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Monday, September 6, 2010

2010 Legislative Races

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Nearly 200 legislative races were on the ballot in advance of 2010's March 2 primary. The Texas Tribune identified a handful as competitive contests, and reporters fanned out across the state to get a closer look at the races that will shape the 2011 Legislature and the next Texas delegation in the U.S. Congress.

Related Stories

  • The Bellwether

    As U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, goes, so go the Democrats? In a hyper-partisan year, with control of the U.S. House up for grabs, all eyes are on Congressional District 17, the most Republican district in America held by a Democrat. Pundits think Edwards may finally get beat: Were he to survive, a D.C. analyst says, it would be "one of the greatest Houdini acts ever seen in Texas politics." But the 10-term incumbent has seen awful political environments before. “The Washington Generals have a better record against Harlem Globetrotters than the [National Republican Congressional Committee] does in predicting my defeat," he says.

    by Morgan Smith 9/3/10

  • 2010: No Replacement

    David Swinford's seat in the Texas House will apparently remain empty for the next four months.

    by Ross Ramsey 9/1/10

  • 2010: Express-News vs. Canseco, Round 2

    Bob Richter, public editor of the San Antonio paper, responds to the GOP House candidate's charges of biased coverage.

    by Morgan Smith 9/1/10

  • 2010: Canseco Snubs Express-News [Updated]

    Echoing Gov. Rick Perry's refusal to interview with editorial boards across the state, Republican congressional candidate Francisco "Quico" Canseco says he won't meet with his hometown paper.

    by Morgan Smith 8/30/10

  • TribWeek: In Case You Missed It

    Hu compares and contrasts the official schedules of four big-state governors (including Rick Perry) and picks the 21 Texas House races to watch, Ramshaw on a 19-year-old with an IQ of 47 sentenced to 100 years in prison, Stiles on Perry's regent-donors, Galbraith on a plan to curb the independence of the state's electricity grid, Thevenot on the turf war over mental health, Grissom on whether the Texas Youth Commission should be abolished, Aguilar on a crucial immigration-related case pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, Ramsey's interview with GOP provocateur Debra Medina and M. Smith on how changes to campaign finance law will affect judicial elections in Texas: The best of our best from August 23 to 27, 2010.

    by Evan Smith 8/28/10

  • 21 House Races to Watch

    Only 10 days out from Labor Day — the unofficial start of the campaign season — we bring you a scouting report on the 21 Texas House races to watch. We based our picks on dozens of interviews with politicos and our own analysis of district voting patterns, campaign coffers, the relative strength of the candidates and issues that could turn each contest. Most of the vulnerable incumbents are Democrats, which is no surprise in a Republican year. But a few veteran R's are at risk, thanks to alleged ethical lapses that could swing voters against the national mood.

    by Elise Hu 8/27/10

  • TribBlog: RPT Questions Dunnam's Residency [Updated]

    At a press conference in Waco this afternoon, Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri laid out a case alleging that Democratic state Rep. Jim Dunnam does not live in Waco's House District 57, which he currently represents.

    by Reeve Hamilton 8/26/10

  • Ads Infinitum: Bill Flores is a Businessman

    In the first ad of his general election campaign against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, Bill Flores evokes a familiar anti-Washington theme. 

    by Morgan Smith 8/25/10

  • 2010: Democrat Withdraws From SD-22 Race

    John Cullar, the attorney and former McLennan County Democratic Party chair chosen to run in the November general election against state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, notified state election officials today that he is withdrawing from the race.

    by Evan Smith 8/20/10

  • A Certified Texan

    In the wake of a court ruling keeping state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, on the ballot, lawyers for his Democratic opponent and the Texas Democratic Party are deciding whether to appeal to the Texas Supreme Court. But time is short: Today is the last day a candidate who is removed can be replaced.

    by Ross Ramsey 8/20/10

  • 2010: Birdwell Will Stay on Ballot

    Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, can remain on the November ballot, the state's 5th Court of Appeals ruled this afternoon. Texas Democrats had sued to remove him, saying his vote in the Virginia elections in 2006 made him ineligible to serve in the Texas Senate.

    by Ross Ramsey 8/19/10

  • 2010: It's a Gas, Gas, Gas

    Jason Isaac, the Republican running against state Rep. Patrick Rose, D-Dripping Springs, says the incumbent is misusing his campaign accounts to cover personal transportation costs. Rose says it's a big district and points out that Isaac's campaign pays for gas, too.

    by Ross Ramsey 8/13/10

  • Hold On, Mr. Resident

    For legal purposes, where you sleep is only part of the answer to where you live. There's also where you vote, where you intend to reside, whether you consider your nesting place temporary and where you pay taxes.

    by Ross Ramsey 8/11/10

  • 2010: Inside the Obama Fundraiser

    The menu, the people, the president. Details from inside the Austin DNC fundraiser headlined by President Barack Obama.

    by Elise Hu 8/9/10

  • 2010: An Opponent for Birdwell [Updated]

    Democratic officials in Senate District 22 got together in a Hillsboro restaurant Thursday evening and nominated John Cullar to run for the state Senate seat now held by Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury.

    by Ross Ramsey 8/5/10