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Texas Democratic Party

The latest Texas Democratic Party news from The Texas Tribune.

  • Debt Becomes Her?

    By Morgan Smith

    Don’t look now, but the Texas GOP, the party of budgetary teetotalers, has been piling up debt like a college kid with his first credit card — and that has put chair Cathie Adams in the hot seat a month before she seeks reelection at the state Republican convention. Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Jacob Villanueva

  • A Matter of Trust

    By Ross Ramsey

    The D.C.-based Texas Democratic Trust began as an attempt to revive flagging Democratic institutions in Texas and is now a critical source of funding for them and a host of consultants. That has made its director, Matt Angle, as powerful as most political bosses in other states. Maybe too powerful, his critics say. Full Story 

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  • Runoff Day: A Spectator's Guide

    By Ross Ramsey

    Today’s elections in 18 Texas primary races, all but two involving Republicans, probably won't change the overall temperature of the statehouse or our delegation to Congress. The partisan makeup of those places isn't at stake until November. But for three House incumbents and challengers in two other races — for the State Board of Education and the Texas Supreme Court — how the vote turns out is a big deal. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • Tipping the Scales

    By Morgan Smith

    If Rick Green wins his runoff against Debra Lehrmann on Tuesday, Democrats will be licking their chops — but do they really have a shot of occupying their first Texas Supreme Court seat in more than 10 years? Full Story 

    Rick Green and Judge Debra Lehrmann at a Young Republicans debate in San Antonio.
    Credit: Morgan Smith

  • 2010: What's on the Special?

    By Ross Ramsey

    Voters in Central Texas, Dallas and Plano will get to vote for the third month in a row in May, in special elections for the Texas House and Senate. Three officeholders — Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, and Reps. Terri Hodge, D-Dallas, and Brian McCall, R-Plano — resigned before their terms were up. Today was the deadline for candidate filing. Full Story 

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  • 2010: Trouble in the Chavez Camp

    By Brandi Grissom

    Three sources close to the campaign of Democratic state Rep. Norma Chavez in Austin and El Paso today are reporting that some of her closest local campaign staffers are abandoning ship just a week before the April 13 election. Full Story 

    Norma Chavez works attaches a campaign button to the sweater of one of her supporters at an El Paso senior center before the 2010 Democratic primary election.
    Credit: Brandi Grissom

  • 2010: Chavez: No to Gay Marriage. Yes to Civil Unions?

    By Brandi Grissom

    State Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, says the reason her opponent Naomi Gonzalez's sexual orientation is important as a political issue is because it could affect her vote on legislation involving gay marriage. Texas legislators and voters statewide already prohibited gay marriage in this state with a constitutional amendment in 2005. So, the story got me wondering whether Chavez voted against that measure. Full Story 

    Naomi Gonzalez (left), Norma Chavez (right)

  • The Runoffs: HD-76

    By Brandi Grissom

    Naomi Gonzalez calls state Rep. Norma Chavez, D-El Paso, a GOP darling, a drinker and a public embarrassment. Chavez calls Gonzalez homosexual, naive and a Republican. The bashing and brawling in this heavily Democratic district is truly something to behold — and there's still more than a week until runoff day. Full Story 

    Naomi Gonzalez (left), Norma Chavez (right)

  • Advice for Bill White

    By Evan Smith

    He has 31 weeks to make his case that we should fire Rick Perry and hire him instead. But when should he introduce himself to voters? When should he start attacking the governor? When should he spend his millions? Democratic strategists Glenn Smith and Keir Murray and blogger Charles Kuffner answer those and other pressing questions for the Democratic gubernatorial nominee. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller

  • Redistricting Reality

    By Ross Ramsey

    In 2011, political mapmakers will take the latest census numbers (Texas is expected to have a population of more than 25 million) and use them to draw new congressional and legislative districts. The last time this was done, in 2003, Republican mappers took control of the U.S. House by peeling away seats from the Democrats. This time, Texas is poised to add up to four seats to its congressional delegation — and early numbers indicate bad news ahead for West Texas and other areas that haven't kept up with the state's phenomenal growth. Full Story 

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    Credit: Matt Stiles

  • The Brief: March 16, 2010

    By Julián Aguilar

    U.S. authorities teamed with Mexican law enforcement agents on Monday and scoured the streets of the border city of Juarez in search of clues to the weekend murder of three people, including two U.S. citizens, with ties to the U.S. Consulate in that violent city. Full Story 

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  • The Curious Case of Kesha Rogers

    By Elise Hu

    She's their nominee for Congress in Tom DeLay's old district, but Kesha Rogers — who considers health care reform "fascist" and wants Barack Obama impeached — has few friends in the Democratic Party. Full Story 

  • HD-100: Johnson Claims Victory

    By Emily Ramshaw

    With 60 percent of precincts counted, Dallas attorney Eric Johnson has a more than 40 percentage point lead over incumbent Rep. Terri Hodge in the District 100 Democratic primary. Hodge pled guilty last month in a citywide corruption scandal. Because there is no Republican or Libertarian running for the seat in the general election, Johnson doesn't have to wait until November to claim victory. Full Story 

    Democrat Eric Johnson campaigns to replace incumbent Dallas Rep. Terri Hodge in House District 100. Hodge has pleaded guilty to lying on her tax return.
    Credit: Eric Johnson campaign

  • The Straight Story

    By Reeve Hamilton

    One distinguishing feature of primary night is the absence of straight-ticket voting, which is why certain races that seem winnable now simply aren't in the fall. Take Collin County, where straight-ticket ballots favored R's over D's on Election Day 2008 at a rate of 66 to 33 percent. A Democrat “has literally got to be Jesus Christ running against Judas or he loses,” an analyst says. Full Story 

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    Credit: Caleb Bryant Miller