President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio plan to visit an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude in Port Arthur on Tuesday, according to a congressional aide and two U.S. officials. The coastal stop puts a spotlight on the administration’s push to process Venezuelan crude in Texas refineries, a message aimed squarely at the Gulf Coast energy workforce.

The same day, the President has campaign rallies scheduled in Corpus Christi and Lubbock, where he’s working to boost Senate candidate Ken Paxton in a tight race against Democrat James Talarico. It’s unclear whether Rubio will join any of the campaign events, but the trip marks the first time he’s traveled politically with Trump since becoming president. For Waxahachie and the rest of Ellis County, the story is a reminder that energy decisions made on the coast ripple back through our communities.

Whatever your politics, the day captures how policy and politics are running on parallel tracks in Texas this fall. Do you think official visits and campaign stops should be kept separate? Let us know what you think.