The latest 2014 elections news from The Texas Tribune.
Politicians are always listening to voters — but the ones who actually select the state’s elected officials have a lot more clout than those who stay home. You can see it in the way lawmakers govern. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/7aefc806d47ad38f42fa0345db081df0/DTX%20Early%20Voting%20Feb%2025%20ST%20TT%2008.jpg)
Big election campaigns take years to mount. So some politicians aren't thinking about the 2020 elections. They're dreaming and planning for 2022. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6ec08a081be4f1d15de1a15d6555d94c/BD%20INC%20Texas%20Flag%20Podium%202010)
Is Texas really a swing state? To explore the question, we looked at nearly 20 years of election data to assess the competitiveness of every congressional and legislative district in the state. Take a tour of some of the state's hot spots and then type in your address to find out the lay of the land in your districts. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/49a486f5a877169069a10385f54ca743/TT-TexasHeatMap-share.jpg)
Voter turnout in the 2018 Texas midterm elections increased by 18 percentage points compared with the previous midterms, according to data from the United States Elections Project. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3d350e3861e3ef8a186a1457115e6057/2018-10-29_Prairie_View_Early_Voting_Rachel.Zein.jpg)
Soon, more Texans will have voted early in 2018 than in all of 2014’s early voting period, according to data from the secretary of state’s office. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/cc8a89219dc29b102c741eb684294638/EARLY_VOTING_Oct_22_7_MS_TT.jpg)
Citing "a somewhat complicated and novel fundraising operation not explicitly contemplated by Texas law," the Texas Ethics Commission fined Battleground Texas and Wendy Davis' gubernatorial campaign $3,000 each for late disclosures in 2014. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2017/04/05/Wendy_Davis_PP_rallyBD_TT.jpg)
Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, has been charged with violating federal election law. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/02/05/Steve-Stockman2.png)
After struggling with mental illness, including three admissions at psychiatric treatment centers, Republican Susan Hawk stepped down from her position as Dallas County District Attorney on Tuesday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/09/02/Hawk-Susan.jpg)
While many Democrats have mixed feelings about the group that helped lead the party's election efforts in 2014, Battleground Texas officials still believe in their long-term strategy to turn Texas blue. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2016/01/29/Lon_Burnam_Shelby_Tauber005.jpg)
With one week left in this legislative session, hundreds of bills are still pending. But if legislative action ended right now, there would be little reason for Gov. Greg Abbott to call lawmakers back for overtime. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2015/05/21/Straus_Abbott_Patrick_TT_crop.jpg)
Four more seats in the Legislature are finally decided, with José Menéndez romping to win San Antonio's Senate seat. Two Republicans and a Democrat are headed for the House. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/11/20/Menendez_TMF_copy.jpg)
A round of Capitol musical chairs will play out on Tuesday when voters decide who will fill three seats in the Texas House and one in the Senate. Full Story
UPDATED: Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday that Feb. 17 will be the runoff date for three special elections — Senate District 26, House District 17 and House District 123. Early voting will be Feb. 9-13. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eac558c84f7aac363bb3b7c0c08db0e1/Capitol%20Building%20AP%20TT%2008)
This week in the Roundup: The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals weighs in on two Texas cases — one on the state's same-sex marriage ban and another on a provision of the state's new abortion law. Also, three special legislative elections result in runoffs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/010915_Roundup_Still.jpg)
A large group of Republican voters came out in the first round. Will they come back, and could they tip the scales in favor of the runner-up in the second round? Full Story
Also, freshman Hurd scores a rare subcommittee chairmanship, and Empower Texans will factor the speaker vote in its legislative scorecard. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fa278440d95b224e23fa8743859e6b67/BD%20INC%20Christmas%20Carriage%202011)
Key meetings and events for the coming week. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/Capsized4.jpg)
Greg Abbott is not the only newly elected statewide official to release a long list of staffing hires this week. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/11/04/George_P_copy.jpg)
Full video of my 12/11 conversation with three incoming members of the Texas Senate: Konni Burton, R-Colleyville, Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, and Van Taylor, R-Plano. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/TTEventsSenators150_1.jpg)
In other news, TMF plans a splashy Senate campaign kickoff, and a name surfaces in the special election to succeed Tim Kleinschmidt. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/12/04/Terry_Keel.jpg)