The Last Texas Weekly Hot List for 2012

Here is the final edition of our sibling newsletter's running list of the most competitive Texas races on the November ballot — an entirely subjective pre-election ranking based on reports from campaigns, consultants, donors and activists. Though there are many more contests on the ballots this week, most of them were really decided in the party primaries, because most of the congressional and legislative districts in the state are drawn to make it all but impossible for the prevailing party to lose.

Two things we have learned from years of doing this: First, predicting actual election outcomes is a silly business, and so we'll stop at calling these competitive; and, second, something surprising almost always happens. Something at the top of the list will turn into a blowout, and something at the bottom — or not here at all — will turn out to be one of the stories of the day. Enough with the caveats. Proceed.

Enlarge 

.