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Edwards vs. Miles IV: The Final Showdown (Maybe)

In one of Houston’s poorest areas, a Democratic primary borders on farce.

by Emily DePrang
Al Edwards
Texas House District 146 looks like a dragon drawn with an Etch-a-Sketch. That’s because the largely black and Hispanic district on Houston’s south side has been gerrymandered over the years, ensuring it remained one of… Read more

District 33: Texas’ Wildest Congressional Race

City rivalries, race, and now union politics, swirl around 11 Democrats vying for North Texas’ new seat in Congress.

by Patrick Michels
State Rep. Marc Veasey, joined by a few of his organized labor supporters outside Arlington's General Motors assembly plant last week.
It’s a little after 10 a.m. Friday, and it’s already heating up in the Cowboys Dancehall parking lot in Arlington. State Rep. Marc Veasey is mingling with folks from the local unions who have come… Read more

Much Ado About Lykos

The Republican primary for Harris County District Attorney is a soap opera for lawyers

by Emily DePrang
Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos (top) and Judge Mike Anderson.
It began with a kerfuffle that escalated to a brouhaha. By the end, the affair involved two grand jury investigations, the Texas Rangers and the FBI. At its heart: Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos,… Read more

This Primary Season, A High-Stakes Test for the SBOE

Moderates and hard-liners alike see this month's election as a chance to remake the State Board of Education in their image

by Patrick Michels
Clockwise from top-left: David Bradley, Ken Mercer, Thomas Ratliff and Gail Lowe are among the big-name SBOE members facing primary challenges this year.
This could be the year the State Board of Education turns it all around. No, seriously. The only question is which way they’ll turn. Almost since it began, the board was known for infighting, petty… Read more

Portrait of a Party-Switcher

Democrat-Turned-Republican J.M. Lozano’s primary race will test GOP attitudes toward Latino candidates.

by Melissa del Bosque
Portrait of a Party-Switcher
After the Republican sweep of 2010, state Rep. J.M. Lozano was the last Democrat standing from the Coastal Bend area near Corpus Christi. With his redrawn district looking more Republican after redistricting, Lozano earlier this… Read more
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  • direct-quote Protecting Burros in Big Bend as told to Nick Swartsell

    When Zach Zniewski moved to Texas from Minnesota 12 years ago, he didn’t anticipate caring for five donkeys. Today, Zniewski, 63, is an advocate for… Protecting Burros in Big Bend

  • eat-your-words What's the Beef? by James McWilliams

    Times are tough these days for Texas producers of grass-fed beef. Grass grows poorly, if at all, during the worst drought in recorded history. Costs… What's the Beef?

  • John Chase and the Legacy of A First
    by J. Victoria Sanders

    John Chase and the Legacy of A First As the first or only African American in any role, it helps to remember that you are standing on the shoulders of giants. I thought this when I returned to Texas in 2005 to attend library school at the University of Texas at Austin, where I was often the only… Read more...





  • postcards Booking to Denton by Sarah Angle

    Booking to Denton In downtown Denton, in an old opera house painted purple, Don Foster nurtures his passion: Recycled Books. His bookstore is musty. The handmade bookshelves are…

Loon Star State