Borrego’s Old Posts Trigger Risks

The old posts are ugly. The larger story is how Jorge Borrego became the Republican nominee in one of the most competitive Texas House districts — and whether the political leaders and special interests who helped him win did enough to vet him.

Current Revolt publisher Tony Ortiz joins Anthony on this week’s Politics with the Big Dogs to examine Borrego’s resurfaced social media posts, his response and the political consequences for Texas House District 118.

What Current Revolt found

Current Revolt reported that a large collection of Borrego’s posts from 2011 through 2017 referenced drugs, strip clubs, slurs and crude sexual comments. The episode does not reproduce the explicit material in promotional copy, but Anthony and Tony discuss why some of the posts raise questions that go beyond youthful embarrassment.

Ortiz tells Anthony that Borrego’s initial public response was, “I was 16. LOL.” He also notes that the posts span multiple years.

That response becomes the first accountability test in the episode. Borrego was younger when he published the material, but he is now asking voters to send him to the Texas Capitol. Anthony argues that a serious candidate should address the conduct directly, acknowledge what was wrong and explain what has changed.

Ortiz puts the principle plainly: “The right thing always to do is to tell the truth, admit fault” and explain how the conduct will not happen again.

Follow the primary money

The posts are the immediate news. The primary is the larger political story.

House District 118 is an open seat because Republican Rep. John Lujan is running for Congress, though Lujan remains in office through the end of his House term. The South San Antonio district is one of the few true swing seats on the Texas legislative map. Democrat Kristian Carranza lost to Lujan by roughly 3.5 points in 2024 and is running again.

Lujan recruited trial attorney Desi Martinez for the 2026 Republican primary. Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed Borrego and campaigned with him. Texans for Lawsuit Reform also backed Borrego. According to the San Antonio Report, TLR accounted for the vast majority of Borrego’s roughly $360,000 haul in the final pre-primary reporting period.

Borrego won the three-way primary with 52.51%, followed by Martinez at 26.98% and Joe Shellhart at 20.51%.

The episode asks whether the groups that helped Borrego win were focused on defeating a Republican trial lawyer rather than nominating the strongest general-election candidate. That is an argument, not a settled finding. The voters will decide the seat on Nov. 3.

Ortiz explains the structural problem from a lobby group’s perspective: “They don’t really care if there’s an R or D next to their name.” A group may be willing to risk a seat, he says, if the alternative is electing someone who threatens its central issue.

Accountability cannot depend on a party label

The conversation broadens to scandals that Current Revolt helped bring into public view.

Former state Rep. Bryan Slaton resigned before the Texas House voted to expel him following an official finding of inappropriate sexual conduct with a 19-year-old aide after providing alcohol. State Rep. Giovanni Capriglione admitted to an affair and ended his reelection bid, though he disputed the duration and other allegations made by the woman interviewed by Current Revolt. Former U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales admitted to an affair with an aide and resigned from Congress on April 14, 2026.

The lesson is not that every allegation is identical. It is that the standard cannot change based on which party controls the office.

Ortiz says many politicians simply wait for the news cycle to move on. Anthony’s response is that conservative voters should demand the opposite: truth, accountability and judgment before a candidate receives power.

One district, a much larger consequence

If Republicans lose seats in November, the effects will extend beyond a single district. A smaller Republican majority could change the math on constitutional amendments, committee power and the 2027 speaker election.

Anthony and Tony also assess Speaker Dustin Burrows. Both believe he is positioned to remain speaker, though a smaller Republican caucus and Democrats who feel burned by the last speaker vote could make the contest more difficult.

The episode ends where it began: the right question is not simply whether a candidate has an R or a D beside his name. It is whether the decision is right for Texas.

Watch the full conversation with Tony Ortiz, read Current Revolt at currentrevolt.com and join Republicans Against TLR at RATLR.org.

For more episodes, the newsletter and Anthony’s petition to ban taxpayer-funded lobbying, visit politicswiththebigdogs.com.