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Republican Party Of Texas

The latest Republican Party Of Texas news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Updated: Perry Flirting With White House Run

    By Jay Root

    Texas Gov. Rick Perry, in his boldest statement yet about a possible run for national office, said Friday he will think about launching a campaign for president in coming days. "I'm going to think about it," Perry said. He quickly added, "I think about a lot of things." Full Story 

    Gov. Rick Perry ceremonially signs the Voter ID on May 27, 2011.
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • TribLive: Three GOP Lawmakers on the "Outside Groups"

    By Evan Smith

    At this morning's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about the influence of so-called outside groups on the 82nd Legislative Session. Full Story 

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  • AUDIO: Crownover, Taylor and Williams at TribLive

    By Evan Smith

    At this morning's TribLive conversation, I interviewed three veteran lawmakers — state Rep. Myra Crownover, R-Lake Dallas, state Rep. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood, and state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands — about how they and their Republican colleagues fared this session. Full Story 

    TribLive with State Rep. Myra Crownover (l), State Rep. Larry Taylor (c) and Sen. Tommy Williams (r).
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Dan Patrick for U.S. Senate? Stay Tuned, He Says

    By Jay Root

    State Sen. Dan Patrick, a radio talk show host who has been courting Tea Party activists, is promising to tell reporters Friday whether or not he will try to make a jump to the U.S Senate to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story 

    State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, listens to an aide on the Senate floor on May 16, 2011.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • Perry Won't Rule Out 2012 Run

    By Jay Root

    With conservatives aching for more choices in 2012, Gov. Rick Perry declined Tuesday to rule out a White House bid. “I’ve said multiple times I’m not going to get distracted from my work at hand, and I’m not going to get distracted today, either,” Perry said. Full Story 

    Gov. Perry ceremonially signs HB 15, which requires a woman to have a sonogram before an abortion. He is joined by Sen. Dan Patrick R-Houston and Rep. Sid Miller R-Stephenville on May 24th, 2011
    Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera

  • Berman Leads Charge From GOP's Right Flank

    By Reeve Hamilton

    In 2009, state Rep. Leo Berman's bills — like the ones restricting illegal immigrants to certain geographical regions and denying them access to higher education — failed to gain traction. But with a Republican supermajority now in control, this could very well be the session of Leo. Full Story 

    Former state Rep. Leo Berman, R-Tyler, is shown in 2011.
    Credit: Justin Dehn

  • TribBlog: Patrick Wades Into Caucus Controversy

    By Evan Smith

    A speaker preference vote in the House Republican Caucus is "simply the right thing to do," state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, said Friday night, wading into a roiling controversy that has pit Republican against Republican in the aftermath of November's election. Full Story 

    State Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston.
    Credit: Candidate photo

  • Congressional Clout

    By Matt Stiles

    For the seventh consecutive decade, Texas will gain seats in the U.S. House of Representatives after the decennial apportionment process, which means extra clout after the 2012 elections. With Republicans in control of redrawing the state's congressional districts — and adding the four new seats — they stand to benefit the most. Full Story 

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    Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Ross Ramsey

    Ramshaw on how hard it is to sue over emergency room mistakes, Galbraith on paying for roads in an era of fuel-efficient vehicles, Aguilar on a disagreement about gun regulation, my interview with tort reformer Dick Trabulsi, Grissom on Perry's parsimonious pardoning, Hu and Chang interactively look at House committee chairs, M. Smith on an election challenge and who'll settle it, Ramshaw and Stiles on Dallas County's blue streak and Hamilton on a Valley school district that leads the nation in preparing kids for college: The best of our best from Dec. 20 to 24, 2010. Full Story 

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  • Interactive: Committee Chairs

    By Elise Hu and Christopher Chang

    All the schmoozing and strategizing involved in seeking the job of House Speaker is worth it come February, when the leader of the lower chamber gets to choose the chairmen of committees, who have the power to stop, slow or speed legislation through the process. Click the tabs on this interactive table to see what the chairmanships looked like in 2009 and who’s coming back to the House in 2011. Full Story 

  • D is for Democratic

    By Emily Ramshaw and Matt Stiles

    Texas may be reddening, but Dallas County’s turning a darker shade of blue. While the GOP picked up hotly contested Dallas-area state House seats in November, the county voted for challenger Bill White over incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry by a margin of 12 percentage points. Straight-ticket voters also helped Democratic District Attorney Craig Watkins cling to his office in a squeaker and gave the County Commissioners Court its first Democratic majority in nearly 30 years. Full Story 

    Dallas County has grown increasingly Democratic in the last decade. In the map, darker precincts represent support for Democrats Tony Sanchez and Bill White, who ran in 2002 and 2010, respectively.
    Credit: Graphic by Ben Hasson/Matt Stiles

  • A Tale of Two Switchers

    By Ross Ramsey

    Now that state Reps. Allan Ritter of Nederland and Aaron Peña of Edinburg have ditched the Democrats, attention turns to how they'll hold on to their seats. The former is following a time-tested strategy that has worked for others. The latter is challenging political history. Full Story 

    State Representatives Aaron Pena and Allan Ritter announce their switch to the Republican Party in a press conference at Republican Party of Texas headquarters in Austin.
    Credit: Bob Daemmrich

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    By Evan Smith

    Ramsey on what a GOP supermajority means, Ramshaw on a crime victim not eligible for crime victims' compensation, M. Smith on grave matters and state regulation, Hamilton on the college pipeline at San Antonio's Jefferson High, Hu on a senator's anticlimactic return, Grissom on the coming closure of juvenile lockups, Aguilar on the return of residents to their drug-war-torn Mexican town, Galbraith on next session's energy agenda, Philpott on the legal fight over federal health care reform and Stiles on the travel expenses of House members: The best of our best from Dec. 13 to 17, 2010. Full Story 

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  • Guest Column: Yes, Invest in Texas Democrats

    By Chris Bell

    If we ever hope to see the change we desire, we have to continue to support our candidates — even after a terrible loss. The alternative is to simply give up, and just as that was not acceptable for Republicans when they found themselves on the losing side, it’s not acceptable for us. Full Story 

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