On this episode of Hobby Talks, Hobby School Dean Jim Granato sits down with Alejandra Salinas, the newest at-large member of the Houston City Council. They discuss how her early advocacy, from organizing a high school walkout to speaking at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and serving as president of the College Democrats of America, shaped her belief in using her voice to serve others. Salinas shares what inspired her to run for public office, her vision for City Hall, strategies for making local government more accessible, and advice for students pursuing public service careers. She also discusses working collaboratively with various stakeholders, using data to guide policy, and addressing Houston’s most pressing challenges. Salinas won a special election in December 2025. She is the first LGBTQ+ Latina elected to serve on the Houston City Council. In addition to her work in public office, Salinas is an attorney and a partner at Susman Godfrey.

In this episode of Hobby Talks, Associate Professor Chris Bronk speaks with Evan Mintz, editor of opinion and community engagement at the Houston Chronicle. Their conversation explores the role of the newspaper’s editorial board in shaping civic discourse amid an evolving media landscape and an increasingly polarized world. They also discuss how opinion pages differ from news coverage, the endorsement process, the region’s most pressing issues, and the challenges of misinformation and disinformation.

On this episode of Hobby Talks, an expert panel analyzes the results of the state’s primary elections and what they may signal for the political landscape ahead. Podcast host Renée Cross explores the results of the U.S. Senate primaries and key statewide and local contests with panelists Richard Murray and Mark P. Jones. Renée Cross is senior executive director and researcher at the Hobby School of Public Affairs, where Richard Murray and Mark P. Jones are senior research fellows. Murray is also a professor emeritus in the UH Department of Political Science and the author of “Letter from Texas,” a newsletter about the changing demographics and the future of Republican dominance in the state. Jones is also a fellow in political science at the Baker Institute at Rice University.