GOP state Rep. Lyle Larson, who has increasingly broken with his party, won’t seek reelection
The San Antonio Republican announced Wednesday he will not run for another term in 2022. Full Story
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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.
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![State Rep. Lyle Larson, R-San Antonio, speaks with colleagues on the House floor on Tuesday, August 10, 2021.]()
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Special runoff election to fill vacant San Antonio-area House seat set for Nov. 2
Republicans are pushing to flip the seat of former state Rep. Leo Pacheco. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on April 12, 2021.]()
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Weighing reelection bid, GOP Texas Sen. Kel Seliger confronts redrawn district, Trump endorsement of primary challenger
After high-profile clashes with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a fellow Republican, Seliger suspects members of his own party are trying to oust him. Full Story
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![State Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, on the Senate floor on April 11, 2019.]()
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South Texas was already a political battleground. New maps could alter game plans.
With proposed maps out, U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, says he might switch to a neighboring district where U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, is retiring. The initial maps are also sure to impact decisions in regional legislative races. Full Story
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![A neighborhood surrounding downtown Rio Grande City on Nov. 11, 2020]()
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Texas House proposes map that increases Republican strength and decreases Black and Hispanic majority districts
The Texas Legislature is in the midst of its third special session, which is dedicated to redrawing political maps based on the latest census data that showed people of color fueled 95% of Texas’ population growth over the past decade. Full Story
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![The House floor at the Capitol on Sept. 23, 2021.]()
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Donald Trump adds fresh pressure to Gov. Greg Abbott over demand for a forensic election audit
There has been no evidence of widespread election fraud in Texas, where Trump defeated President Joe Biden by 6 percentage points. After the November election, a secretary of state official said Texas’ election was “smooth and secure." Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, left, addresses former President Donald Trump during a border security briefing to discuss further plans i…]()
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Brian Harrison wins Texas House seat after beating fellow Republican John Wray, who used to hold the seat
Harrison is the former chief of staff at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under President Donald Trump. He will replace Waxahachie Republican Jake Ellzey, who was elected to Congress in July. Full Story
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![Brian Harrison is running to fill the House District 10 seat in North Texas.]()
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Republican John Lujan and Democrat Frank Ramirez advance to runoff for San Antonio-area Texas House seat
Lujan is a Republican who previously held the seat and is hoping to help his party make inroads in South Texas. Ramirez is a former San Antonio City Council staffer. Full Story
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![Democrat Frank Ramirez and Republican John Lujan are headed into a runoff election for House District 118.]()
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Proposed new congressional seat in Houston gets prominent GOP candidate
Wesley Hunt, an Army combat veteran who ran a close congressional contest last year in the Houston area, announced Tuesday he plans to run for the state's new 38th Congressional District in the same region. Full Story
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![Wesley Hunt, who ran for Congress as a Republican in 2020, is running for the new Houston congressional district.]()
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GOP state Rep. Phil King announces he'll run for new Republican-friendly Senate seat held by Democrat Beverly Powell
Within half an hour of declaring his bid, King got the endorsement of the Senate's presiding officer, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Full Story
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![State Rep. Phil King, R-Weatherford, questions a fellow lawmaker regarding a proposed amendment to HB 10 on March 30, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
John Wray fights for old Texas House seat against Brian Harrison in special election that has turned personal
The two Republicans are fighting to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, R-Waxahachie, who is now a congressman. Full Story
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![The House floor at the end of day one for the third special session on Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.]()
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Texas Republicans hope to flip San Antonio-area House seat in Tuesday special election
After upsets in previous special elections and President Joe Biden’s underperformance in South Texas last year, Democrats running for an open Texas House seat are taking the GOP threat seriously. Full Story
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![Roll call is tallied on the House Floor on Aug. 23, 2021]()
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Beto O’Rourke on Matthew McConaughey: “I don’t know how he feels about any of the issues”
In a Texas Tribune Festival interview, the former member of Congress discussed the fight for voting rights, his takeaways from his last two runs for office and speculation about his becoming a candidate for governor. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke.]()
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Attorney General Ken Paxton’s three Republican challengers criticize his legal problems — and pitch themselves as the best GOP nominee
Paxton is facing challenges from three fellow Republicans in his bid for a third term. In interviews at The Texas Tribune Festival, they each took him to task for the legal problems he has accrued in office, with two saying he should resign. Full Story
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![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
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Austin state Rep. Celia Israel won’t run for reelection, is exploring mayoral run
Israel’s decision creates a vacancy in Austin-area House District 50 with redistricting underway at the Legislature. Full Story
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![State Rep. Celia Israel, D-Austin, during the Mexican American Legislative Caucus and House Elections Committee press confer…]()
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After losing to a Democrat in 2020, former GOP state Sen. Pete Flores seeks election in newly drawn Republican district
Within hours, Flores got the endorsement of Sen. Dawn Buckingham, R-Lakeway, who is vacating the seat to run for land commissioner, and then Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who presides over the Senate. Full Story
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![State Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton, on the Senate floor on April 9, 2019.]()
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The Texas GOP lawmaker behind the abortion ban, voting restrictions bill and more
State Sen. Bryan Hughes authored the six-week abortion ban and the elections bill and carried other conservative priorities that grabbed national attention. Full Story
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![State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, speaks in favor of Senate Bill 1 on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
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House Freedom Caucus member Matt Krause challenges Ken Paxton for Texas attorney general
The Fort Worth lawmaker, who has been close to Paxton, is the third serious primary challenger to emerge. Full Story
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![State Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, reads proposed legislation while on the House floor on July 29, 2021.]()
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Special election runoff between John Wray and Brian Harrison for state House district in North Texas set for Sept. 28
The two Republicans are vying to replace former state Rep. Jake Ellzey, who is now in Congress. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol on June 10, 2021.]()
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5 candidates file for special election in San Antonio to replace former state Rep. Leo Pacheco
The field for the Sept. 28 contest has attracted three Democrats and two Republicans. Full Story
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
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