U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz defeats Democrat Colin Allred
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and civil rights lawyer from Dallas, repeatedly broke fundraising records in his campaign, raising more than $80 million by mid-October. Full Story
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Jasper Scherer is the politics editor for The Texas Tribune. He oversees a team of reporters in Austin and Washington who lead the newsroom’s coverage of campaigns and elections, watchdog Texas' top officials, and translate what the state’s political and legislative developments mean for Texans. Jasper previously reported on politics for the Tribune, which he joined after stints covering politics and government at the state and local levels for the Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. A native of San Francisco, Jasper graduated from Northwestern University with degrees in journalism and political science in 2017, the same year he began covering Texas politics. He is based in Austin.
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![Ted Cruz celebrates on stage at his watch party on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in downtown Houston.]()
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Election Day updates: South Texas continues dramatic shift toward Donald Trump, GOP
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line at the Houston Community College Southeast voting location in Houston on Election Day, Nov. 5, 2024.]()
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In final days of Senate race, Cruz courts Latino voters along the border and Allred rallies in his hometown
Both candidates are making their closing arguments at the culmination of a heated and expensive race which could decide control of the U.S. Senate. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, left, and U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas.]()
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These Texans could join or influence a second Trump administration
Donald Trump has built close ties to many Texas Republicans, from judges to elected officials to policy experts. Full Story
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![Former President Donald Trump speaks at a rally at Million Air in Austin, Texas on Oct. 25, 2024.]()
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Ken Paxton calls on Rep. Jeff Leach to resign over texts to judge in Robert Roberson case
The AG also said he’d make a criminal referral against the lawmaker, who apologized for texting a Court of Criminal Appeals judge about a new trial for the death row inmate. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Republicans dominate fundraising in final weeks of Texas House battles
Across a dozen of the most competitive House races, Republicans raked in more than $11 million over the last month, compared to the nearly $3.5 million collectively raised by their Democratic counterparts. Full Story
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![House Speaker Dade Phelan listens to state Representatives on the House floor during Sine Die, the last day of the 88th Texas Legislative Session, at the Capitol in Austin on May 29, 2023.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Beyoncé endorses Kamala Harris while Donald Trump vows border crackdown in dueling Texas stops
Harris talked about reproductive rights to a stadium full of supporters in Houston. In Austin, Trump stumped to supporters and reporters at a private jet terminal and appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast. Full Story
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![Donald Trump and Kamala Harris are both visiting Texas today. Trump will hold a press conference and appear on a podcast with Joe Rogan in Austin; Harris is attending a rally in Houston.]()
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Robert Roberson’s case spotlights Texas’ GOP divide on criminal justice
Texas’ junk science statute has remained hamstrung for the last decade. So too have other criminal justice reforms, despite efforts from the Texas House. Full Story
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![From left: State Reps. David Cook, R-Mansfield, Jeff Leach, R-Plano, and Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, during a House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence hearing on death row inmate Robert Roberson on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024 in Austin.]()
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Former President Donald Trump to make stop in Austin on Friday
The GOP presidential nominee will hold a press conference and appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast during his first visit to the capital since 2022. Full Story
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![Republican presidential nominee and former U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event sponsored by conservative group Turning Point USA, in Duluth, Georgia, U.S., October 23, 2024. REUTERS/Carlos Barria]()
Credit: REUTERS/Carlos Barria -
Kamala Harris to rally with Colin Allred in Houston days before Election Day
Harris’ surprise visit comes in the closing weeks of a campaign in which she has largely focused her efforts on other states. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris attends a conversation moderated by Charlie Sykes with former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in Brookfield, Wisconsin on Oct. 21, 2024.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque