Texas Politics
Lege in the Time of Coronavirus
An uncontrolled pandemic. An economic crisis. A bruising loss for Democrats. The Texas Legislature is back in session.
Lege in the Time of Coronavirus An uncontrolled pandemic. An economic crisis. A bruising loss for Democrats. The Texas Legislature is back in session. By Justin...Read More
Editorial: Look Down Ballot for Democratic Wins in Texas
The GOP-controlled state Legislature reconvenes next week. But Democrats flipped seemingly obscure seats, from justice of the peace to county sheriff, that have outsized impacts on Texas families.
After the 2020 election, it’s time for Texas Democrats to stop setting unrealistic expectations about top-ticket races and instead start focusing on the down-...Read More
Texas Tally: Hindsight is 2020
An unprecedented year, in numbers.
More than four years ago, a team of Texas scientists developed a vaccine that may have been effective against COVID-19, but without necessary funding for clinic...Read More
After Sarah Davis’ Election Defeat, Texas Reproductive Health Advocates Worry About Losing a Powerful Republican Ally
Democrats hoped to turn the Texas House blue. Instead they flipped just one seat: the most moderate Republican and only one to support abortion rights.
It was a Friday night in May 2019 when a six-hour House debate over a reproductive health bill ended the relative calm of Texas’ last legislative session. The...Read More
Rural Voters Stepped on the Gas for Trump Across the Texas Oil Patch
Even in Democratic strongholds, some voters in the state’s vast shale plays were afraid of Joe Biden’s energy platform.
Once again, rural Texans voted en masse for President Donald Trump in 2020. Joe Biden spent no time campaigning in Texas and thus failed to reach the large swat...Read More
Local Organizers Explain the Republican Surge in South Texas
Democrats have long taken Latino voters for granted, while Republicans have worked to fill that organizing void.
Danny Diaz wasn’t shocked when he heard about the Republican surge along the Texas-Mexico border that confounded so many national pundits last week. The major...Read More
A House Divided
Rogelio Chavira is for Biden. Dolores Chacon is for Trump. The border fence passes through the couple’s backyard.
A House Divided Rogelio Chavira is for Biden. Dolores Chacon is for Trump. The border fence passes through the couple’s backyard. Text and photography by Henr...Read More
As Democrats Divebomb, the Texas Legislature Remains as White and Male as Ever
The legislative body’s makeup stands in stark contrast to the diverse state’s demographics.
Senfronia Thompson, a long-time Democratic legislator from Houston, was one of the first to throw her hat in the ring for House Speaker when it appeared in Nove...Read More
Texas Democrats Thought 2020 Would Be a Banner Year. Instead, It Was a Catastrophe.
Republicans will now lock in their majority for years to come.
Headed into election night, Democrats were bullish about their chances of flipping the Texas House, seizing a handful of GOP congressional seats, and maybe even...Read More