An Anti-Incumbent Mood for Democrats
Five House Democrats were either beat or forced into runoffs Tuesday.
Forrest Wilder
Forrest Wilder, a native of Wimberley, Texas, is the editor of the Observer. Forrest has appeared on Democracy Now!, The Rachel Maddow Show and numerous NPR stations. His work has been mentioned by The New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Time magazine and many other state and national publications. Other than filing voluminous open records requests, Forrest enjoys fishing, kayaking, gardening and beer-league softball. He holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Articles by Forrest Wilder
Introducing the Texas Observer’s Rural Reporting Project
Texas has the biggest rural population in the nation, yet many journalists treat much of the state as flyover country.
The Texas Legislature’s Chainsaw Massacre
In the name of “liberty,” Senate Republicans are hacking down local rules protecting trees — except when they’re making exceptions for themselves.
Never Say Sine Die: Legislature Returns to Ideological Special Session Agenda
As if the regular session wasn’t terrible enough, Governor Greg Abbott has called lawmakers back for another 30 days of hell.
Greg Abbott’s Latino Problem
The governor is looking strong in his re-election bid but his support for Senate Bill 4 may be doing serious damage to the Texas GOP.
Why We Hired a Civil Rights Reporter
Introducing Michael Barajas, the Observer’s new civil rights reporter
Joe Straus and the House Moderates Could’ve Stopped the ‘Show Me Your Papers’ Bill
Who's to blame for Senate Bill 4? For my money, there is no better place to start than Speaker Joe Straus and the so-called moderates in the Texas House.
Trump’s Wall Will Be a More Inept Version of George W. Bush’s
A border wall from the Pacific to the Gulf is unviable, but Trump and his people will settle for less.