Texas Democrats made Gilberto Hinojosa their first Hispanic chairman Saturday, closing a convention peppered with questions about the viability of the party that once dominated the state's politics. 

Conventions might not be absolutely necessary to conduct the state's political business, but they're important to the partisans who, just like other kinds of enthusiasts, find strength in numbers. 

Political parties are getting down to the business of state conventions. In Texas, the four top parties will convene, in different cities, this weekend. Ben Philpott reports for KUT News and The Texas Tribune.

Who's voting? What's that new PAC spending money on Michael Williams' behalf? What did the parties put in the red meat portion of their ballots?

The two crowded primary races for the Texas Railroad Commission could be headed for runoffs, as candidates try to win attention from voters who haven't tuned in to those contests.

U.S. Senate rivals David Dewhurst and Ted Cruz are only 9 percentage points apart in the Republican primary race, and the chances of a runoff are high. Democrats are likely to see a runoff in their primary as well. 

Retired Judge Gilberto Hinojosa is running for chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, and talks about the first things he would do if Democrats elect him to that post during their June convention.

Aguilar on the House District 77 primary, Batheja on the HD-101 and SD-9 primaries, Galbraith on the GOP candidates for two Railroad Commission slots, Grissom on the latest in the Kerry Max Cook case, Hamilton on Texas A&M's new accountability website, Murphy and M. Smith on how much superintendents make, Ramsey interviews a would-be Democratic Party chair, Root on that nice Ted Nugent, M. Smith on the resignation of the state's education commissioner and Tan on the continuing court fight over Planned Parenthood: The best of our best content from April 30 to May 4, 2012.

The Texas Democratic Party chair hopeful on what's wrong with the Democrats, how they can become competitive again and why she's the best person for the job. 

The former county judge on why he's running for chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, what would pull the party out of the doldrums and what he thinks of the Republicans. 

Texas Republicans are stuck, having won as many seats as it is possible to win by elections or by creative political mapping. But the solution for them is simple.

After weeks with no political maps, and with an impending deadline to a week of filings, the political activity has picked up considerably.

Freshman state Rep. J.M. Lozano, D-Kingsville, will announce later this week he will join the Republican Party.

Just like Democrats all over the country, Texas lawmakers in the president's party are coming to his defense with a new "Truth Team." Texas Republicans say they've already been there and done that.

Every Texas Democrat who has run for statewide office in the last 18 years has been defeated. Every Democrat on the ballot this year hopes to bust that slump. But Republicans in Texas have suffered a longer drought than what Democrats are currently facing.

In this week's nonscientific survey of political and government insiders, we asked why Ron Paul isn't more successful, how long it will take for Texas Democrats to compete and what issues will rule the spring primaries.

The insiders think Ron Paul's biggest obstacle is Ron Paul, are pessimistic about Texas Democrats, and predict Democratic primaries focused on education and Republican primaries focused on spending and taxes.

One of the "poor" U.S. Senate candidates in Texas claims to have caught up with one of the "rich" ones, and both camps, incidentally, are getting outside help with television ads.