![[LBJ Future Forum] Political Insights on the Electoral Shifts in the Rio Grande Valley @TheLBJLibrary](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hk_i7dzWmyc/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded October 2022 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, there have been rumblings of a political shift in the Rio Grande Valley following the 2020 election. Come hear from experts that have examined the data, talked to the people, and are looking to the future. Is the Rio Grande Valley shifting in politics or is there more to the story?
Join us as we discuss the political shifts, the complex electorate of the region, different factors that may be driving change, and how the mid-term election might play out.
Panelists:
Cecilia Ballí, writer, journalist and anthropologist, founder of Culture Concepts
Dr. Sergio Garcia-Rios, Associate Director for Research, the Center for the Study Race and Democracy (CSRD) at The University of Texas at Austin
Moderator: Steve Taylor, Editor-in-chief, Rio Grande Guardian
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, there have been rumblings of a political shift in the Rio Grande Valley following the 2020 election. Come hear from experts that have examined the data, talked to the people, and are looking to the future. Is the Rio Grande Valley shifting in politics or is there more to the story?
Join us as we discuss the political shifts, the complex electorate of the region, different factors that may be driving change, and how the mid-term election might play out.
Panelists:
Cecilia Ballí, writer, journalist and anthropologist, founder of Culture Concepts
Dr. Sergio Garcia-Rios, Associate Director for Research, the Center for the Study Race and Democracy (CSRD) at The University of Texas at Austin
Moderator: Steve Taylor, Editor-in-chief, Rio Grande Guardian
![[LBJ Future Forum] Political Insights on the Electoral Shifts in the Rio Grande Valley](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hk_i7dzWmyc/mqdefault.jpg "[LBJ Future Forum] Political Insights on the Electoral Shifts in the Rio Grande Valley
Once considered a Democratic stronghold, there have been rumblings of a political shift in the Rio Grande Valley following the 2020 election. Come hear from experts that have examined the data, talked to the people, and are looking to the future. Is the Rio Grande Valley shifting in politics or is there more to the story?
Join us as we discuss the political shifts, the complex electorate of the region, different factors that may be driving change, and how the mid-term election might play out.
Panelists:
Cecilia Ballí, writer, journalist and anthropologist, founder of Culture Concepts
Dr. Sergio Garcia-Rios, Associate Director for Research, the Center for the Study Race and Democracy (CSRD) at The University of Texas at Austin
Moderator: Steve Taylor, Editor-in-chief, Rio Grande Guardian")
![[Podcast] With the Bark Off: A Conversation with Ali Vitali About Women and the Presidency](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k7f661TZze4/mqdefault.jpg "[Podcast] With the Bark Off: A Conversation with Ali Vitali About Women and the Presidency
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Journalist Ali Vitali is a familiar face on America’s TV screens, having covered politics first for MSNBC and then for NBC News for nearly a decade. She reported on the 2016 race won by President Trump and then returned to the presidential campaign trail in 2020 to cover several Democratic candidates, including the record-setting four women who competed strongly for the nomination.
Ali talked with us about the obstacles that female contenders have faced in running for the presidency over the years, how those challenges might be overcome, and the prospects for election of the nation’s first female president.
Episode link: https://play.headliner.app/episode/11591485")
![[Future Forum] Women in Leadership: Confronting Gender Based Violence Together](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k9VJwq1w2W8/mqdefault.jpg "[Future Forum] Women in Leadership: Confronting Gender Based Violence Together
Each year the Future Forum hosts a discussion on “Women in Leadership,” a series which has explored a variety of topics including building diverse and inclusive teams; the competing professional and personal demands women may face; women in government, featuring a conversation with Madeleine Albright; the historic mobilization of women in politics the last election cycle; and the next generation of changemakers.
This year, the Future Forum honored Domestic Violence Awareness month by focusing on the women leading this important work in Austin. On Monday, October 30, members heard about the issues they most often face and to dispel some common misunderstandings around domestic violence and survivorship.
Speakers:
Bronwyn Blake, Vice President of Legal Services, Texas Advocacy Project
Krista Del Gallo, Legislative Director, Texas Council on Family Violence
Zahra Shakur Jamal, Director of Prevention, Outreach, and Community Education, Asian Family Support Services of Austin
Dr. Leila Wood, Director of Evaluation, the Center for Violence Prevention at the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch
Moderator: Leslie Rangel, News Anchor, FOX 7")
