Former Texas state Sen. Kirk Watson running for Austin mayor
Watson was mayor of the city from 1997 to 2001 and is focused on tackling the rising cost of living, homelessness, public safety and transportation. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, speaks at a press conference on his retirement from the Texas Senate and his new upcoming position as the Founding Dean of the University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs at the Senate Press Conference Room at the Capitol on Feb. 18, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Trump’s man in Texas, has quietly amassed influence — to the detriment of fellow Republicans
Patrick urged former Gov. Rick Perry to mount a challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a third term. He’s taken the already considerable power concentrated in the state’s No. 2 job to another level, forcing opponents from races and tightening his grip on the Senate. Full Story
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Federal judges won’t halt Texas primary in state Senate district being challenged for alleged discrimination
The redrawn state Senate District 10 splits Black and Hispanic voters in Tarrant County. A full trial on whether GOP lawmakers intentionally discriminated against voters of color is expected later this year. Full Story
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![Census data from 2020 and redistricting maps at The Texas Tribune office in Austin on Oct. 7, 2021. The state population grew by nearly 4 million and was driven mainly by people of color.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: If you can’t beat ’em, change the rules
Here’s something Democrats and Republicans have in common: When lawmakers are deadlocked, leaders turn to the rulebooks, searching for angles and rule changes that would turn things their way. Full Story
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![U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on voting rights during a speech on the grounds of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia, on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022.]()
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Court reverses rebuke against state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt for wearing “pussyhat,” mocking Gov. Greg Abbott’s disability
The State Commission on Judicial Conduct had admonished Eckhardt in 2020 for her actions as Travis County judge. Full Story
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![State Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, D-Austin, questions one of her colleagues during a floor debate on April 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive last week for COVID-19 but didn’t tell Texas right away
Patrick’s office said he tested positive for COVID-19 last week and experienced mild symptoms but has since tested negative. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at a press conference concerning the recently passed Election & Ballot Security Bill, also known as Senate Bill 7, at the Texas Capitol on April 7, 2021. "Senate Bill 7 is about voter security, not about voter suppression, and I'm tired of the lies and the nest of liars who continue to repeat them," said Patrick.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close
Every statewide office, legislative seat and U.S. House district will be on the ballot next year when the state’s new political maps are expected to be used. Full Story
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![A voting sign at the South Austin Recreation Center polling site on Oct. 14, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Texas' multibillion-dollar corporate tax incentive program is slated to end in 2022. Will state officials let it die?
Critics of the Chapter 313 corporate tax incentive program say it lacks accountability and is burdensome to taxpayers in the state. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott shakes hands with Samsung CEO and Vice Chairman Ki Nam Kim at an economic announcement at the Texas Governor's Mansion on Nov. 23, 2021, in Austin. Greg Abbott was joined by U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Samsung CEO and Vice Chairman Ki Nam Kim to announce a new $17 billion chip plant in Taylor, the third such plant in the area.]()
Credit: Sergio Flores for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas’ population has changed much faster than its political maps
Texas’ population has grown 40% this century, and 91% of the new Texans are people of color. Federal judges now have to decide whether those monumental changes are reflected in the state’s political maps. Full Story
![Census data from 2020 and redistricting maps at The Texas Tribune office in Austin on Oct. 7, 2021. The state population grew by nearly 4 million and was driven mainly by people of color.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Democrat Matthew Dowd ends campaign for Texas lieutenant governor, citing need for “greater diversity”
The former George W. Bush political strategist had launched a bid to win the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor. On Tuesday, Dowd said he’s stepping aside to make way for a “diverse field” of candidates in the race. Full Story
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![Author and political strategist Matthew Dowd at a Texas Tribune event at the Austin Club on May 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
A growing number of Texas Republicans want a fourth special session to pass COVID-19 vaccine mandate ban
It remains unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott — the only official with the power to convene special sessions — will order state lawmakers back to Austin, or what issues he would include on the agenda. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan speaks with legislators on the opening day of the special session at the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott, GOP leaders allocate $4 million to fund county-level election audits
A new state law requires the secretary of state's office to audit results in four randomly selected counties every two years. Full Story
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![People wait in line to vote at Audelia Road Branch Library on the first day of early voting in Dallas on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
State Sen. John Whitmire announces he will run for Houston mayor in 2023
Whitmire, the longest-serving member of the Texas Senate, will first run for reelection to the chamber in 2022 before his mayoral run the following year. Full Story
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![State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, speaks at a press conference held by members of the Senate Democratic Caucus regarding Democrats breaking quorum and voting legislature at the Texas Capitol on July 21, 2021.]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Jay Kleberg, King Ranch scion and conservationist, to run for land commissioner as a Democrat
At least three other Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the office that GOP incumbent George P. Bush is leaving to run for attorney general. Full Story
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![Jay Kleberg.]()
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State Rep. Alex Dominguez will run to replace retiring state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. in high-stakes Democratic primary
Lucio is retiring from the Rio Grande Valley seat, and Dominguez wants to continue his legacy of focusing on education in the region. But he suggested he would take a different approach to at least a couple issues, including abortion. Full Story
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![State Rep. Alex Dominguez, D-Brownsville, hears public testimonies during the House Natural Resources Committee meeting on March 19, 2019.]()
Credit: Emree Weaver / The Texas Tribune -
Michelle Beckley, one of the Texas House’s most liberal members, joins Democratic primary for lieutenant governor
The Carrollton Democrat hopes Beto O’Rourke’s run for governor will help down-ballot Democrats next year. Full Story
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![House Elections Committee member state Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton, listens to testimony from Rep. James White, R-Hillster, regarding HB 1708 on April 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott calls for criminal investigation into availability of "pornographic books" in public schools
It’s unclear why the governor tasked the state's education agency, which does not employ law enforcement officers, to perform the investigation. Full Story
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![The library at Blanco Vista Elementary in San Marcos on Nov. 4, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Sara Stapleton Barrera, 2020 primary challenger to state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., announces comeback bid as he retires
Lucio announced Thursday that he is not seeking reelection after three decades in the Senate. Full Story
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![Sara Stapleton Barrera, a Brownsville lawyer who last year challenged state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., in downtown Brownsville on July 4, 2020. Stapleton Barrera said she is again running for the seat after Lucio decided against seeking reelection.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Texas voters split on whether voting laws should be more strict, UT/TT Poll finds
The October poll found that the percentage of Democrats who said voting rules should be less strict increased significantly, with 64% of voters taking that position compared to the 51% in August. Full Story
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![People vote inside the gym at the Metropolitan Multi-Services Center in Houston on Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Democrat Eddie Lucio Jr., known for voting with Republicans on key issues, to retire after three decades in Texas Senate
The Brownsville Democrat, who made the announcement Thursday, has served in the upper chamber since 1991. Full Story
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![State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, on the Senate floor on April 11, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune
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