“The house is on fire”: Texas GOP plots its next chapter amid civil war, depleted staff, funding drops
Under outgoing chair Matt Rinaldi, the party’s donor base has shrunk as it aligns with two far-right megadonors. Full Story
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![Republican Party of Texas Chairman Matt Rinaldi gives voting directives during the 5th General Meeting of the 2022 Texas State Republican Convention on June 18, 2022.]()
Credit: Briana Vargas for The Texas Tribune -
Harris County judge whose electoral win was deemed invalid will remain on bench as legal battle continues
Political experts say court order for new election could spur more challenges to narrow wins. Full Story
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![180th District Court Court Judge DaSean Jones, left, enters the the courtroom with his attorney at the Harris County Civil Courthouse in Houston on April 1, 2024.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Kirk Sides/Houston Chronicle -
Texas Republicans were at Trump’s side as his defense rested in hush money trial
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls and Ronny Jackson flew to New York to attend final testimony. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton visited earlier in the trial. Full Story
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![Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, center, accompanies former U.S. President Donald Trump as he speaks to his attorney Todd Blanch at the Manhattan Criminal Court where he is on trial for hush money payments in New York City on May 21, 2024.]()
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Dade Phelan, House incumbents receive major fundraising boost from casino magnate
Incumbents saw key support from the business community, while hardline conservatives like Tim Dunn also spent heavily. Full Story
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![David Covey and Dade Phelan.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ Republican old guard mobilizes to protect Dade Phelan from the far right
Phelan’s primary has emerged as a last stand for the Republican Party’s business-minded establishment against an insurgency primarily motivated by social and cultural issues. Full Story
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![Dade Phelan addresses the floor after being elected for his second term as Speaker of the House on the opening day of the 88th legislature on Jan 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Ted Cruz files bill to protect IVF
The Texas Republican’s Senate bill comes as the state supreme court considers taking up a case that could imperil access to in vitro fertilization. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Texas Unconstitutional Abortion Ban and the Role of the Shadow Docket", in Hart Senate Office Building in Washington on Sept. 29, 2021.]()
Credit: Tom Williams/Pool via REUTERS -
Donald Trump says he’d consider Ken Paxton for U.S. attorney general
Trump told a reporter in Texas this weekend that Paxton is “a very talented guy.” Full Story
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![Former president Donald Trump pats Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on the shoulder as he leaves the stage during a rally in Robstown, on Oct. 22, 2022.]()
Credit: Lucas Boland/Corpus Christi Caller-Times via REUTERS -
Trump, Abbott paint gun rights as imperiled at NRA convention
In their speeches, the former president and the Texas governor described the protection of Second Amendment rights as contingent on Trump’s presidential reelection. Full Story
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![Former President Donald Trump speaks at the NRA Leadership Forum at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas on May 18, 2024.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for the Texas Tribune -
Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak announces run to lead state Republican Party
The political consultant joins a crowded field to replace outgoing Chair Matt Rinaldi when party delegates meet next week. Full Story
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![Matt Mackowiak in Austin on Sept. 20, 2018.]()
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Muslim advocacy group sues Abbott, saying university executive order violates free speech
Abbott’s executive order directs Texas universities to “review and update free speech policies to address the sharp rise in antisemitic speech.” Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott makes an economic development announcement on Mar. 1, 2024. The press conference took place in front of the Governor's Mansion.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott pardons Daniel Perry, veteran who killed police brutality protester in 2020
A Travis County jury sentenced Perry to 25 years in prison last year, prompting Abbott to ask the state parole board to review his case. Full Story
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![Daniel Perry leaves the courtroom after he was sentenced to 25 years for the murder of Garrett Foster, at the Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.]()
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Amarillo City Council must vote on abortion travel ban following successful voter petition
The council has been reluctant to approve the ban since it first debated the issue last fall. Full Story
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![Motorists travel west on I-40 in Amarillo, a route traveled by many to seek abortion health care while headed out of Texas. Members of both sides of the abortion controversy attended an Amarillo City Council meeting in the Amarillo Civic Center, Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023.]()
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Gillespie County election costs balloon after switch to hand count
The bigger bill for the GOP primary in Gillespie County illustrates how election costs could rise if hand counting of ballots is widely adopted. Full Story
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![An election worker hand counts ballots inside of The Edge in Fredericksburg on Mar. 5, 2024. Many of the election workers had been counting since seven in the morning on Election Day.]()
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Two years later, judge orders new election for Harris County judicial seat
Democratic Judge DaSean Jones beat out Tami Pierce by 449 votes in 2022, prompting one of several election challenges filed by unsuccessful Republican candidates. Many other election challenges were dismissed. Full Story
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![Voters cast their ballots at the West Gray Multiservice Center during Election Day on Nov. 7, 2023, in Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Watch a conversation on public access to government
We talked about the challenges with the implementation of the Texas Public Information Act, how it’s affecting Texans and what solutions are available. Full Story
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Texans triumph in fight to get direct flights from San Antonio to Washington, D.C.
The push to get more nonstop flights to the nation’s capital pit Texans against Virginians, who were opposed to the expansion. Full Story
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![Exterior signage and sculpture at the San Antonio International Airport entrance way in San Antonio on Dec. 14, 2023.]()
Credit: Carlos Kosienski/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Watch a conversation on the U.S.-Mexico border and the election
In a virtual event held in partnership with ProPublica, we discussed landmark federal policy shifts that precipitated last year’s deadly Juárez detention center fire, and how immigration is shaping the presidential election. Full Story
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Biden, Trump sidestep traditional presidential debate schedule that included Texas State University
Texas State was slated to be the first Texas university to host a presidential debate, with an event scheduled Sept. 16. Full Story
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![U.S. President Donald Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden participated in their second 2020 presidential campaign debate at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee on Oct. 22, 2020.]()
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How U.S. Rep. Mike McCaul helped convince Speaker Mike Johnson to support Ukraine aid
McCaul, R-Austin, furiously advocated for the Louisiana Republican to advance the $60.8 billion aid bill to boost Ukraine’s arsenal against Russia. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, speaks to reporters during a weekly press conference at Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on April 16, 2024.]()
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Help ProPublica and The Texas Tribune report on your community’s school board and bond elections
We want to hear about how heated elections affect the people learning, teaching and living in districts across Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Shelby Tauber for ProPublica and The Texas Tribune