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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.
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, campaigned Saturday in battleground Harris County, holding their first rallies in Texas since the traditional political turning point of Labor Day. Full Story
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O'Rourke's campaign held a fundraiser this week co-hosted by a political action committee, prompting charges of hypocrisy from Cruz's camp. O'Rourke's camp insist the El Paso congressman has not broken his pledge to not take any PAC money in his bid to unseat Cruz. Full Story
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The campaign of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke says some eyebrow-raising texts that surfaced Wednesday were not "approved" by the campaign. Full Story
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The ad released online by the Cruz campaign Tuesday uses portions of an exchange O'Rourke had with an attendee of a town hall. A closer look at the context shows that O'Rourke's statements were not specifically about "flag burning." Full Story
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The Club for Growth, a national conservative group that recently announced plans for a seven-figure investment in the U.S. Senate race, is launching its opening salvo at Democratic nominee Beto O'Rourke. Full Story
As O'Rourke's yard signs are popping up in neighborhoods around the state, frustrated Cruz supporters are having trouble finding ones promoting the current U.S. senator's re-election bid. Until recently, that was by design, according to Cruz's camp. Full Story
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Lupe Valdez, the Democratic nominee for governor, has agreed to debate Republican Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 28 in Austin. Full Story
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Republican Reggie Smith is poised to replace former state Rep. Larry Phillips, R-Sherman, after Smith drew no opponents Thursday in the special election for the seat. Full Story
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A video of Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, expressing support for NFL players kneeling during the national anthem has gone viral, earning national attention. But how does it play among Texas voters? Full Story
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Julián Castro, the former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor, is paying his first visit to Iowa this weekend as a potential 2020 presidential candidate. Castro plans to make up his mind on a White House run by the end of the year. Full Story
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