Texas Politics
Millennials and Gen Zers are Breaking Voter Turnout Records in Texas
By the end of early voting, 1 million voters under the age of 30 had cast their ballot. Will they turn Texas blue?
A little more than a month before early voting started in Texas, a group of 20-somethings and teenagers with the Sunrise Movement drove to Congressman Michael M...Read More
José Garza Redefines ‘Progressive Prosecutor’
José Garza represents a new wave of reform-minded DAs who want to end the war on drugs and prosecute police officers who kill.
“Progressive prosecutor” can sound like a catchall descriptor for any district attorney willing to pack fewer bodies into jails and prisons. But one race th...Read More
What Will A Texas-Sized Turnout Mean for Trump and Cornyn?
With record voter turnout in early voting, Texas is a presidential toss-up. John Cornyn is getting worried.
The last time U.S. Senator John Cornyn was up for reelection in 2014, he skated to a third term with 62 percent of the vote—outperforming every other statewid...Read More
The Latino Vote And Its Legacy
For Latinos, casting a ballot means overcoming a history of struggle against exclusion and voter suppression.
This story was originally published by palabra. Editor’s Note: At the start of 2020, palabra. posted a landmark essay by Michelle García that explored the st...Read More
‘Pink Slime’ Journalism Finds a Home in Texas’ News Deserts
Delaware-based Metric Media has created 56 local news websites across Texas. The company claims to be nonpartisan, but its stories amplify Republican politicians and conservative talking points.
Since January, dozens of identical local news sites have popped up across Texas. In a state where an increasing number of communities don’t have access to loc...Read More
If Not Now, When? Dems’ Fight for the House Will Shape Texas Politics for Years
Democrats hope to end nearly 20 years of GOP dominance in the state government.
The number is etched in Sharon Hirsch’s mind: 391. That’s how many votes she lost her 2018 race against Republican state Representative Matt Shaheen by, in ...Read More
The Long Tail of Voter Suppression
As the growing number of Black and Latinx voters threaten the GOP’s stranglehold on power, attempts to limit safe voting options during the pandemic reveal a deeper sickness in Texas politics.
This article was published in partnership with The Nation. Founded by abolitionists in 1865, The Nation has chronicled the breadth and depth of political and cu...Read More
Lulu Seikaly Wants to Flip One of Texas’ Most Conservative Suburban Districts
In Collin County, the political newcomer is betting big on Asian American voters—and Republicans who are tired of Trump.
Texas’ Third Congressional District fits neatly within the borders of Collin County. Since the 1960s, the district has been represented by conservative, white...Read More
Democrats Seek to Undo San Antonio Senate Slip-up
Or, Roland’s Revenge.
If elected to the Texas Senate, Roland Gutierrez promises not to end his tenure in federal prison. During a September phone call, the six-term state House rep a...Read More