The poll found the Austin Democrat with a commanding lead among independents and a surprising edge with non-college-educated voters, who have consistently favored Republicans.
Politics
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Posted in
Higher Education
Universities to detail progress on new Texas law that increased state scrutiny of colleges
Students and professors who say SB 37 led to censorship are holding a news conference before the Texas Senate’s hearing.
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Texas Legislature 2027
Dan Patrick directs Texas Senate to study ways to further ingrain religion into public life
The lieutenant governor released seven new charges for state senators to study before the Legislature reconvenes, including ways to “inform and remind Texans of their religious liberty rights.”
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Economy
Thousands of apartments going up thanks to new Texas housing laws. But resistance lingers in the suburbs.
The laws, which make it easier to build apartments, face stiff resistance from North Texas suburbs. State lawmakers vow to force cities to comply.
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Higher Education
Universities can use conservative-favored entrance exam as Texas eyes wider use, agency chief says
Texas may expand use of the Classical Learning Test despite a new report finding less evidence its scores predict college success than the SAT or ACT.
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Screwworm in Texas
U.S. will begin limited imports of Mexican cattle as screwworm outbreak continues
The limited resumption will allow a southern port of entry in Arizona to reopen in phases. The move comes after 41 of 42 cases of screwworm have been reported in Texas.
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Public Education
National teacher certification board told to scrub DEI mentions to comply with Texas law
If National Board officials don’t show compliance with state law, they risk Texas excluding educators with the credential from a pay-for-performance program.
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2026 Texas Elections
Tracking the money raised and spent in the U.S. Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton
See the latest fundraising totals, where the money is coming from and how super PACs are spending in what’s poised to be Texas’ most expensive Senate race.
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Houston ICE Shooting
After the Houston ICE shooting, Sylvia Garcia demanded answers. Alex Mealer urges patience.
Mealer, the GOP nominee in Texas’ 9th Congressional District, would represent Houston’s Magnolia Park, where an ICE agent fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, under the GOP’s new redistricting map.
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Investigations
Ken Paxton has long crusaded against voter fraud. His Senate rival now accuses him of committing it.
James Talarico’s comments come after ProPublica and The Texas Tribune found that the attorney general may have broken state law by voting using an address where he no longer appears to live.
