What a year it was: Here are some of our top video stories from 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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Where to begin with 2016? The year saw an election season like no other, Texas officials on the national stage and debates over state issues that could be in the headlines for years to come.

Below are just some of the most popular videos The Texas Tribune produced in a whirlwind  year of shake-ups, break-ups and make-ups.

Bathroom battle

After North Carolina passed legislation stating that individuals must use restrooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificates, Texas Republicans discussed plans for similar legislation this spring at the state GOP convention in Dallas.

Parents of transgender students in Texas responded, saying that innocent children were being targeted for political purposes.

Campus carry

A new Texas law allowing concealed handgun license holders to carry their weapons on state university campuses took effect on the 50th anniversary of the day that a gunman killed more than a dozen people after opening fire from the University of Texas Tower.

New de-escalation training for officers

A new law enforcement training course offered across the state helps officers spot the signs of a person dealing with a head injury and mental illness. In the wake of a string of police shootings across the country and the shooting deaths of Dallas police officers this summer, officers in the course say they see it as one more tool to help them de-escalate situations.

Conventions, elections and tensions:

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas won the first race of the 2016 Republican presidential primary season, beating out a packed field in February Iowa's caucuses. As he celebrated the victory, he told supporters he was confident his campaign could go the distance, but he fell short as Donald Trump won the nomination on his way to winning the White House.

By July, Cruz was a former presidential candidate. After he failed to endorse Trump at the GOP national convention, many Republicans expressed anger with Cruz's decision.

While many Texas Republicans rallied against Trump's run for president, several changed tune after his nomination.

Texas Democrats weren't without their own discord. Tensions erupted while Bernie Sanders supporters criticized Hillary Clinton at the Democratic National Convention during a Texas delegation breakfast meeting.

Read more year-in-review stories here.