In Legislature, Even Fewer White Democrats
After the winners of Tuesday’s elections are sworn in, there will be only seven white Democrats left in the Texas Legislature. Full Story
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Alexa Ura
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Alexa Ura reported for The Texas Tribune from 2013 to 2023. She covered the complex dynamics of race, ethnicity, wealth, poverty and power and how they are shaping the future of Texas and Texans, in the long and short term. Alexa started at the Tribune as a reporting intern before graduating from the University of Texas at Austin and joining the staff full time. Originally from Laredo on the Texas-Mexico border, she is a native Spanish speaker and is based in Austin.
Past Contributions
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![Rep. Donna Howard (D-48) on the floor of the Texas House, February 15, 2011.]()
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Patrick Wins Big in Bid for Lieutenant Governor
Republican state Sen. Dan Patrick cruised to a landslide victory Tuesday night in the race for lieutenant governor, easily defeating Democratic opponent, Leticia Van de Putte. For more election results, see our Election Scoreboard. Full Story
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![State Sen. Dan Patrick celebrates his election as the next lieutenant governor of Texas in Houston on November 4th, 2014.]()
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Battleground Misfires on Voter Turnout Memo
Oops. Battleground Texas, a liberal group working to boost Democratic hopes in conservative Texas, admitted Friday that its boasts of increased early voter turnout were wrong. Full Story
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![Jeremy Bird speaking at The Texas Tribune Festival on Sep. 28, 2013]()
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Early Voting Turnout Rate Down in Most of State
With early voting wrapping up Friday, turnout numbers don't seem to reflect much result from Democratic efforts to cultivate new voters. Full Story
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![Early voting at the Acres Home Multiservice Center in Houston on Oct. 26, 2014.]()
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Van de Putte's Statewide Bus Tour Ventures off Democrats' Beaten Path
State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, is reaching out to voters in conservative hotbeds in North and East Texas — a nod to Democrats’ dependence on increasing voter turnout in statewide races. Full Story
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![State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte waves to the delegates at the 2014 Texas Democratic Convention held at the Dallas Convention Center on June 27, 2014.]()
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Changing Demographics Create a Battleground in North Texas District
Democrats are hoping to take advantage of the shifting demographics in Irving to flip Texas House District 105, which has been held by a Republican for more than a decade. Full Story
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![A nod to the city's changing demographics, the masthead for a branch of Jefferson Dental Clinics in Irving, Texas includes a large Spanish-language sign on its storefront that reads, “A friend of the Hispanic family.”]()
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Dallas Hospital Apologizes for "Mistakes" in Ebola Care
A representative of the Dallas hospital under scrutiny for its handling of the first Ebola case in the United States apologized on Thursday for mistakes he said the facility made when it initially misdiagnosed the patient. Full Story
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![Ebola virus virion. Created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith, this colorized transmission electron micrograph (TEM) revealed some of the ultrastructural morphology displayed by an Ebola virus virion.]()
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Details Yet to Emerge in Patrick's Tax Proposal
Dan Patrick, the GOP nominee for lieutenant governor, has made clear that he wants to lower property taxes. What he has left unclear — both to voters and to prominent business groups that have endorsed him — is exactly how he'll do that. Full Story
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![Dan Patrick, the Republican nominee for lieutenant governor, is shown at the Texas Republican Convention in Fort Worth on June 7, 2014.]()
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U.S. Supreme Court Puts Provision of Texas Abortion Law on Hold
A provision of the Texas abortion law that closed all but eight abortion facilities in the state almost two weeks ago was put on hold Tuesday by the U.S. Supreme Court. Full Story
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5th Circuit Won't Reconsider Abortion Restrictions Lawsuit
The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday refused to reconsider a March ruling that allowed Texas to require physicians who perform abortions to obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of an abortion facility. Full Story
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Credit: Todd Wiseman / Callie Richmond