Listen to the top TribCasts of 2016

2016 Year in Review

For those obsessed with Texas government and politics, 2016 was filled with big news, from the somber (the ambush of police officers in Dallas) to the absurd (University of Texas students toting dildos to protest the new campus carry gun law). And then there was the election. Here's our roundup of the year's most memorable Texas stories.

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For those of us who look forward to the Texas Tribune TribCast each and every week, 2016 was the ultimate gift.

Donald Trump and his pre-presidential antics headlined a whopping 19 episodes; Ted Cruz was the subject of 12, including a special edition the day after he refused to endorse his party's nominee.

Rick Perry went on Dancing With The Stars. Dan Patrick called for transgender bathroom legislation. And then there was Sid Miller: He mistakenly tweeted out a disgusting word, complained about a steak that tasted more like prime rib and defended repeatedly posting fake news on Facebook.

Add UT-Austin's "campus dildo carry" protest to the mix and we officially kept you cringing for a solid 52 weeks.

Best of all, you got to watch us blush right along with you — thanks to our midyear decision to use Facebook Live to stream all of our TribCasts.  

Here, below, are the most-downloaded TribCasts of 2016. Catch up before we ring in the new year of TribCast debauchery!

1. Iowa, New Hampshire, Immigration and Ken Paxton — Feb. 3, 2016

Ross talks to Evan, Julián and Patrick about the state of the presidential primaries, new flashpoints in the immigration debate and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s latest tribulations.

2. Hell and High Water, Presidential Politics — March 9, 2016

Ross talks to Evan, Neena and Patrick about the state's lack of readiness for hurricanes the size of Ike and what a big storm would do to Houston and Texas, and the latest from the campaign trail, where Cruz is trying to make the GOP contest a two-candidate race.

3. Trump in Texas, Campus Dildo Carry, Transgender Students — Aug. 24, 2016

Emily talks to Evan, Ross and Patrick about Donald Trump's newsworthy swing through Texas, a dildo-heavy campus carry protest at UT-Austin and a legal strike against President Obama's policy on transgender students.

3. Unholstered, Trump’s Mexican Jaunt and Perry’s Two-Step — Aug. 31, 2016

Patrick talks to Alexa, Evan and Ross about the Tribune’s Unholstered investigation, Donald Trump’s trip to Mexico and Rick Perry joining the next season of “Dancing With the Stars,” as well as speculation that the former governor would challenge Ted Cruz. 

4. Presidential Politics, Straus' Priorities and College Rankings — Sept. 14, 2016

Patrick talks to Ayan, Edgar and Alexa about the latest on the presidential race in Texas, Joe Straus' priorities for the next session and how Texas schools fared in the latest college rankings.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. A complete list of Tribune donors and sponsors can be viewed here. 

Read more year-in-review stories here.