In Dade Phelan's bid for Texas House speaker, trust was key
Phelan was a prominent lieutenant of current House Speaker Dennis Bonnen, whose handling of the 2019 legislative session was popular before scandal brought him down. Full Story
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Cassandra Pollock
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Cassandra Pollock was a state politics reporter for the Tribune. She joined the Tribune full-time in June 2017 after a fellowship during the 85th Texas Legislature. Pollock spent her first two years at the Trib as an engagement reporter, which meant her name likely landed in your inbox every weekday morning with “The Brief,” a newsletter on all things Texas politics and public policy. Pollock is a graduate of The University of Texas at Austin’s School of Journalism. Pollock left The Texas Tribune in 2021.
Past Contributions
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![State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, held a press conference at the Capitol to declare that he had enough votes to become Speaker of the House. Nov 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Bill filing for 2021 Texas session begins with legislation on abortion, police stops and redistricting
Thousands of bills are expected to be filed during the legislative session, when lawmakers will tackle issues including the next state budget and redrawing the state's political maps. Full Story
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![The Sergeant-At-Arms' team prepares bills, mostly House bills, marked on the calendar for the next day on May 21, 2019.]()
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Texas GOP Chair says party will not "support or accept" Republican Rep. Dade Phelan as next House speaker
Allen West, party chair, does not get to vote on the next speaker since he is not a House member. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, held a press conference at the Capitol to declare that he had enough votes to become speaker of the House. Nov 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Dade Phelan says he has votes to become speaker of Texas House
Phelan, a Republican from Beaumont, made the announcement the morning after the GOP maintained its control of the lower chamber in the 2020 elections. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, announces he has the votes to be elected the next speaker of the Texas House at a press conference at the Capitol in Austin on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Republicans appear to keep majority of Texas House
Texas Republicans appeared to have fended off a well-financed Democratic effort to gain a majority in the Texas House. Full Story
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![Republican Party emblems and signage are seen at the Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
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State Rep. Joe Moody joins the Texas House speaker's race
The El Paso Democrat becomes the eighth candidate for the leadership role. Election Day results will determine whether Republicans maintain a majority in the 150-member chamber. Full Story
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![State Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso, listens to public testimonies on his earlier parole bill on March 13, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
State Rep. Dade Phelan files to run for Texas House speaker
Phelan joins fellow Republicans Trent Ashby, Chris Paddie and Geanie Morrison in the race for speaker. He’s the seventh candidate for the position. Full Story
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![At right, Chairman Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, listens to testimonies during a State Affairs committee hearing on Feb. 27, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver/The Texas Tribune -
Texans no longer have a straight-ticket voting option. How that affects Texas House races is unclear.
With control of the Texas House on the line, Republicans and Democrats are closely monitoring the state's massive voter turnout. But with no straight-ticket voting, how many voters are getting to the end of their ballots? Full Story
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![A voter casts their ballot at the Parque Zaragoza Recreation Center in Austin on the first day of early voting on Oct. 13, 2020. Voters are able to cast their ballots early until Oct. 30, 2020.]()
Credit: Amna Ijaz/The Texas Tribune -
The race for Texas House speaker has quickly become a crowded contest as balance of power hinges on Tuesday's election
Republican state Reps. Trent Ashby, John Cyrier, Chris Paddie and Geanie Morrison are the first four from their party to file. And state Rep. Oscar Longoria became the third Democrat to file for the leadership post. Full Story
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![Empty chamber of the Texas House of Representatives at the state captiol.]()
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Texas hits record high for early voting turnout
Forty-six percent of registered voters in Texas had cast their ballots through Monday. In 2016, the percentage was 43.5% for the entire early voting period. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at a polling site at Austin Oaks Church on Oct. 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune