The latest 2012 elections news from The Texas Tribune.
State Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, faces a tough road to re-election in the redrawn HD-11. Some constituents are calling GOP primary challenger Travis Clardy the conservative alternative in the race. Full Story
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Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz released new U.S. Senate campaign ads focusing on Cruz's work as an appellate lawyer for a Chinese tire-maker against an American businessman. Full Story
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With early voting upon us, a handful of races have changed position on the Hotlist this week, and here's a spoiler: At least a dozen are nearly certain to go to runoffs on July 31. Full Story
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State Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway’s campaign for Congress has left a key opening in a historically black southern Dallas state House district — and three Democratic candidates are angling for it. Full Story
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Former Railroad Commissioner and Senate District 25 hopeful Elizabeth Ames Jones on Monday released a television ad accusing incumbent state Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, of ethical lapses. Full Story
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Texas Congressman Ron Paul has announced he will stop actively campaigning for the Republican presidential nomination, saying that doing so requires "tens of millions of dollars we simply do not have." Full Story
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On the first day of early voting, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst launched a new radio ad featuring Gov. Rick Perry. In the ad, Perry accuses Washington D.C.-based conservative groups of smearing Dewhurst's record. Full Story
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Usually, the political establishment is more or less united, with major trade groups and major officeholders sticking with incumbents and, more importantly, sticking with one another. Not this year. Full Story
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Want to guarantee a campaign throwdown? Toss two major U.S. cities, two large minority populations and 15 candidates into one newly drawn North Texas congressional district. Full Story
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Monday is the first day of early voting for Texas' May 29 primary. Our election brackets can help you prepare for voting on the various legislative and congressional races. Full Story
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E. Smith interviews Dan Patrick about John Carona, Root on the race to replace Ron Paul, Batheja on a nest of open House seats in Tarrant County, Aguilar on a border brawl over a congressional seat in El Paso, Tan on the fight over Planned Parenthood in West Texas, Aaronson maps the holes in the state's health care provider network, M. Smith on who might be the next Texas education commissioner, Ramshaw on social media sabotage, Hamilton and Ramshaw on the reaction to news of job insecurity for UT-Austin's president and Grissom on a knickers-twisting historical marker: The best of our best content from May 7 to 11, 2012. Full Story
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A state senator on Friday asked the Texas secretary of state’s office to make it clear to the public that requirements mandated in the voter ID law will not be in effect for this month’s primary. Full Story
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An independent Super PAC supporting Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst released a TV ad deriding characterizations of former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz as a conservative. Full Story
Ann Romney and Anita Perry are joining forces Thursday to raise money for Mitt Romney. They will both attend a fundraiser at the Austin home of golfing legend Ben Crenshaw. Full Story
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The race to replace U.S. Rep. Ron Paul is a free-for-all, with nine Republicans among 11 major party candidates running to represent Congressional District 14. Full Story
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The Tea Party has made lots of noise over the past couple of years. But as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, in 2012 there’s another group in Texas trying to shake up the establishment — by replacing what it calls “career politicians” with “citizen representatives.” Full Story
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Social media sabotage is in high gear in Texas’ later-than-usual primary, from fake Twitter feeds to deceptive website domains to allegations of email and Facebook forgery. Full Story
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The endorsements just keep on rolling in... Full Story
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This week in The New York Times and at texastribune.org, we look at how candidates running for Ron Paul's seat in Congress are not necessarily trying to fill the doctor's shoes, and how social media sabotage is becoming a popular campaign strategy in the Texas primary. Full Story
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Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee praises U.S. Senate candidate David Dewhurst's anti-abortion credentials in a new television ad released Thursday. Full Story