State Rep. Nate Schatzline launches bid for newly vacant Texas Senate seat
The North Texas district opened up last week when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller. Full Story
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Kayla Guo covers state politics and government. Before joining the Tribune, she covered Congress for The New York Times as a reporting fellow based in Washington, D.C. Kayla has also covered transportation policy for Politico and local news for The Raleigh News & Observer, and she was a part-time digital producer for The Boston Globe. She graduated from Brown University, where she studied public policy and served as editor-in-chief and president of the independent student newspaper. She was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She is based in Austin.
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![State Rep. Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth,
addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on Jan. 6, 2025.]()
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Sen. Joan Huffman joins GOP field vying to succeed Ken Paxton as Texas attorney general
In her announcement, Huffman framed herself as the most experienced candidate, pointing to her time as a prosecutor, judge and chair of key Senate committees. Full Story
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![State Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, during a Senate Finance Committee hearing on April 3, 2019.]()
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Lt. Gov. Patrick rips Gov. Abbott for vetoing THC ban, digs in against calls for regulation
The clash marks a rare break between two of the most powerful Republicans in Texas after a legislative session that ushered in a series of conservative victories. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks to a reporter during a press conference at the Texas Captiol in Austin, Texas on Monday 23, June 2025.]()
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Gov. Greg Abbott vetoes THC ban, calls for regulation instead
The move infuriated Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the powerful head of the Senate, who had called the ban among his top five bills over 17 years in the Legislature. Full Story
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![Various Delta 8 THC products on display at a convenience store in Spring Branch on Feb. 9, 2023.]()
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Former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi dies at 63
Farenthold, a local radio personality, served in Congress from 2011 to 2018 and is credited with securing funding for the port. He resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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Attorney General Ken Paxton requests new execution date for Robert Roberson
A judge could set a new execution date for no sooner than 90 days from now, though Roberson has a pending appeal. Full Story
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![Robert Roberson photographed through plexiglass at TDCJ Polunsky Unit in Livingston on Dec. 19, 2023. Texas death row prisoners are housed in Livingston but executed at the state prison in Huntsville, about 43 miles away.]()
Credit: Ilana Panich-Linsman for The Innocence Project -
Here are some of the Texas Democrats eyeing statewide runs in 2026
Democrats will need to sort through a pileup of potential candidates who see an opportunity to harness backlash to the Trump administration in next year’s midterms. Full Story
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![Beto O’Rourke speaks at the Texas Democratic Convention Reception Kick-Off in El Paso, Texas on June 6, 2024.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Speaker Dustin Burrows, once tagged as “liberal,” kept skeptics at bay by leaning into a conservative agenda
At the same time, some Democrats acknowledged the Lubbock Republican let them leave their mark on some of the GOP bills they disagreed with. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, gavels out the 89th Texas Legislature at the Texas Capitol on Sine Die, Monday, June 2, 2025]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones announces bid to succeed Sylvester Turner in Congress
Jones, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2022 and previously served on the Houston City Council, joins a slate of candidates running to fill the solidly blue seat. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, speaks in favor of Medicaid expansion during the budget debate in the Texas House on April 10, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Rep. Tony Tinderholt, voice of the insurgent far right GOP, to retire from the Texas House
Tinderholt attributed his decision to retire to his confidence in a new conservative generation of lawmakers and a desire to spend more time with his family. Full Story
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![Surrounded by colleagues, state Rep. Tony Tinderholt, R-Arlington, is overcome with emotion as he announces his retirement from the House on Sine Die, Monday, June 2, 2025.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune