Four Democrats Square Off in Special Election for Menéndez's Seat
Voters head to the polls Tuesday in San Antonio in what is expected to be the last of several special elections to fill empty seats in the Texas Legislature. 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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![Vote signs outside of early voting locations in Austin on Feb. 23, 2014.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond -
Citing Wisconsin Record, Walker Pitches Harris County GOP
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, eyeing a run for the White House in 2016, touted his fighting spirit and Midwestern thriftiness in a Saturday night speech to Harris County Republicans. Full Story
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![Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks at the Iowa Freedom Summit at the Hoyt Sherman Place theater in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015.]()
Credit: Rebecca F. Miller -
In Houston, Scott Walker Denies He Flip-Flopped on Immigration
At a Houston press conference Saturday, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker emphatically denied he recently shifted his stance on illegal immigration. Full Story
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![Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (left) and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (right) hold a news conference Saturday in Houston. Abbott and Walker, a likely 2016 presidential candidate, discussed their recent tour of the U.S.-Mexico border.]()
Credit: Patrick Svitek -
Abbott and Walker Tour the Border — Carefully
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker toured the U.S.-Mexico border Friday in a trip overshadowed by presidential politics. Full Story
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![Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tour the U.S.-Mexico border Friday. Walker is a likely 2016 presidential candidate.]()
Credit: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -
With Border Trip, Walker Wades Deeper Into Immigration Politics
When Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sets foot Friday in the Rio Grande Valley, it won't be your typical photo op on the border. Full Story
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Ethics Reform Proposals Raise Ire of Lawyers for Conservative Activists
Lawyers for some of the state's most active conservative groups expressed vocal opposition Wednesday to a series of ethics reform proposals. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Greg Abbott, Scott Walker to Tour Border Together
Likely 2016 presidential candidate Scott Walker is headed to the Texas-Mexico border on Friday, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott will be there to show him the ropes. Full Story
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For Cruz, the Easy Part Was Announcing
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz faces the next stage in his fledgling presidential candidacy: turning a splashy debut into a viable campaign. That includes showing he can raise the money needed to compete in the long haul. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz]()
Credit: Matt McClain, The Washington Post -
Ted Cruz Will Seek the Presidency
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz will announce Monday that he is seeking the Republican nomination for president, the boldest step yet in the junior Texas senator's meteoric rise. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas thanks Republican delegates in Fort Worth on June 6, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
For Likely 2016 Campaign, Perry Recruits Faces New and Old
Former Gov. Rick Perry's 2016 presidential campaign-in-waiting features both operatives who have worked with him in the past and those who are new to his political orbit. Full Story
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![Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry spoke at the Iowa Freedom Summit in Des Moines on Jan. 24, 2015.]()
Credit: Rebecca Miller
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