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Patrick Svitek is the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick logged countless miles on the 2016 campaign trail, covering the many Texas angles of the momentous presidential race. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. He graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
O’Rourke’s disruption drew angry responses from the elected officials onstage, with Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin calling him a “sick son of a bitch.” Full Story
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A spokesperson for Abbott said he had previously committed to the event but all campaign-related activities are postponed until further notice. Full Story
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U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar’s too-close-to-call runoff got most of the attention, but three other primary runoffs Tuesday carried big stakes for Democrats as they try to defend South Texas from a new GOP offensive. Full Story
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The race is a rematch from 2020, when Cuellar narrowly defeated Cisneros in the March primary of that year. This time, Cuellar is weakened because of an FBI raid on his home and renewed attention on his anti-abortion stance. Full Story
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Tuesday’s elections will solidify the major parties’ statewide tickets and have national political implications. Full Story
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The law says a former member of the Legislature cannot engage in activities that require them to register as a lobbyist if they have made a political contribution using campaign funds in the past two years. Full Story
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The pricey fights illustrate how much of the action in Texas politics has shifted back to the primary after redistricting dramatically reduced the number of competitive seats. Full Story
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Paxton’s backers say they’re looking past the FBI investigation into Paxton and his felony indictment because he’s a a strong conservative advocate fighting the Biden administration. Full Story
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Ashley Watt, who owns a 75,000-acre ranch in the Permian Basin, is helping bankroll a substantial TV ad buy in the final two weeks before Stogner faces the Railroad Commission’s chair, Wayne Christian, in the runoff. Full Story
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Democratic primary runoffs for two congressional districts and two legislative seats in South Texas highlight the candidates’ divergent visions for the party in a region the GOP is heavily targeting. Full Story
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