The Evening Brief: Nov. 8, 2012

New in The Texas Tribune:

•   Perry Keeps 2016 Door Open, Offers Advice to GOP: "About two days after his onetime rival Mitt Romney lost his bid for the White House, Gov. Rick Perry said he is keeping his options open for 2016. But he added that 2016 is 'multiple lifetimes away.'"

•   Rep. McCaul: Immigration Reform Possible Next Session: "U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, said on Thursday that passing comprehensive immigration reform is possible in the next session of Congress, but he said it would be difficult. He also is encouraged by recent developments in Mexico."

•   Speaker Candidate Hughes Promises to Decentralize Power: "State Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola and a candidate for speaker of the House, promised his colleagues on Thursday that he will decentralize power in the lower chamber if he is elected."

•   Interactive: Cost Per Vote for Texas Federal Candidates: Candidates have finished collecting and spending money, and the votes are in. Use this interactive to take a look at which federal candidates got the most bang for their campaign bucks, and who spent the most money but lost.

•   Federal Medicaid Director: Funding for Women's Health Program Expires at Year's End: "The federal government will halt funding for Texas’ Women’s Health Program on Dec. 31, the country’s Medicaid director wrote in a letter to state health officials the day after her boss, President Obama, was re-elected."

•   TribLive: Watson and Patrick on Obama's Win: "At this morning's TribLive conversation, state Sens. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Dan Patrick, R-Houston, discussed President Obama's victory Tuesday night and what it means for Texas."

Culled:

•   Canseco continues to contest race outcome (The Dallas Morning News): "The hard-fought race in the 23rd district may have ended with Democratic candidate Pete Gallego winning by 9,222 votes, but incumbent Rep. Francisco 'Quico' Canseco has still not conceded. His campaign cites voting irregularities, particularly in Maverick County, where they allege election officials double- and triple-counted some ballots, and in Zavala County, where the campaign said it had witnesses that saw Gallego ballots being photocopied."

•   Julian Castro predicts big change in Texas (CNN): "San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, a Democrat, predicted Thursday Latinos will play an expanding role in the political future of Texas, a reliably red state. 'I think when you have that ground work and when you have the right candidates to excite folks, then you're going to start to see progress and within the next six to eight years, I believe that Texas will at least be a purple state, if not a blue state,' Castro said on CNN."

•   Joaquin Castro: Latino GOP leaders need to step up (Politico): "Rep.-elect Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) said Thursday he hopes prominent Latino Republicans will lead the effort to push the GOP to compete for votes from the nation’s fastest growing population."

•   Kay Bailey Hutchison says GOP is "tainted" by candidates saying "very stupid things" (Houston Chronicle): "Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison is ready to be done with politics, but even after her replacement, Ted Cruz, has been elected she is still out there providing spin for the Grand Old Party. Specifically, she is speaking to the women, who might have — just possibly — been offended by some of the 'stupid things' said by some of the Republican candidates this election season."