump’s feet — Barack Obama lost more seats in the 2010 midterms, he noted.
Social media, young voters and Charlie Kirk
Craig said any politician who wants to win needs a social media strategy because young people can be heavily influenced there. He pointed to his own TikTok hit that reached about 75,000 views with no boosting, Trump’s 2024 podcast interviews, and Charlie Kirk’s campus conversations as the model Republicans need to reach younger voters again.
James Talarico’s Fox News interview
Craig played James Talarico’s Fox News interview, where Talarico talked about immigration reform, working with President Trump on housing, and legalizing marijuana. Craig said it sounds reasonable on paper and that he doesn’t believe it, calling the marijuana line especially slimy and flagging what he’s seen from legalization in Illinois. Caller Rob in Florida talked about Texas’s ground game and Byron Donalds’ close Florida win; Craig said midterms don’t always reflect Texas values and pointed to apathy and Greg Abbott’s margin. Caller Lee said people voted for a movement, not individuals.
Vance, Trump and Iran
Craig turned to the shots between Vice President JD Vance and President Trump after Vance tied the midterm losses to the Iran war. Craig said he likes Trump’s answer for trying to defuse the fight, and that he doesn’t like “Julius Caesar style” backstabbing to remove the guy in power and take his spot. He closed the hour looking ahead to younger candidates and teeing up Wayne for hour 2.
Hear Craig and Wayne live weekdays from 7–9 AM Central on AM 700 KSEV, The Voice of Texas. Visit the KSEV Mornings show page for live-listening controls and more episodes. Listen live weekdays 7-9 AM CT on the KSEV app.
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