Former astronaut Terry Virts launches Democratic bid for U.S. Senate in Texas
The early announcement tees up what is likely to be a crowded primary field angling for the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Full Story
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Owen Dahlkamp is a Washington, D.C.-based reporting fellow covering political developments that affect Texans in the nation's capital. Hailing from San Diego, California, Owen will be a Brown University senior majoring in political science and cognitive neuroscience. He is the managing editor of the Brown Daily Herald, the campus newspaper, and his reporting has appeared in CNN, the Nation, NPR and more.
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![International Space Station (ISS) crew member Terry Virts of the U.S. speaks by satellite phone shortly after landing near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, June 11, 2015. Three astronauts landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Thursday, ending their 199-day mission after an unexpected "bonus month" aboard the International Space Station, NASA Television showed.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Ivan Sekretarev/Pool -
As Ted Cruz calls for a regime change in Iran, other Texas Republicans are more cautious
Cruz’s intense interview with Tucker Carlson earlier this week exposed a rift in President Donald Trump’s coalition. Full Story
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![Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during a Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees hearing in Washington, D.C., July 30, 2024.]()
Credit: Allison Bailey/NurPhoto via REUTERS -
American babies may get $1,000 each to invest because of Ted Cruz
Included in Congress’ major tax and spending bill is Cruz’s proposal to give every American baby $1,000 to invest. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after the signing ceremony for the "Take it Down Act" in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 19, 2025.]()
Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Two Texas congressmembers named on alleged Minnesota assassin’s hit list
Reps. Veronica Escobar and Joaquin Castro were among the 45 elected officials placed on a hit list by a man accused of killing a former Minnesota House speaker and her husband. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, speaks during Madres de la Frontera: Love Without Borders, a peaceful protest denouncing separation and honoring unity, on Saturday, May 10, 2025.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA TODAY Network via REUTERS -
Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
The plan would shift voters from safely red districts into blue ones. Members of the state’s Republican delegation aren’t sold on the idea. Full Story
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![The newest drafts of the statewide congressional districts in Texas outside the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 30 2021.]()
Credit: Dimitri Staszewski for The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ GOP congressional delegation meets to discuss redrawing districts ahead of midterms
The proposal would require the Texas Legislature to return for a special session to carry out the rare move of reshaping the state’s political boundaries mid-decade. Full Story
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![2020 Census data and redistricting maps at The Texas Tribune office in Austin on Oct. 7, 2021. The state population grew by nearly 4 million and was mostly driven by people of color.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune