TribCast: Ken Paxton's legal woes continue
On this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Kate, Karen and Mitchell about Attorney General Ken Paxton's latest legal problems, the vaccine rollout and the politics of energy in Biden-era Texas. Full Story
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Matthew Watkins
Managing Editor of News and Politics
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Matthew Watkins is the managing editor of news and politics for The Texas Tribune. Before becoming an editor, he worked as a reporter at the Tribune, The Dallas Morning News and The Eagle in Bryan-College Station. He earned his bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University.
Latest Contributions
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![Attorney General Ken Paxton spoke at the Texas Federation of Republican Women Convention in Dallas on Oct. 19, 2017.]()
Credit: Laura Buckman for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Assessing Gov. Greg Abbott's legislative priorities
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Patrick, Ross and Alexa about Gov. Greg Abbott's State of the State speech and the delays in the 2021 redistricting process. Full Story
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![Newly-elected House Speaker Dade Phelan greets Gov. Greg Abbott before he speaks to the Texas House during opening ceremonie…]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/CapitolPressPhoto/Pool -
TribCast: How Joe Biden's immigration orders are playing out in Texas
On this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Abby, Julián and Ross about President Joe Biden's immigration executive orders and the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump. Full Story
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![A migrant group is detained by Customs and Border Protection near the Paso del Norte International Bridge in El Paso on Marc…]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What the new Biden administration means for Texas
On this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Alex, Emma and Karen about the inauguration of Joe Biden and the latest on the coronavirus in Texas. Full Story
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![U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden wave as they arrive at the North Portico of the White House in Washington…]()
Credit: Alex Brandon/Pool via REUTERS -
Tribcast: A U.S. Capitol insurrection and the first week of the Texas Legislature
In this week's episode, Matthew talks with Ross, Abby and Cassi about the siege in the U.S. Capitol and the first day of the legislative session in the Texas Capitol. Full Story
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![Pro-Trump rioters protested and stormed into the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 6, 2021.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Stephanie Keith -
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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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 …]()
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.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Bill Clark -
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 Spe…]()
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…]()
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 e…]()
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 Pa…]()
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 -
TribCast: Is Texas really a toss-up?
In this week's TribCast, Matthew talks with Ross, Abby and Patrick about the state of the biggest races in Texas less than one week from Election Day. Full Story
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![Deputy voting clerk Justin Sullivan waits for voters to cast their ballots during the second week of early voting at Lions P…]()
Credit: Robin Jerstad for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: What high early voting turnout means for Texas
In this week's episode, Matthew speaks with Alex, Cassi and Patrick about the state of politics in Texas less than two weeks before Election Day. Full Story
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![Early voters cast their ballots at the Performing Arts Center at Texas State University in San Marcos on Oct. 19, 2020.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Voting issues in Texas and Ken Paxton's troubles
In this week's TribCast, Matthew speaks with Emma and Cassi about the turmoil at the attorney general's office, legal fights over voting issues in Texas and how the 2021 legislative session will look. Full Story
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TribCast: How Ruth Bader Ginsburg's death will affect Texas
On this week's Tribcast, Matthew talks with Ross, Emma and Alex about the U.S. Supreme Court vacancy, Gov. Greg Abbott's latest reopening announcement and voter registration in Texas. Full Story
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![People gathered outside of the U.S. Supreme Court following the death of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on S…]()
Credit: REUTERS/Al Drago -
Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan says it would be a mistake to push through a Supreme Court pick before the election
Speaking during a Texas Tribune Festival event, Hogan also said it would be a mistake for Democrats to pack the court. Full Story
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![Republican Maryland Governor Larry Hogan holds a news conference with updates about the state’s response to the COVID-19 pan…]()
Credit: Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS