Five ways Texas shaped this year's wild presidential race
The reliably Republican state played host to an action-packed March 1 primary and gave the GOP primary field one of its last men standing, then grappled with Trump's nomination. Full Story
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Patrick Svitek
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Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. Patrick graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Past Contributions
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![Scenes from Donald Trump's campaign stop in Austin on Aug. 23, 2016.]()
Credit: Todd Wiseman / The Texas Tribune -
Former A&M President Elsa Murano under consideration for agriculture secretary
Elsa Murano, former president of Texas A&M University, is under consideration to be President-elect Donald Trump's agriculture secretary, according to his transition team. Full Story
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![Elsa Murano, former Texas A&M president.]()
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Lawsuit proceeds against Gov. Greg Abbott over mock nativity display
A lawsuit is moving forward against Gov. Greg Abbott over his order to remove a satirical nativity scene from the Texas Capitol last year. Full Story
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![Winter Solstice scene on display in the Capitol. It was ordered removed after Gov. Greg Abbott objected to it.]()
Credit: Courtesy State Rep. Charlie Geren -
Texans Susan Combs, Sid Miller at center of Trump ag secretary speculation
The race to be President-elect Donald Trump's agriculture secretary is heating up, and two Texans appear to be at the center of it. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, left, and former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs.]()
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Former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs to meet with Trump team
A new name from Texas is surfacing as President-elect Donald Trump works to fill his administration: former state Comptroller Susan Combs. Full Story
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![Former Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on November 16, 2016. Combs has started a project to help women called HERdacity and written a book, Texas Tenacity: A Call for Women to Direct Their Destiny. The project is an online community aimed at empowering women and the book will be released in early 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Skelding for The Texas Tribune -
Texas electors cast 36 votes for Trump, 1 for Kasich and 1 for Ron Paul
All but two of Texas' 38 electors voted Monday to officially put Donald Trump in the White House, with one elector casting a ballot for Ohio Gov. John Kasich and another voting for a fellow Texan, former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul. Full Story
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![Elector Christopher Suprun, who said he will vote for Ohio Gov. John Kasich instead of Donald Trump, is sworn in at the Texas Capitol as a member of the Electoral College on December 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
DNC chair hopefuls make pitches with an eye on Texas
The debate over the future of the Democratic Party came to Austin on Saturday, with all five candidates for national party chairman pitching activists on the path forward after a devastating loss in the presidential election. Full Story
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![Five candidates to chair the Democratic National Committee speaking in Austin (clockwise, from top left): Idaho Democratic Party Executive Director Sally Boynton Brown; New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley; U.S. Congressman Keith Ellison; U.S. Secretary of Labor Tom Perez; and South Carolina Democratic Party Chair Jaime Harrison.]()
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Texas GOP readies for closely watched Electoral College vote
Texas Republicans are preparing for a closely watched Electoral College vote Monday in what is normally an afterthought to a presidential election. Full Story
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![Chair Tom Mechler at the GOP state convention on May 12, 2016.]()
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In SEC case, Paxton lawyers zero in on Rep. Byron Cook
Fighting federal civil fraud allegations, Attorney General Ken Paxton is zeroing in on state Rep. Byron Cook's credibility in a new push to discredit the latest claims. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton entered a federal courthouse in Sherman on Sept. 2, 2016. Paxton's lawyers argued in a hearing that the federal civil fraud case against him should be dismissed.]()
Credit: Cooper Neill for The Texas Tribune -
Trump officially selects former Gov. Rick Perry for energy secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has officially selected former Gov. Rick Perry, a former rival turned loyalist, to lead the Department of Energy. Full Story
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![Gov. Rick Perry addresses media at a press conference following the unveiling of his official portrait at the Texas Capitol on May 6, 2016]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera