Republicans win Tarrant County, moving local government further to the right
Former state Rep. Matt Krause’s win may push the commissioners court even further away from the bipartisanship on which it once prided itself. Full Story
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Juan Salinas II is a reporting fellow based in Arlington. He is a senior at the University of Texas at Arlington majoring in journalism and a transfer student from Tarrant County College, where he worked at the student newspaper, The Collegian. As an intern at public radio station KERA, he covered state politics and local governments, and he was a year-long reporting fellow at the Fort Worth Report. Juan was born and raised in the North Side neighborhood of Fort Worth.
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![Voters cast their ballots at the Tarrant County College Southeast Campus polling location in Arlington on primary election day, March 5, 2024.]()
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9 million Texans voted early in 2024. Here’s how that compares to previous years.
The turnout rate dropped more than 8 percentage points compared to four years ago — a high-water mark for the Lone Star State. Full Story
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![Voters visit the Gilmer Civic Center during the first day of early voting on Monday October 21, 2024, in Gilmer.]()
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Fairgoers join Ken Paxton in suing Texas State Fair for allegedly violating their gun rights
Three fairgoers are requesting up to $1 million in damages and to allow guns at the State Fair. Full Story
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![The Texas State Fair in Dallas on Oct. 12, 2024.]()
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Texas turnout rate slightly down after first three days of early voting
State data shows just two of Texas’ most populous counties have surpassed their voter turnout rate in 2020. Full Story
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![Voters line up outside of the Rosenberg Annex as early voting begins in Texas on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, in Rosenberg.]()
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Republicans want to flip this last competitive South Texas senate seat
State Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-Palm Valley, faces off against Republican Adam Hinojosa in the only competitive race for the Texas Senate. Full Story
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![State Sen. Morgan LaMantia, D-Palm Valley, left, and Republican challenger Adam Hinojosa.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Ag Commissioner Sid Miller’s former political consultant pleads guilty to bribery
Todd Smith’s plea comes days before he was set to go to trial, where Miller was subpoenaed to testify. Full Story
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![Todd M Smith.]()
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In Texas’ biggest purple county, this far-right Republican is creating a playbook for local governing
From cutting social services to changing election rules, Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare has pushed his agenda with an uncompromising approach. Full Story
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![Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare listens to Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks after Brooks tells the attendees of the meeting that O’Hare “broke the system” in Fort Worth on April 18, 2023. Following a conversation between O’Hare and Elections Administrator Heider Garcia, Garcia announced his resignation. O’Hare denied responsibility, saying “I did not ask Heider to resign. I did not put pressure on Heider to resign. I did not threaten to fire Heider, I did not threaten to bring him before the election commission for review to determine if he would keep his employment. He chose to resign on his own.”]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller subpoenaed to testify in his former political consultant’s criminal trial
Todd Smith was indicted in 2022 on felony charges of theft and commercial bribery related to taking money in exchange for hemp licenses that are issued by Miller’s office. Full Story
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![Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller speaks during a "Make America Great Again" rally on Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, in Caldwell. The rally was one of Miller's stops on his "Gas and Groceries Truth Tour,” during which he visited various swing states to denounce President Joe Biden’s management of the economy.]()
Credit: Olivia Anderson/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Supreme Court leaves State Fair’s gun ban in place
Attorney General Ken Paxton had turned to the high court to overturn the ban after other lower courts declined to intercede. Full Story
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![Children enjoy a ride at the State Fair of Texas on Oct. 20, 2016 in Dallas.]()
Credit: Allison V. Smith for The Texas Tribune -
Public education takes center stage at Houston lawmakers discussion
Lawmakers reflected on Houston ISD takeover and prospect of the Legislature creating subsidies for private school tuition Full Story
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