The latest 2010 elections news from The Texas Tribune.
The race for Texas governor started months ago, but the battles between the best-funded candidates will really take off in the next couple of weeks. One high point: Governor Rick Perry and U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison are expected to debate at least once, and maybe twice, in January. So how will those joint apperances figure into the overall campaign? Ben Philpott, who's covering the 2010 elections for KUT News and the Tribune, filed this report. Full Story
Rep. Frank Corte Jr., R-San Antonio, became the sixth eighth member of the Texas House to say he won't seek reelection next year. He says he doesn't have specific plans, and adds that he's not endorsing any would-be successor. Full Story
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison has laid out her vision for the future of transportation in Texas. Full Story
Roll your own political videos ... interactive travel maps of your federal and state legislators ... scary movies, to keep the kids out of the border's scary drug wars ... puttting dropouts back in class ... rates squeezing families out of home health care ... how many lobby and trade associations do teachers in Texas need? ... enjoying the silence before an expected two-month siege of political advertising ... the dean of Texas political writers gets shut out of the gubernatorial debates ... and we have an interactive database of the state's best and worst public schools. The best of our best for a short news week, from December 19 to 26, 2009. Full Story
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Why the dean of Texas political writers won't be asking questions when the GOP gubernatorial candidates debate next month. Full Story
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In a couple of weeks, they'll be all over the place. But political ads at this time of year are dangerous. Ben Philpott filed this report for KUT News and the Tribune. Full Story
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The Texas governor's race has already taken off. Three of the four best-funded candidates have already splashed TV and/or radio ads across the state. Some people estimate $1 million a day could get spent on the primary campaigns between the first of the year and the March 2 primary. But you'll likely see nothing right around Christmas. Ben Philpott, covering the 2010 elections for KUT News and the Tribune, filed this report. Full Story
Jack McDonald isn't running for Congress after all. Full Story
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Putting to rest rumors about his future plans, state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh told the El Paso Times today that he plans not to run for any elective office in 2010. Full Story
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Ladies and gentlemen, meet the new staffers on the Farouk Shami for Governor campaign. Full Story
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2010 hopefuls for statewide office and the Texas Legislature: We want you on camera. Here are your instructions for submitting a video that we'll host on our site. Full Story
Holly Turner, running for the Texas House in Austin’s HD-47, got welcomed into the race by a fellow Republican’s press release with this headline Full Story
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Is retired Travis County D.A. Ronnie Earle — who talked about running for governor and then filed for lieutenant governor — a strong statewide candidate? Full Story
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The only thing definitively in the weeds here is the reliability of this poll. Full Story
Surely they don’t do it this way in Peoria? Full Story
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Not many local polls have been made public, but this one confirms the rumor mill: One, Rick Perry’s lead in conservative areas of the state is a few points above what the UT/Trib poll found statewide. And, two, the impression that, as of now, the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign is floundering if it's really trying to peel conservative voters away from Perry in significant numbers. Full Story
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Three Democratic legislators who came out early for Fort Worth's Tom Schieffer in the race for governor say they'll go with Houston Mayor Bill White, who entered the race as Schieffer exited. Full Story
Newsweek has done its best Carnac the Magnificent impression and divined that the ultimate victor in the race to be the next governor of Texas will be...drumroll please... Full Story
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Rep. Carl Isett, R-Lubbock, has his hometown buzzing with rumors that he won't seek an eighth term in the Texas House. Isett didn't return calls and texts to confirm, and his office said simply that he'll have an announcement on Friday. Full Story
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When political consultants take on wealthy candidates, does that mean they can milk them and their campaigns for all they’re worth? Are they simply trying to help good people get elected? Or both? Full Story
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