Big bucks — and a big donor — fuel Allen West's bid for Texas GOP chair
West has raised more than 25 times what incumbent James Dickey has — and more than half of West's haul came from conservative megadonor Richard Uihlein. 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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![Former U.S. Congressman and retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Allen West gives remarks during TPPR's Policy Orientation on February 9, 2018.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
New campaign finance reports help crystallize fight for state House majority
The reports, which were due Wednesday, provide the first fundraising checkpoint since the candidate fields were finalized last month. Full Story
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![State Capitol on June 20, 2017.]()
Credit: Austin Price for The Texas Tribune -
Will Hurd's legacy casts shadow over Republican primary to replace him in the U.S. House
Hurd has endorsed Navy veteran Tony Gonzales in the nine-way GOP primary for the battleground 23rd District. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, listens as Ambassador Kurt Volker, the former U.S. special envoy for Ukraine, and National Security Council official Timothy Morrison testify before the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in a public hearing on the impeachment inquiry into allegations President Donald Trump pressured Ukraine to investigate his political rivals. Nov. 19, 2019.]()
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Former Castro supporters in Texas switch to Biden after Castro drops out
The new endorsements come a day after Castro, who ended his campaign last week, threw his support to one of Biden's opponents, Elizabeth Warren. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe biden speaks at a community event in San Antonio on Dec. 13, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
National Democrats target Republican candidate over a child abuse case in battleground state House race
A Democratic super PAC is unveiling a TV ad that focuses on decades-old accusations authorities dropped against Gary Gates, the Republican running against Democrat Eliz Markowitz in the nationally watched contest for Texas House District 28. Full Story
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![HD-28 candidates Democrat Elizabeth “Eliz” Markowitz and Republican Gary Gates will likely face each other in a runoff election to replace outgoing state Rep. John Zerwas in the Fort Bend County district.]()
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Tzintzún Ramirez deals with back-to-back criticism in Democratic primary to challenge Cornyn
The candidate has had to confront backlash to two episodes in recent days: comments about her Mexican heritage and an endorsement from actress Susan Sarandon. Full Story
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![Cristina Tzintzún, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks at event for democratic supporters at Collin County Community College on Sept. 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
Julián Castro endorses Elizabeth Warren days after ending presidential campaign
The former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor says there's "one candidate I see who's unafraid to fight like hell to make sure America's promise will be there for everyone." Full Story
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![Presidential candidates Julián Castro and Massachusetts Senator and Elizabeth Warren hug as they meet supporters during the Polk County Democrats Steak Fry in Water Works Park in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019]()
Credit: Brian Powers/The Register/USA TODAY NETWORK via Reuters -
Joe Biden endorses Democrat in battleground Texas House special election
The leading Democratic presidential candidate is wading into the Jan. 28 special election runoff for House District 28. Full Story
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![Democratic candidate for president Joe Biden has endorsed Democrat Eliz Markowitz for Texas House district 28.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune | Social media -
In his presidential campaign, Julián Castro stood out but couldn’t break out
The former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor ended his White House bid Thursday after failing to see efforts to distinguish himself translate into reliable support. Full Story
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![Presidential candidate Julian Castro speaks to the crowd during a rally at Warehouse Live on Monday, Sept. 9, 2019, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Julián Castro drops out of presidential race
Castro’s departure means there will be no Texans competing in the Democratic presidential primary. Full Story
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![Julián Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio and the former secretary of House and Urban Development, announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination on Jan. 12, 2019. Castro made the announcement in Guadalupe Plaza in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune