LGBTQ Texans voting with marriage, worker protections and trans rights in mind
The Texas Tribune spoke with LGBTQ voters, the parents of queer youth and advocates from across the state about what’s at stake for them this November. Full Story
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![Thomas Smith, right, and his partner Kevin McCardle outside of the Polk County Courthouse building in Livingston on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022. Smith has voted for mostly Republican candidates his entire life but will now be voting for Democrats this election as issues like women’s rights and same sex marriage are being scrutinized.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Voter apathy takes hold of early voting ahead of Texas midterm election
Republicans may be waiting to vote on Election Day after former President Donald Trump pushed voting in person on Nov. 8 at a rally in South Texas. Full Story
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![Students and faculty walk past the Peter T. Flawn Academic Center at The University of Texas while early voting takes place Oct. 25.]()
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O’Rourke outraises Abbott in final month of Texas governor’s race
In the homestretch of the state’s governor race, Beto O’Rourke outraises incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott though he still trails in the polls. Full Story
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![Gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks to attendees during a Get Out the Vote Rally hosted by the Asian American Democrats of Texas in Asiatown on October 15, 2022.]()
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Texas lawmakers, advocates push for more data on pregnancy and childbirth complications
A state report detailing how many Texans die from pregnancy or childbirth is now more than two months delayed and may not be available before the 2023 legislative session. Full Story
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![Catalina Leano, a licensed vocational nurse at Houston Women's Reproductive Services, performs an ultrasound with the clinic doctor present, to determine whether the woman is less than six weeks pregnant and eligible to have an abortion in Texas on Oct. 1, 2021.]()
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Just over a third of Texas’ registered voters turned out early this year, falling short of 2018 numbers
The high turnout seen in 2018 may have been an anomaly rather than the start of a long-term trend. Full Story
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![Graphic that reads, "Turnout Tracker" above a collection of voting stickers.]()
Credit: Emily Albracht/The Texas Tribune -
Dark-money group features Uvalde shooter footage in ad criticizing Abbott’s gun policies
The ad drew swift pushback from Republicans criticizing its use of the gunman’s image. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a presser at the Uvalde High School on May 27, 2022. Gov. Abbott addressed the response to the recent school shooting, and emphasized the need to respond appropriately to mental health crises.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Watch: Abortion isn’t on the ballot, but here’s how your vote could impact access in Texas
Texans are headed to the polls for the first time since the procedure was essentially banned across the state. Texas Tribune women’s health reporter Eleanor Klibanoff explains how each ballot cast influences the future of abortion policy. Full Story
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![Lee Gaudreau, 49, of Frisco, Texas, chants pro choice slogans while holding signage during a Women's Wave protest, hosted by Bans Off Our Bodies Fort Worth, on Saturday, Oct. 08, 2022 in downtown Fort Worth.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Republicans in tight races open to rape and incest exceptions to abortion ban
In some battleground state legislative races, Republicans have been making overtures to those who believe the ban as too extreme. They have said they are open to revising the ban to include the exceptions — and even voiced confidence that the Legislature will do so when it reconvenes in January. Full Story
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![People rallying for abortion rights march down Congress Avenue in Austin on May 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Lauren Witte/The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott ran as a small-government conservative. But the governor’s office now has more power than ever.
Abbott has consolidated power like none before him, at times circumventing the GOP-controlled Legislature and overriding local officials. A flurry of executive measures has solidified his base and raised his national profile. Full Story
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Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune -
As early voting begins, pressure is on for Beto O’Rourke to close the gap with Greg Abbott
O’Rourke has not had the upper hand in any polls, or even come within low single digits, compared with 2018, when he more regularly showed up within the margin of error against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto OíRourke speaks at a rally in downtown McAllen on Nov. 17, 2021. OíRourke has decided to stop at the Rio Grande Valley on his first week of announcing his gubernatorial run.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ elected Supreme Court: What to know before voting for justices
The nine-member Texas Supreme Court has the power to make sweeping decisions that interpret the meaning of the state’s constitution, impacting the lives of Texans across the state. Three seats are on the ballot this year. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Greg Abbott is a fundraising juggernaut, and is Lina Hidalgo in trouble?
On this week’s podcast, James, Zach and Patrick discuss the governor’s fundraising and a surprisingly competitive race for Hidalgo, the Harris County judge. Full Story
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![Gov. Abbott poses for a photo with supporters the morning after the only gubernatorial debate with Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke in Harlingen on Oct. 1, 2022. Gov. Abbott and his campaign Texans for Greg Abbott met for a block walk in Harlingen asking voters for their support.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
What is the Texas National Guard and why does it matter in this year’s gubernatorial election?
A governor’s military powers are often not discussed as part of the election process, in favor of other prominent issues like education and taxes. But with Operation Lone Star in plain view, voters may have more questions this election. Full Story
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![A National Guard soldier oversees an area where the border wall ends in Del Rio, on Nov. 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for ProPublica/The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott widens lead over Beto O’Rourke with likely voters in latest UT poll
The 11-point margin is one of the wider advantages Abbott has registered among likely voters in a public survey yet. Abbott had a smaller 5-point advantage in the last UT poll, which was done in August, though that was among registered voters. Full Story
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![Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks to a packed auditorium during a stop on his College Tour campaign at Texas State University on Oct. 5, 2022, in San Marcos.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, where money has long dominated politics, Greg Abbott is in a league of his own
The two-term governor’s donors enjoy access, appointments to boards and commissions, and a chance to bend the ear of a politician who may harbor bigger ambitions. Full Story
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![In an illustration, Greg Abbott overlooks the Texas Capitol and reflected buildings representing Texas cities.]()
Credit: Rebecca Mock for The Texas Tribune -
Two-thirds of board members overseeing Texas public universities are Abbott donors. They’re not shy about wielding influence.
High-money donors are concentrated on larger boards, including those of the University of Texas System and Texas A&M University System. Full Story
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![Special called meeting of the UT Board of Regents where they named J.B Milliken as the new Chancellor on August 4, 2018]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott says state should fund distribution of medication that can reverse opioid overdose
While not detailing how the distribution might be funded, Abbott said the medication, Narcan, should be distributed to law enforcement agencies as well as some hospitals and schools. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference with Nuevo León Governor García on April 13, 2022.]()
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Trump to hold rally in South Texas two days before early voting
The former president will stage a rally Saturday in Robstown, west of Corpus Christi. Gov. Greg Abbott said he can’t attend, but Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton, who are both running for reelection, will be speakers. Full Story
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![Former President Donald Trump delivers a speech at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas on Aug. 6, 2022.]()
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D.C. attorney general opens investigation into Republican governors’ relocating migrants to the capital
Gov. Greg Abbott and others have been sending thousands of migrants to Washington. D.C. District Attorney General Karl Racine is investigating whether migrants have been deceived. Full Story
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![Union Station, Washington, DC - Activists line up to impede journalists from photographing as two buses of migrants arrive near Union Station as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s new plan in response to the end of Title 42, a pandemic-era emergency health order to that allowed immigration authorities at the border to deny entry to migrants in Washington, DC, on Thursday, April 21, 2022.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke championed bipartisanship in Congress. It wouldn’t be that easy as governor.
Democrats were in the minority the entire time O’Rourke was in Congress. He says that experience working across the aisle prepares him to be governor of a red state. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a rally in Austin on Sept. 6, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune