As Trump administration takes shape, Texas takes a back seat
So far Trump has looked elsewhere for his earliest cabinet and high-level staff appointments, in some cases passing over Texans who were in the mix. Full Story
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![Former President Trump speaks during a tour of an unfinished section of border wall in Pharr, Texas, on June 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
How Ted Cruz pulled off a decisive win and kept his White House hopes afloat
Cruz won over Latino voters and targeted Colin Allred’s support of transgender rights to win a third term. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during a debate for the U.S. Senate with U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, hosted by WFAA on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.
Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL -
John Cornyn loses longtime bid to be next Senate majority leader to John Thune
Cornyn has for years signaled he wanted to succeed his close ally GOP leader Mitch McConnell. He lost in a vote decided by the Republican members of the Senate. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks to reporters after a briefing on Ukraine and additional funding requests at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2023.]()
Credit: Graeme Sloan/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Trump taps former Texas congressman John Ratcliffe to lead CIA
Ratcliffe represented Texas’ 4th Congressional District until Trump picked him to serve as director of national intelligence in 2020. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. John Ratcliffe, R-Heath, testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. on May 5, 2020.]()
Credit: Gabriella Demczuk/Pool via REUTERS -
John Cornyn spent years preparing to run for Senate majority leader. Will it be enough?
John Cornyn is running to succeed Mitch McConnell after years waiting in his shadow. But the far-right, in Texas and Washington, are putting up a fight. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn speaks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023.]()
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How to stay politically engaged in between election cycles
From engaging with representatives to joining advocacy groups, there are numerous ways to continue participating in democracy and shaping policy after the polls close. Full Story
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![An Irving City Council meeting on Aug. 01, 2024 in Irving, Texas.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats underperformed yet again. Now what?
Tuesday was another electoral blowout in which Democrats underperformed expectations, weakening their case that Texas is a battleground state worthy of investment and attention from the national party. Full Story
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![The Ector County Democratic Headquarters on election night, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Republicans reassert their dominance in Texas
Recent gains made by Democrats in past elections were wiped out, as Donald Trump, Ted Cruz and other Republicans won by wide margins. Full Story
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![Attendees celebrate poll results during a watch party for Ted Cruz on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in downtown Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar secures another term as criminal trial looms
The longtime Laredo congressman fended off Republican challenger Jay Furman despite a federal indictment accusing the incumbent of bribery and money laundering. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, speaks at a GOTV rally with former President Bill Clinton for Democratic congressional candidate Michelle Vallejo in Edinburg on Nov. 7, 2022]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Vicente Gonzalez defeats Mayra Flores to hold onto South Texas congressional district
Both major parties poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into winning the seat, a rematch between Mayra Flores and Vicente Gonzalez. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, declares victory over his Republican challenger, Mayra Flores, at a Brownsville watch party on Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Monica De La Cruz retains GOP control of South Texas congressional district
De La Cruz defeated Democrat Michelle Vallejo for Texas’ 15th Congressional District in a rematch from two years ago. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg, waves to supporters after declaring victory against Democratic opponent Michelle Vallejo at an election watch party in Edinburg on Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Ben Lowy for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz defeats Democrat Colin Allred
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights lawyer from Dallas, repeatedly broke fundraising records in his campaign, raising more than $80 million by mid-October. Full Story
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![Ted Cruz celebrates on stage at his watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in downtown Houston.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
Election Day updates: South Texas continues dramatic shift toward Donald Trump, GOP
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.]()
Credit: Mark Felix for The Texas Tribune -
Problems voting on Election Day? Tell us your stories.
Tell us about any trouble you have trying to vote, so we can continue to report on potential challenges Texans may face at the ballot box. Full Story
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![Francisco Hinojosa, 71, who declares himself as a straight democrat, poses for a photo after voting at Lark Branch Library in McAllen, Texas on Oct. 22, 2024.]()
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In final days of Senate race, Cruz courts Latino voters along the border and Allred rallies in his hometown
Both candidates are making their closing arguments at the culmination of a heated and expensive race which could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Rep. Colin Allred courts Black voters in the final days of his bid to unseat Sen. Ted Cruz
With stops in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley, Allred hopes to make the race competitive by running up the tally with the core of the Democratic base. Full Story
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![Colin Allred takes to the stage to a moderately packed house at the Sawyer Auditorium on the campus of TSU to encourage people to get out and vote and to campaign for Colin Allred who is looking to take the seat of Ted Cruz, Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, in Houston.]()
Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune -
In complaint, Ted Cruz says Democrats broke campaign finance laws to help Colin Allred
Cruz alleged that national Democrats illegally exceeded contribution limits when it spent more than $10 million for television ads in Texas benefiting Allred campaign. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Saturday, May 25, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
In final days of Senate race, Colin Allred bests Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 senate fundraising record
Colin Allred also continues to out raise Ted Cruz bringing in over $11.8 million in the first 16 days of October. Cruz raised $9.9 million in the same period. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, left, and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, take part in a debate for the U.S. Senate hosted by WFAA on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, in Dallas, Texas.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune via POOL -
Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris while Donald Trump vows border crackdown in dueling Texas stops
Harris talked about reproductive rights to a stadium full of supporters in Houston. In Austin, Trump stumped to supporters and reporters at a private jet terminal and appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Full Story
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![Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are both visiting Texas today. Trump will hold a press conference and appear on a podcast with Joe Rogan in Austin; Harris is attending a rally in Houston.]()
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Facing election scrutiny, Texas prepares for Nov. 5 with paper ballots and strengthened security
Only a handful of Texas counties will not have all in-person voters cast paper ballots at the polls. By 2026, all voting machines in Texas must produce a paper trail, per a 2021 state law. Full Story
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![People test the polling equipment at the Hays County election office on Sept. 18, 2024.]()
Credit: Lorianne Willett/The Texas Tribune