TribCast: Looking ahead to the 2021 legislative session
In this week's TribCast, Matthew talks to Cassi and Patrick about a heated state Senate special election and the 2021 legislative session. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. Matthew is a Texas native, born in Houston and raised in Austin. He attended public schools and graduated from Texas A&M University. He’s spent nearly two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Matthew joined the Tribune in 2015 has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor and politics editor. As a managing editor, Matthew has guided the Tribune’s award-winning journalism and other reporting of statewide significance, including coverage of elections and legislative sessions to major breaking news and ambitious storytelling about the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the Texas-Mexico border, the tragic school shooting in Uvalde, the impeachment of Texas attorney general and battles over public education. He lives in Austin with his wife, Susan, and their two children.
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TribCast: The COVID-19 vaccine arrives in Texas
In this week's podcast, Matthew speaks with Karen, Ross and Alex about the coronavirus vaccine and the Electoral College vote in Texas. Full Story
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![Holly Ainsworth, a nursing intern at the University of Texas, administered a COVID-19 vaccine to Nurse Stephanie Vasquez on Dec 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues to undo the presidential election results
In this week's episode, Matthew talks to Emma, Cassi and Mitchell about Texas' lawsuit against swing states that went for Joe Biden, the upcoming legislative session and the future of gambling in Texas. Full Story
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton walked across the Supreme Court plaza to hold a press conference in 2016.]()
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TribCast: The presumptive House speaker and remote learning struggles in Texas
In this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Ross, Aliyya and Cassi about how state Rep. Dade Phelan became the likely next speaker of the Texas House and why remote learning has been so difficult for schools. Full Story
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![State Rep. Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, held a press conference at the Capitol to declare that he had enough votes to become Speaker of the House. Nov 4, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Many Texas Republicans aren't acknowledging Joe Biden as president-elect
On this week's TribCast, Matthew talks with Ross, Abby and Emma about the Texas GOP's response to the presidential election, the Affordable Care Act before the U.S. Supreme Court and the upcoming legislative session. Full Story
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![Joe Biden at the National Education Association presidential forum in Houston on July 5, 2019.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
In Texas, Biden’s urban wins couldn’t offset Trump’s millions of votes in rural, red counties
In order to turn the tide in 2020, Biden needed to take advantage of population growth in the state’s biggest cities and political shifts in the suburbs to erase Trump’s massive advantages in rural areas of the state. Full Story
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![Republican signage outside the Blanco County Tax Assessor/Collector’s Office polling location in Blanco on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What a bad night for Texas Democrats means for the future
In this week's episode, Matthew talks to Ross, Abby and Patrick about Democrats falling short of their goals for Texas and the latest on the race for state House speaker. Full Story
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![Voters wait to cast their ballots at the Metropolitan Multi-Service Center in Houston on Election Day. Nov. 3, 2020.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune -
Texas has added 1.8 million registered voters. Where they are shows how the state has become more competitive.
Most of the new voters registered in the state's fast-growing urban counties or suburbs. Full Story
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![Some voters waited for more than three hours to cast their ballot at a shopping center in South Austin on the first day of early voting.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
More than 9 million Texans have cast ballots so far, surpassing the state’s total votes cast in 2016
Texas’ population is growing, and it extended its early voting period this year due to the coronavirus. Experts are predicting the percent of registered voters who cast ballots this year will be higher than it has been for years. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on day one of early voting in at the Sunland Park Mall indoor voting site in El Paso on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
What you should watch — and what you should ignore — while the votes are being counted in Texas
It's been an election season like no other. Brace yourself for a results process that lasts longer than in recent elections. Full Story
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![Day one of early voting in El Paso at the Sunland Park Mall indoor voting site on Oct. 13, 2020.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune