Wrestling with A Career in Politics

After four years as a state representative, eight years as a state senator, and ten years as the Comptroller of Public Accounts for the State of Texas, my friend and guest Glenn Hegar, began his new position as Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System on July 1st 2025.  On July 4th, Kerville Texas experienced one of the most devastating floods and loss of life in Texas history!  And with eight state agencies in addition to the twelve universities under his purview, Chancellor Hegar had to mobilize the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Forest Service (for the significant debris removal needs) before he had even warmed the chair in his new position.

Then, just two months later, on September 19th Mark Welsh resigned as President of the flagship campus of Texas A&M University in College Station amid controversy over the firing of a professor teaching transgender ideology in a children’s literature course.

Perhaps more than any other vocation, a career in politics is a constant wrestling match.  Today, it seems to be just as vigorous within one’s own party as with the opposition due to our dysfunctional primary system giving the extremists in both political parties outsized weight in the prioritization of platforms.

Chancellor Hegar is one of the good guys who has spent his life in service to the people of Texas. In this episode we discuss his decision to leave elective office for this opportunity to positively influence the next generation of Texans. As Glenn put it, “to give them the tools, the education, and the values they need to lead.”

Tune in and learn about the Chancellor’s role, a very big job with an annual budget of $8.1 billion and Glenn’s vision to help address the tremendous growth of both business and population in our state.  We also discuss wrestling with the politics of the recent federal government shutdown, the nationwide search for the next President of the College Station campus, and the impact that NIL, the transfer portal, and TV contracts have had on the football program and the “brand” of Texas A&M which we both hold so dear.