The state doesn't have maps for its congressional and legislative districts, throwing the date what was going to be a March 6 primary into question. It seemed like a good time to ask the insiders about this. 

The Texas primary elections are still set — precariously  — for March 6 but a panel of three federal judges extended the filing deadlines for candidates to Monday.

State Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, who planned to run for one of Texas' four new congressional seats, will instead run to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, D-San Antonio.

Texas Democrats have a compelling message that resonates beyond the Party faithful: We believe investing in an educated workforce is essential to competing for high-paying jobs in an information-based economy.

The most important obstacle Texas Democrats must overcome has less to do with candidates, competence, money or strategy than it does with confidence.

How can the party of LBJ, Ann Richards and Henry Cisneros regain its footing? We asked three prominent Democratic strategists for their take.

President Obama faces a conundrum: On immigration he's attacked from the left and the right, by disillusioned Latino critics and by conservatives who accuse him of failing to secure the country's borders — even as he deports a record number of immigrants.

A broad coalition of civil and minority rights groups is urging the U.S. Department of Justice today to reject Texas’ submission for preclearance of the voter ID bill legislators approved this year.

It may be hard to believe now, but Gov. Rick Perry got his start in politics as a Democrat, representing Haskell in the Texas House from 1985-1991. It's a period likely to be scrutinized by his Republican opponents should he run for president.

At last Thursday's TribLive conversation, the authors of Texas Monthly's biennial Best and Worst Legislators story, senior executive editor Paul Burka and senior editor Nate Blakeslee, explained why no Democrats appeared on the Ten Worst list.

Some critics of the state budget process, including here at the Tribune, argue the Legislature suffers from a lack of leadership in the face of a confused public that doesn't understand. But check the poll numbers: Republicans are giving voters what they seem to want.

Republican skepticism about public education spending joined with the governor’s determination to hold the line on spending, including on public education, is likely to carry the day — whether it takes a few hours or 30 more days.

Three years ago I interviewed the apparent 2012 Democrat candidate for U.S. Senate — then a retired lieutenant general hawking a memoir — for Texas Monthly. You can read the nearly 2,700-word Q&A here.

Today, Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie announced that he will not seek another term.

For our most recent TribLive conversation, I interviewed state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, about gambling, how Democrats can regain their mojo and whether being black and being Republican are incompatible.

Ramshaw on how hard it is to sue over emergency room mistakes, Galbraith on paying for roads in an era of fuel-efficient vehicles, Aguilar on a disagreement about gun regulation, my interview with tort reformer Dick Trabulsi, Grissom on Perry's parsimonious pardoning, Hu and Chang interactively look at House committee chairs, M. Smith on an election challenge and who'll settle it, Ramshaw and Stiles on Dallas County's blue streak and Hamilton on a Valley school district that leads the nation in preparing kids for college: The best of our best from Dec. 20 to 24, 2010.

The president of Texans for Lawsuit Reform on why the group spends spend so much money on state elections, what it still wants from the Legislature, what he thinks the trial lawyers on the other side are after and what's wrong with the Democrats these days.