Dissecting Tuesday’s party primary runoffs in Texas

In this edition of the TribCast, the first one after the party primary runoffs, Texas Tribune Executive Editor Ross Ramsey sits down with Political Editor Aman Batheja and reporters Patrick Svitek and Emma Platoff.

Among the topics this week:

1. The Runoffs

Democrats nominated an openly gay Latina for governor — a first, and both parties filled out their ballots for Congress and the Legislature. What’s it all mean? What were the takeaways from this very low turnout election?

2. The winners and losers

Some candidates tried to offset low voter interest with endorsements and donations and help from better-known state officials, like House Speaker Joe Straus and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Who’s endorsees did best? Worst?

3. Whatyamacallits

The post-election analyses in the news media prompted a quiet but fervent conversation about how to describe the different Republican factions that took part in Tuesday’selections. Apparently, everybody wants to be a conservative of some kind, and nobody wants to be a moderate of any kind.

4. Guns, schools and politics

After ten were killed and 13 were wounded in a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School, southeast of Houston, last week, Gov. Greg Abbott has convened groups of lawmakers and opinion leaders to talk about what the state can do to protect students in the state’s public schools.

Thanks for tuning in! We’ll see you next week!