The latest Texas Senate news from The Texas Tribune.
Throughout the night, our liveblog will keep you updated on the results of general election battles statewide, from the first early voting totals through the last ballots counted, from local legislative races to the governor's race. Full Story
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State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, is reaching out to voters in conservative hotbeds in North and East Texas — a nod to Democrats’ dependence on increasing voter turnout in statewide races. Full Story
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State Rep. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, has won Tuesday's special election for Senate District 28, avoiding a runoff in the six-candidate race. He will take the seat vacated by Robert Duncan, who is now the chancellor of the Texas Tech University System. Full Story
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As Sen. Leticia Van de Putte reaches for one of the most powerful jobs in Texas, the blurred lines between her private work and public role are giving rise to familiar questions in a part-time Legislature. Full Story
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With fewer than 10 weeks remaining until Election Day, almost all of the Texas races for Congress and the Legislature are all but over. Just a handful of competitive races remain. Full Story
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UPDATED: Asked why the state had delayed a transition away from lower passing standards on state exams, Texas Education Commissioner Michael Williams told state lawmakers Tuesday that classroom instruction had failed to meet the rigor demanded by the new tests. Full Story
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At a state Senate Finance Committee hearing Tuesday, senators debated the merits and tactical strategies of Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to send Texas National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Full Story
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State Rep. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, has defeated state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, in a special election runoff for a vacant Houston-area state Senate seat. Full Story
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Pretty soon, Texas lawmakers will have to decide who is a reporter — and who isn't. Full Story
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After appointing Sen. Jane Nelson to chair the Senate Finance Committee, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has picked Sen. Charles Schwertner to replace her as the head of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Full Story
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House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, enters the next legislative session as a clear favorite for re-election, but the issues raised in the conservative wave in this year's elections could dominate the Legislature's calendar. Full Story
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UPDATED: With all of the precincts counted, Brandon Creighton and Steve Toth finished first and second and appear headed for a runoff in the contest to succeed Tommy Williams in the Texas Senate. Full Story
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Former state Rep. Mark Shelton and Tea Party favorite Konni Burton are vying in a Republican runoff election for the state Senate seat left open by Wendy Davis. It's a swing district that both political parties are paying close attention to. Full Story
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State Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, says his long tenure in office is an asset. Donald Huffines, who is challenging him in a contentious Republican primary race, says he's too liberal and too corrupt to represent a conservative Senate district. Full Story
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At Thursday's TribLive conversation, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst weighed in on the Senate's two-thirds rule and his possible picks for the chairmanships of key committees. Full Story
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Some Texas Republicans would like to change a rule that allows Democrats to block bills favored by the majority of the state Senate. They have a new ally, at least on the idea: Democrats in the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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How Texas state senators rank, from liberal to conservative, based on nearly 1,000 nonlopsided votes during the regular and special legislative sessions in 2013. Full Story
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Sometimes, it's the non-announcement that gets the political headline. Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns won’t run for the Senate, greatly increasing already high odds that the SD-10 seat will go to the Republicans. Full Story
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Dallas developer Donald Huffines, who has never run for office but comes from a well-known family, confirmed Monday that he will challenge state Sen. John Carona in next year's Republican primary. Full Story
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Announcements from state Sens. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, and Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, doubled the number of senators who won't be back in 2015. And there could easily be more. Full Story
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