Abbott Votes, Predicts Strong Showing With Latinos in Valley
Attorney General Greg Abbott voted for himself in Austin on Thursday, then confidently predicted he would reach his goal of a strong finish in heavily Latino South Texas. Full Story
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Jay Root
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Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies. In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border. Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Past Contributions
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![GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott, with wife Cecilia and daughter Audrey, leaves a south Austin polling place after voting early.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
In Rare Retraction, GOP Repudiates Flyers
After Democrat Susan Motley complained about mailers attacking her in a state House race, state GOP chairman Steve Munisteri agreed that the ads were inaccurate. And he's issued a rare retraction to voters in North Texas. Full Story
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![Texas Republican Party chairman Steve Munisteri speaks to the Grassroots Club in Fort Worth on June 5, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Perry Calls for "Clean Break" From Obama Era
Gov. Rick Perry took his national ambition to California Monday, bemoaning what he described as a country adrift at home and abroad and predicting that Americans will demand dramatic change in the next presidential election. Perry hit on job creation, foreign policy, energy and more. Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library on Oct. 27, 2014.]()
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Abbott Raises Over $45 Million in Governor's Race
Attorney General Greg Abbott has raised over $45 million in the race for Texas governor, including about $4 million in the last month alone. Full Story
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Davis Optimistic Despite Long Odds
Democrat Wendy Davis, trying to energize young voters on the University of Texas campus in Austin Monday, said she’s seeing hopeful turnout trends despite a torrent of polls that show she’s losing the governor’s race to Attorney General Greg Abbott by double digits. Full Story
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Davis: I'd Be "Thrilled" to Have Obama on Campaign Trail
While many Democrats in southern states are running away from Barack Obama as fast as they can, Sen. Wendy Davis leaned into her embrace of the president on Wednesday, saying she would welcome him on the campaign trail. Full Story
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![Despite a double-digit shortfall in most early polls, Democratic candidate Wendy Davis predicts victory in the race for Texas governor on Oct. 22, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
State Fights Release of Race Records
The Texas Department of Insurance is fighting the Tribune’s request for records that could shed light on why the agency has failed to collect racial data on injured workers, despite a 1993 law that requires it. Full Story
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![Glenn Johnson, 55, was injured in a smelting accident near Amarillo in 1997 in which a furnace filled with molten metal exploded, crushed him and left major burns over 90 percent of his body. His left arm was amputated and all but two the muscles in his right forearm were removed.]()
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Control Eluded State Leaders in Ebola Crisis
Gov. Rick Perry and other Texas leaders are pointing fingers at the Obama administration for botching the Ebola response. But the state did not use its own power to restrict travel and limit possible spread of the deadly virus. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry at a press conference on Oct. 17, 2014, discussing the state's Ebola prevention efforts.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
Davis Says Controversial Ad Has Been "Incredibly Effective"
Several days into the media firestorm over the release of an ad that features an empty wheelchair, state Sen. Wendy Davis isn’t pulling back one inch from the harsh attacks on Attorney General Greg Abbott. Full Story
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![Texas gubernatorial Democratic candidate Sen. Wendy Davis speaks to group of supporters at Guero's Taco Bar on October 15th, 2014 in Austin, Texas]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
A Day in the Life of Sam Houston and His Very Lonely Campaign
With little money and swimming against the tide in conservative Texas, Democrat Sam Houston has little choice but to campaign for attorney general "the old fashioned way" — on the cheap, and largely from the front seat of his Toyota Prius. Full Story
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![Sam Houston, the Democratic nominee for Texas attorney general, in Houston on Oct. 7, 2014. Despite his GOP opponent's ethical troubles, Houston faces long odds and is struggling to draw attention.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato