The latest 2012 elections news from The Texas Tribune.
House Speaker Joe Straus, coming out of a big and expensive win in a rare contested primary at home, began the runoff reboot by tweaking Michael Quinn Sullivan and his Empower Texans group, deriding them as ineffective, ugly and resentful of his success. Full Story
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A lawsuit by state Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio, alleges that his general election opponent, Michael Berlanga, does not meet residency requirements for Senate District 19. Full Story
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David Dewhurst says he's open to any debate with Ted Cruz in which the organizer has the means to broadcast the event on television. Cruz's campaign says Dewhurst is being disingenuous in saying he's open to more debates. Full Story
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Two state House races in Tarrant County will be decided in the July 31 runoff elections. The runoffs will feature two Republicans facing off in House District 91 and a pair of Democrats in House District 95. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday discussed his support for Mitt Romney, his confidence that minorities will support Republicans and the state's economic development. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is adding some firepower to his communications team. Mark Miner, once Gov. Rick Perry’s most recognizable spokesman, is joining Dewhurst's campaign for U.S. Senate this week. Full Story
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Use our interactive maps to see where Texas voters tended to show up early and where they waited until May 29 to vote in the state primary. Full Story
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Dan Moran, an Iraq war veteran, has been thrust into the center of a debate over his appearance in a video for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. But this isn't Moran's first foray into Texas politics. Full Story
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Paul Sadler and Grady Yarbrough are on the ballot for the July 31 runoff for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Use our interactive map to see where the candidates secured a majority or plurality of the votes. Full Story
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David Dewhurst again criticized U.S. Senate runoff rival Ted Cruz’s involvement in a patent case — pitting a Chinese company against a U.S. inventor — saying Monday that “this is a terrific insight into the character of Mr. Cruz.” Full Story
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So much for sure things: David Dewhurst was expected to walk away with the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, even in a field of nine candidates. Now he's in a runoff — and it's been a good year for insurgents like opponent Ted Cruz. Full Story
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Ted Cruz and David Dewhurst both addressed the Texas GOP convention Saturday, but the two Senate candidates offered a study in contrast. Cruz got a rock star reception. Dewhurst got booed after targeting his opponent. Full Story
Texas Democrats made Gilberto Hinojosa their first Hispanic chairman Saturday, closing a convention peppered with questions about the viability of the party that once dominated the state's politics. Full Story
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Rick Santorum avoided aggravating an already divided group of fellow Republicans on Friday night and instead regaled the crowd with tales of campaign misadventures and hopes for the party's future. Full Story
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Julián and Joaquin Castro and Houston Mayor Annise Parker — at the Texas Democratic Party's convention in Houston — have some ideas about what Democrats will have to do to be viable again. Full Story
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After some at the GOP state convention booed Thursday at Gov. Rick Perry's mention of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, he got a mostly positive reception Friday during his own speech. That wasn't the case for Mitt Romney, whose name drew jeers from the audience during a speech from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. Full Story
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Like the two major parties, the Libertarians and the Greens will also hold conventions this weekend. Neither party has primaries, so the conventions will decide which candidates will be their nominees for state and federal offices. Full Story
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Trial lawyers, the most reliable and generous source of cash for Texas Democrats, generally sit out Republican primaries. But this year the are pouring huge sums into key Senate races, hoping to elect Republicans who are more friendly to their agenda than the establishment-preferred GOP candidates. Full Story
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In one form or another, the SD-25 race will assuredly extend beyond May 29. If it doesn't go into a run-off, as at least one candidate predicts, it will likely continue in the courtroom. Full Story
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Elections! Runoffs! A Speakers' race! Full Story
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