Beto O'Rourke raised $80 million total for Ted Cruz challenge, left little in bank
Post-election campaign finance reports came out Thursday in the U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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Patrick Svitek
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Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. Patrick graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Past Contributions
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![U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso (left), and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.]()
Credit: Rodolfo Gonzalez: O'Rourke/Marjorie Kamys Cotera: Cruz -
Two Texas House Democrats from Houston lead 4-way race to replace state Sen. Sylvia Garcia
State Reps. Carol Alvarado and Ana Hernandez, both Democrats, are the most well-known candidates running to replace former state Sen. Sylvia Garcia in a district that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 by 46 percentage points. Full Story
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![The candidates in the special election to replace Sylvia Garcia in Senate District 6 are, left to right, State Reps. Carol Alvarado and Ana Hernandez, both Houston Democrats; Democrat Mia Mundy and Republican Martha Fierro.]()
Credit: Facebook and campaign pages -
National Democratic group was behind mysterious anti-Cruz super PAC
The super PAC, Texas Forever, was set up in a way so that it did not have to disclose its donor before Election Day. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso (left), and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz at their respective election night rallies on Nov. 6, 2018. O'Rourke was in El Paso. Cruz was in Houston.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre: O'Rourke/Bob Daemmrich: Cruz -
Ahead of 2020, Texas GOP chair gets a salary
The State Republican Executive Committee approved a budget Friday that includes a $150,000 salary for Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey. Full Story
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![James Dickey give his victory speech after winning a rancorous battle against challenger Cindy Asche for the chairmanship of the Republican Party of Texas, in San Antonio on Friday, June 15, 2018.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: The Beto O'Rourke 2020 boomlet; will Ken Paxton's prosecutors get paid?
On this week's TribCast, Patrick talks to Aman, Emma and Cassi about the 2020 presidential buzz surrounding Beto O'Rourke, the latest in the securities fraud case against Ken Paxton and the debate over a Confederate plaque at the state Capitol. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, speaks to supporters after losing to U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, in El Paso on Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Jorge Salgado for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O'Rourke no longer ruling out 2020 presidential run
U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso, said at a town hall in El Paso Monday that he and his wife had "made a decision not to rule anything out." Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke speaks to his supporters after losing to Ted Cruz in the 2018 midterm elections, in El Paso on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2018.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Court of Criminal Appeals rules against prosecutors in Ken Paxton payment case
The court agreed in December to weigh in on an obstacle to Paxton’s long-running legal drama, a fight over more than a year’s payment for the prosecutors working on the case. Full Story
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![Ken Paxton speaks at the Texas State Rifle Association General Meeting in Round Rock on Feb. 25, 2017.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Democrat Gina Ortiz Jones concedes in close congressional race against Will Hurd
Almost two weeks have passed since the election, but Jones had been holding out hope and waiting to see all outstanding ballots counted. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, and his challenger, Democratic nominee Gina Ortiz Jones.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich: Hurd/Robin Jerstad: Ortiz Jones -
Beto O’Rourke. Julián Castro. John Cornyn. 2020 already looms large in Texas.
Texas Democrats and Republicans are already gearing up for an action-packed election cycle. Full Story
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![Left to right: Former HUD Secretary Julián Castro, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso.]()
Credit: Erich Schlegel: Castro/Marjorie Kamys Cotera: Cornyn/Michael Stravato: O'Rourke -
Four candidates file for special election to replace Sylvia Garcia
The deadline was 5 p.m. Friday. Full Story
Credit: Pu Ying Huang for The Texas Tribune
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