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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.
As he went on to win the presidency Tuesday night, Republican Donald Trump beat Democratic rival Hillary Clinton in Texas. Trump was on track to notch the smallest margin of victory for a GOP nominee in the Lone Star State in two decades. Full Story
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George W. Bush and Laura Bush did not vote for either major-party presidential nominee this year. Instead, they did not make a selection at the top of the ticket and voted for Republicans down ballot. Full Story
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By Tuesday's end, Donald Trump's impact on Texas elections will be clear, and Republicans may have fewer elected officials to show for it. Full Story
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In the final weeks before Election Day, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz has focused his political efforts on protecting the GOP majority in the Senate, boosting other down-ballot candidates and keeping conservative turnout from slipping in Texas. Full Story
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In the state's only competitive congressional race, incumbent U.S. Rep. Will Hurd and challenger Pete Gallego are pulling no punches in the final days of the campaign. Full Story
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From a competitive district attorney's race in Harris County to a controversial vote in Arlington over a stadium for the Texas Rangers, here are six down-ballot races in Texas to watch on Tuesday. Full Story
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In his first public appearance on behalf of his party's presidential ticket, Ted Cruz stopped far short of making an unambiguous pitch for Donald Trump, his former bitter rival in the primaries. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said Wednesday he split his ticket for the Nov. 8 elections, voting for some Democratic candidates in Travis County races where a Republican was not on the ballot. Full Story
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The Texas attorney general's lawyers recently let an appellate deadline pass and say they are preparing for his trial on three felony counts involving securities transactions in his private business dealings. Full Story
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A since-deleted tweet sent from Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller's account on Tuesday used an obscene term to describe Hillary Clinton. Miller's staff claimed he had been hacked, then apologized for a mistaken retweet. Full Story
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