The underlying fundamentals that buttressed Gov. Rick Perry's political power in the state are not much changed, and they suggest that the governor will reassert his powerful presence in Texas politics now that he is back.

Evan, Ross, Reeve and Ben take the TribCast on the road with a special live edition recorded at The Cactus Cafe as part of KUT’s Views and Brews series. The topic? Rick Perry, of course.

Federal redistricting judges in San Antonio want to see if they can get agreement on political maps in time for an April 3 primary and said they are "giving serious consideration" to split primaries if no agreement can be reached quickly.

Ron Paul is popular, smart and experienced, and he’s done well in the primaries, raised money and made his points. He just can’t get voters outside of his core group to take him seriously.

In this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked what Gov. Rick Perry's re-entry into state politics will be like, and whether they think he'll remain in office or quit early.

The lone Texan left in the presidential nomination hunt, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, finished in fourth place tonight in the South Carolina Republican primary, but the liberty-loving, war-hating candidate is nowhere near ready to give up. 

Gov. Rick Perry’s legendary winning streak came to its inglorious end Thursday. Standing in a plain conference room, the governor who had only ever known political victory admitted defeat.

Now that Gov. Rick Perry has exited the presidential race, some may wonder how a candidate who entered the race as a front-runner fell so far. Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports.

Rick Perry's impulsive presidential campaign fell apart faster than a soggy taco shell. But he's not done with politics yet.

Rick Perry wasn't even winning in his home state when he got out of the presidential race.

Evan Smith and Emily Ramshaw talk about why Gov. Rick Perry called it quits. Ross Ramsey talks about Ron Paul's appeal and his chances of winning the GOP nomination.

Now what? This week, we asked the insiders what Gov. Rick Perry's reentry into state politics will be like (and, it should be noted, collected these answers before the governor dropped out of the presidential race on Thursday morning).

Gov. Rick Perry, who jumped into the presidential race in August and shot to the front of the crowded field, is dropping out of the race today.

Ross, Reeve, Brandi and Thanh look ahead to the South Carolina primary, look back on the history of the death penalty in Texas, and discuss the current state of women's health clinics in the state.

The Republican primary may have engulfed the national political conversation, but as Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, some young voters have only just begun to tune in.

Four of the state's top officeholders each raised more than $1 million during the second half of 2011. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who is running for the U.S. Senate, raised $1.5 million for his federal campaign account during the fourth quarter alone.

During a question-and-answer session with voters in South Carolina, Gov. Rick Perry said he would eliminate the Small Business Administration, which provides loans, counseling and other assistance to small businesses.

A confident Rick Perry and a typically unwavering Ron Paul helped make Monday night's debate one of the most fiery face-offs of the season.