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Matt Stiles

Matt Stiles’s staff photo

Matt Stiles covered government and politics for the Tribune, with a focus on data journalism, from 2009 to 2011. He oversaw and developed the Tribune’s library of web applications and interactive graphics. Previously, he was a government reporter at the Houston Chronicle. While there, he won the newspaper’s Jesse Award for service journalism and beat reporting and was its reporter of the year in 2007. Before joining the Chronicle, Stiles worked as a reporter for nearly four years at The Dallas Morning News.

Past Contributions

  • A Friend In Deed

    By Matt Stiles

    State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, who was involved in a controversial land deal with Gov. Rick Perry, failed to disclose ownership or sale of the property to the Texas Ethics Commission, an apparent violation of a state ethics rules, according to a review of his personal financial statements. Full Story 

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    Credit: Todd Wiseman

  • The Map: Get Out the Vote

    By Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune, and Zahira Torres, El Paso Times

    El Paso and Hidalgo are the largest Latino-majority and Democratic-leaning counties in the state, and they rank near the bottom when you compare the size of their voting age population to the actual number of people who show up at the polls. Collin and Fort Bend are growing suburban counties with larger Anglo populations that tend to lean Republican and produce some of the highest turnouts of eligible voters anywhere in Texas. Guess which pair gets the most attention and has the most clout? Full Story 

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    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman/Jacob Villanueva

  • The Map: The Giant Still Sleeps

    By Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune, and Zahira Torres, El Paso Times

    Nearly 37 percent of the state's population of nearly 25 million is Latino, but only about 1.2 million Latinos who were registered to vote in 2008 cast ballots. Pinpointing when the emerging majority group in Texas will begin wielding its power at election time is no small feat. Scores of campaigns, party activists and interest groups spend millions of dollars each year trying to determine what will happen when that day comes. Full Story 

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    Credit: El Paso Times

  • The Map: Can a Democrat Win?

    By Matt Stiles, The Texas Tribune, and Zahira Torres, El Paso Times

    Political observers, partisan faithful and a pair of campaigns have been consumed by one question for nearly eight months: How close is the race between Republican Rick Perry and Democrat Bill White? Members of both parties agree that White represents the Democrats' best shot at winning the governor's office in 15 years, despite the state's status as a Republican stronghold. But many believe that voting patterns show Texas is still years away from becoming truly competitive. Full Story 

    Bill White and Rick Perry have their sights set on the governor's office
    Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman

  • Interactive Map: Texas Statewide Elections: 1998-2008

    By Matt Stiles

    This interactive map shows the average vote margin in all contested, statewide elections by county. Darker shades represent increased partisan divide in each county, with red representing Republican support and blue representing Democratic support. Over the years, Democrats have lost support in West Texas and East Texas, but also won Dallas County in 2006 and both Dallas and Harris counties in 2008. Full Story 

    This map shows the average vote margin in all contested, statewide elections by county in 1998. Darker shades represent increased partisan divide in each county, with red representing Republican support and blue representing Democratic support.
    Credit: Matt Stiles