Ken Paxton wins third term as attorney general, beating Democrat Rochelle Garza
In a difficult cycle for Democrats, the race was widely seen as the most competitive statewide election because of Paxton’s laundry list of legal troubles. Full Story
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James Barragán was a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and previously had stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a 2023-24 Nieman Fellow at Harvard. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks to supporters Paxton Watch Party Barn in Plano after being re-elected on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke has lost three races in four years. Is his political career over?
He has been the Texas Democratic Party’s great hope. But after failed runs for senator, president and governor, observers wonder if he has a political future. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke is interviewed by the press after a town hall over the shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde and gun reform in Dallas on June 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
South Texas, Abbott vs. O’Rourke, and Harris County: Here are the biggest things to watch for on election night
While the GOP focuses on the border and economy under President Joe Biden, Democrats are hoping to prove polls and political forecasters wrong by tapping into anger over the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the Uvalde school shooting. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O'Rourke, left, and Gov. Greg Abbott during a debate in Edinburg on Sept. 30, 2022.]()
Credit: Courtesy of News Nation -
Caught between feuding politicians, nonprofits shoulder burden of Texas’ migrant busing program
Texas has transported about 13,000 migrants to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. But in the absence of communication between the state and those cities, nonprofits are having to pick up the pieces for this mass movement of migrants. Full Story
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![Migrants transported from Texas arrive at the Port Authority bus terminal in New York City, New York on Aug. 25, 2022.]()
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Dan Flynn, who served 18 years in the Texas House, has died at 79
He also served much of his life in the military, including the U.S. Army, the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas State Guard. Full Story
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![Former state Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton, on the House Floor on May 8, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Tony Gonzales becomes first major Republican to call for DPS Director Steve McCraw to resign
The representative called for McCraw’s resignation after the Department of Public Safety director said in a meeting that the agency had not failed the city of Uvalde. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, speaks with a reporter at a Starbucks in San Antonio on Aug. 24, 2022.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Greg Abbott is a fundraising juggernaut, and is Lina Hidalgo in trouble?
On this week’s podcast, James, Zach and Patrick discuss the governor’s fundraising and a surprisingly competitive race for Hidalgo, the Harris County judge. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott poses for a photo with supporters the morning after the only gubernatorial debate with Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in Harlingen on Oct. 1, 2022. Gov. Abbott and his campaign Texans for Greg Abbott met for a block walk in Harlingen asking voters for their support.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton, Texas’ election denier-in-chief, closes in on third term
That Paxton is so close to securing his reelection this November as the state’s chief legal officer is raising alarms from election experts about the impact he could have on future contested elections, particularly if Donald Trump runs for president again in 2024. Full Story
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![State Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at his primary election results watch party in McKinney on March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Bexar County sheriff certifies that migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard are crime victims, clearing path for special visas
The move clears a pathway for those people to get a special visa to stay in the country that they otherwise would not have received. Full Story
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![Venezuelan migrants stand outside St. Andrew's Church in Edgartown, Massachusetts, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, on Sept. 14, 2022.]()
Credit: Ray Ewing/Vineyard Gazette/Handout via REUTERS -
Operation Lone Star troops could owe feds tax money thanks to state’s payroll error
On Thursday, officials with the Texas Military Department acknowledged that the payroll system they used for the mission has withheld too little in federal taxes from service members’ paychecks. Full Story
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![Members of the Texas National guard sit in the shade with people who were apprehended by state troopers after crossing the border were brought to the International Bridge in Eagle Pass on Thursday, May 28, 2022. Those who were caught were handed over to Border Patrol custody.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune