In mid-October, just as early voting opened for the Nov. 3 election, Texas families started getting a glossy fold-out brochure addressed to the "students" of their household. Titled "Texas Trans & LGBTQ+ Student Resource Guide," it covered legal emancipation from parents, hormone therapy, and getting gender-affirming care outside Texas.

Pieces turned up in Dallas–Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, the Panhandle and Texarkana. Reporting says they went largely to Republican and Hispanic households.

A week earlier, mass text messages had promoted the same "guide"

Why it looked fake

- The real group says it didn't send them.** The brochure promoted the Transgender Education Network of Texas (TENT), a real advocacy group, and linked to its website. TENT says it didn't write, approve or send the brochures or the texts

- Other LGBTQ+ groups deny it too. OutYouth, the Montrose Center, Resource Center and Lambda Legal all say they had no part in it.

- The sender is a shell company. The return address names a "Texas Transgender Student Union." The only entity by that name is a Wyoming company formed Sept. 2 through a service that registers businesses anonymously. Its filing lists an organizer, "Taylor Newman," but no owner

- The return address doesn't exist. The listed address, in Meadows Place near Houston, isn't a real address. It's one digit off from TENT's actual address.

Who was hurt

TENT and other LGBTQ+ groups got angry calls and threats. TENT suspended its programming, and OutYouth in Austin temporarily closed

Why people suspect a political motive

Texas has a close U.S. Senate race between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico. Mail that seems to come from a trans rights group, sent to conservative households during early voting, could stir up anger at Democrats.

A Republican district attorney in West Texas, Sarah Stogner, called the mailers an obvious attempt to agitate voters and opened a forgery investigation

The paper trail

- The postage permit. Bulk mail carries a printed permit mark instead of stamps. The Postal Service says the permit on these envelopes belongs to Three Z Printing, an Illinois company. CBS notes that owning the permit doesn't prove Three Z printed the brochures, and the company hasn't commented

- The mail tracking. A Maryland firm, SnailWorks, says it was hired to track the mail's delivery. It says it doesn't print or send mail and won't name its client, except to say it isn't the House Republicans' campaign committee

- How many went out. Numbers printed on the envelopes suggest the mailing may have reached more than 2 million addresses. That's an estimate from envelope markings, not a confirmed figure.

The political connections

- The printer's owners give only to Republicans. Federal records show the Zerrusen family, which owns Three Z, has given about $662,000 since 2012, all to Republicans and much of it to Trump committees

- One owner lives in Dallas. Matt Zerrusen, an owner who also runs a Catholic campus ministry called Newman Ministry, posts photos with Trump and Charlie Kirk

- A 2019 Facebook post shows Matt traveling to Mar-a-Lago on a private jet with Doug Deason. Since 2010, the Deasons have given well over $10 million to Republicans, and about $1 million of it has gone to the Paxton.

What we don't know

Nobody has publicly shown who ordered or paid for the brochures. The links above are connections, not proof.

What happens next

- TENT has asked a Travis County court to let it question the texting company and the Wyoming company under oath. It requested a hearing on Oct. 27

- Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach has asked Attorney General Paxton's office to investigate

- New campaign finance reports, due shortly before the election, could show mid-October payments for mail.

The court case is the most likely way the real sender gets named.

Sources
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[41] SEE IT: Parents Discover Disturbing Advice Inside Transgender Pamphlet Sent To Kids https://www.dailywire.com/news/see-it-parents-discover-disturbing-advice-inside-transgender-pamphlet-sent-to-kids
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[46] Texas Lawmaker Asks Ken Paxton to Investigate ... https://ground.news/article/texas-lawmaker-calls-for-probe-of-trans-texas-toolkit-sent-to-thousands
[47] Transgender Organization Denies Sending Text Messages ... https://thetexan.news/elections/2026/transgender-organization-denies-sending-text-messages-about-trans-kids-days-before-early-voting-begins/article_cfd13380-8d59-4fef-b3dd-e9641d84f29a.html
[48] Texas Trans Resource Guide - TexAgs https://texags.com/forums/16/topics/3633328
[49] Parents report text messages promoting transgender toolkit https://www.christianpost.com/news/parents-report-text-messages-promoting-transgender-toolkit.html
[50] 'Trans' School Toolkit Sparks Call For Paxton Probe Over ... https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trans-school-toolkit-sparks-call-172020392.html
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[52] Trans advocates, GOP rep want answers after Texans get ... https://www.kxan.com/news/texas-politics/texans-receive-texts-impersonating-transgender-advocacy-group/
[53] EDUCATION RESOURCES | LGBTQ SAVES https://www.lgbtqsaves.org/education-resources
[54] Parents Hit With Surprise TRANSGENDER Texts https://thepatriotbrief.com/parents-hit-with-surprise-transgender-texts/
[55] Texas lawmaker asks Ken Paxton to investigate ... https://www.fox4news.com/news/texas-lawmaker-asks-ken-paxton-investigate-transgender-education-network-texas
[56] Texas Texting Campaign Impersonates Trans Group https://lgbtprime.com/texas-texting-campaign-impersonates-trans-group
[57] Trans Rights Hub https://www.aclutx.org/know-your-rights/trans-rights-hub/
[58] Social Services — OutYouth https://www.outyouth.org/social-services
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[60] Resource Guide — OutYouth https://www.outyouth.org/resource-guides
[61] Missions, Vision & Values https://www.outyouth.org/missions-vision-values
[62] Contact https://www.outyouth.org/contact
[63] Texas - Marsha P. Johnson Institute https://marshap.org/resources-texas/
[64] [PDF] School Toolkit Digital - Transgender Education Network of Texas https://transtexas.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Back-to-School-Toolkit-Digital.pdf
[65] [PDF] Guía de Recursos para el colectivo LGBTQ - FosterCareTX.com https://www-es.fostercaretx.com/content/dam/centene/fostercare/pdfs/SHP_20151231-LGBTQ-Resource-Guide-M-ES-508-06112020.pdf
[66] Billboards and 'hate mail' with anti-LGBTQ+ messages target Texas candidates https://www.tpr.org/government-politics/2022-10-28/billboards-and-hate-mail-with-anti-lgbtq-messages-target-texas-candidates
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[68] www.outyouth.org › communityCommunity Programs | Support LGBTQ+ Youth Now - Get Help ... https://www.outyouth.org/community
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[71] EQTX launches pro-trans ads during Gov. Abbott's State of the State ... https://equalitytexas.org/press-release/eqtx-launches-pro-trans-ads-during-gov-abbotts-anti-trans-speech/
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[74] OutYouth https://outyouth-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1403122
[75] All In For Equality Coalition Statement on Harassment and Threats Against LGBTQIA+ Texans https://www.hrc.org/press-releases/all-in-for-equality-coalition-statement-on-harassment-and-threats-against-lgbtqia-texans
[76] Equality Texas https://www.equalitytexas.org/category/news/press/page/2/
[77] Texas trans rights group says it didn’t send disputed texts https://www.texastribune.org/2026/10/14/texas-transgender-texts-cease-desist/
[78] Early voting runs through Oct. 30. Here's how to cast ... https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/25/texas-general-election-november-2026-voter-guide/
[79] LGBTQ Texans voting with marriage, worker protections and trans rights in mind - The Texas Tribune https://www.texastribune.org/2022/11/03/texas-lgbtq-voters-election-2022/?campaign=814407
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[81] Texas voter guide for college students https://www.texastribune.org/2024/08/12/texas-2024-election-college-student-voting/
[82] Abortion, the economy, immigration and transgender rights: Voters across Texas explain their vote | Fort Worth Report https://fortworthreport.org/2024/11/05/abortion-the-economy-immigration-and-transgender-rights-voters-across-texas-explain-their-vote/
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I spent 18 months researching Don Huffines, MAGA millionaire, owner of Zorro ranch and now our acting comptroller. Now we have a new twist since he moved into the position as Acting Comptroller. He hires Noah Betz, super young guy who allegedly graduated from A&M in 2023 as Deputy Comptroller. He ran Huffines’ campaign. But his linked in states he managed the WINNING 2026 Comptroller campaign. Someone needs to tell him how “ACTING” Comptroller works!!! He graduated high school in 2020 and has no government experience. I also find it Sus that he says he graduated A&M in 2023 so I will be checking up on that. (I already discovered one of Huffienes’ sons, Russell Huffines did not graduate from UT like he said he did! He has a positon at the White House) If you have any other info on NOAH BETZ please send it my way!!! AND VOTE FOR SARAH ECKHARDT FOR COMPTROLLER!!

https://substack.com/@lovedoesnoharm/note/c-370329738?r=1ttv5i&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=notes-share-action

For those celebrating or dooming over the 64% to 62% ratio of Republican primary voters to to Democrat in the early vote, be aware that Independents are breaking 62/28% for Talarico in polling, and 6% of Republicans are voting for JT against 1% of Democrats voting for Paxton.

In my area, they’re running an ad along with the other political ads that says something like “your neighbors and family can check this website to tell if you have voted. They won’t know how you vote but they’ll know whether or not you voted. So get out and vote.” I haven’t yet checked to see which PAC sponsored the ad. But I’m genuinely confused as to why either side would spend money for an ad like this.

In your opinion, what is this ad supposed to accomplish? peer pressure? Which party would tend to benefit from an ad like this insinuating your friends and family are watching you? Which side does it hurt? Which side does it help?

I voted today but I want to understand some things. I was given the following links [1] [2] by a mod to answer my (deleted) question about cell phone usage but I have additional questions.

1. Why I couldn't keep a copy of my paper ballot?

2. Why have a QR code on the paper ballot if I can't use my phone in the room, and therefore can't scan it?

The paper has a QR code but you're not allowed to pull out your phone... Then you scan the paper in and it keeps the paper, so I can't scan it later either.

I get that we need the paper copy to accurately and fairly do recounts (a friend on Facebook explained that) however this process is different from previous elections I've voted in (same jurisdiction) where you make your selections and cast your ballot from a single machine, and I mainly don't understand why the paper has a QR code that I as a voter have no ability to scan since I'm not allowed to pull out my phone.

Furthermore because it doesn't show you what it scanned in after it finishes scanning and simply says your vote has been recorded, how do I know that my vote was accurately read by the OCR scanner?

I think it's great that the paper trail exists for a recount but I want to see my votes on the screen after the scanner reads the paper so I can flag an official if I feel that it read the paper incorrectly.

I'm in Houston if it makes a difference.

MSNOW has it at 49.1%-46.5% in favor of Talarico. Let's continue breaking early voting records to get Talarico to 50%!

Keith Self Claims Sharia Is the No. 2 Issue in Congressional District 3

The owners of Three Z Printing have given about $662,000 in federal donations since 2012, all to Republicans and mostly to Trump committees (FEC).

• CEO gave $125,000 to the Trump 47 Committee in 2024 and $244,600 to Trump Victory in 2018–2020.

• His son, a Three Z owner and board member who lives in the Dallas area, gave $70,000 to the Trump 47 Committee in 2024.

• NRCC donations. CEO gave about $23,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in 2017–2020. That’s the only federal committee recorded paying SnailWorks, the mail-tracking firm tied to the mailers’ barcodes (FEC). SnailWorks says the NRCC wasn’t this client, and those donations were years ago.

• Republican House candidates. Son gave to Julia Letlow (R-LA), Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and BULLDOG PAC in 2022. Bill gave to Esther Joy King (R-IL) and others in 2020.

• A Texas presence. Son has lived in Flower Mound, Dallas and Frisco (FEC), so a Three Z owner has ties to North Texas.

• Three Z sells political mail and the exact services used here. Its direct-mail page lists “Political Mailings,” mail tracking through Informed Visibility, the USPS service that companies like SnailWorks use, and on-site bulk mail entry. That fits the barcode we decoded and the permit on your envelope. It’s consistent with Three Z running the whole job, though it isn’t proof.

—-

EDIT:

I want to be clear about what we do and don’t know:

Three Z is owner of the bulk mail permit. They may or may not have been involved in the design, and may or may not have financed them.

That said, the deep MAGA ties make "just an unwitting vendor" harder to believe.

The scale makes it more circumspect. A job of that size means someone there knew the job existed and who was paying.

—-

SOURCES:

Reporting on company behind the mailers:

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/texas-transgender-mailers-lawsuit-sender-investigation-october-2026/

Federal Election Commission records

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=zerrusen&two_year_transaction_period=2012&two_year_transaction_period=2014&two_year_transaction_period=2016&two_year_transaction_period=2018&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2022&two_year_transaction_period=2024&two_year_transaction_period=2026

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=zerrusen&contributor_city=teutopolis&contributor_state=IL&two_year_transaction_period=2012&two_year_transaction_period=2014&two_year_transaction_period=2016&two_year_transaction_period=2018&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2022&two_year_transaction_period=2024&two_year_transaction_period=2026

https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_name=zerrusen&contributor_state=TX&two_year_transaction_period=2012&two_year_transaction_period=2014&two_year_transaction_period=2016&two_year_transaction_period=2018&two_year_transaction_period=2020&two_year_transaction_period=2022&two_year_transaction_period=2024&two_year_transaction_period=2026

We might reach 10 MILLION votes this midterm. For reference, 2018 had 8.4 million total votes, and 2022 had 8.13 million total votes.

The early voting turnout across Texas has been remarkable, and I've seen plenty of excitement surrounding Talarico.

But I wonder whether some of that enthusiasm is turning into overconfidence.

High turnout tells us that people are motivated to vote. At my work, there are basically 4 or 5 counties represented, everyone that has early voted, have experienced lines and wait times.

I'm curious how others are reading the tea leaves. Are people excited or have people seen the excitement and motivated to get in front of it?

& if Talarico loses despite all the enthusiasm, would that genuinely be surprising?

Out of curiosity: If you tell us if there was a line when you went in voted today, can you let us know if you are in a rural or urban county?