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• Hit hard by the coronavirus, El Pasoans will decide a mayoral runoff where the central focus has been handling the pandemic

  by Patrick Svitek and Julián Aguilar Dec. 11, 2020

  Incumbent Dee Margo is considered the underdog as he fights for a second term leading the city in a Saturday runoff against his predecessor, Oscar Leeser, that has been dominated by management of the latest crisis. Full Story 

• Texas politicians flock to Georgia to aid in fight for U.S. Senate majority

  by Alex Samuels and Patrick Svitek Dec. 10, 2020

  U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz; Texas GOP Chairman Allen West; U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston; and former presidential candidate Julián Castro have all traveled to the state — or plan to soon — to campaign in the Jan. 5 runoffs. Full Story 

• GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson readies 2021 lobbying blitz to bring casinos to Texas

  by Patrick Svitek and Mitchell Ferman Dec. 9, 2020

  Adelson's Las Vegas Sands has built a stable of high-powered lobbyists for the session, which starts in January, and the company acknowledged Tuesday that it is serious about bringing casinos to Texas. Full Story 

• Dan Patrick wants to change Senate rules so GOP keeps a key advantage, despite losing its supermajority

  by Patrick Svitek Dec. 9, 2020

  The lieutenant governor said Wednesday he wants the Senate to decrease the threshold required to bring legislation to the floor to 18 members, which would allow the GOP to continue sidelining Democrats. Full Story 

• What went wrong with Texas Democrats' 2020 plans? State party leaders intend to find out.

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Dec. 8, 2020

  The state party chair plans to do a "deep dive" after executive committee members asked for answers about the outcome of the November election and demanded reforms. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott tells supporters he's considering placing law enforcement for central Austin under state control

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Dec. 3, 2020

  It's the latest proposal from the governor to punish the capital city for its August decision to trim its police budget by a third, primarily by shifting some responsibilities out of law enforcement oversight. Full Story 

• U.S. Sen. John Cornyn's reelection bid received a big cash assist from national Republicans late in campaign

  by Patrick Svitek Dec. 3, 2020

  The super PAC backing Cornyn's reelection, Texans for a Conservative Majority, got a $1.2 million donation from the Senate Leadership Fund days before the election. Full Story 

• On Election Day, Republicans lost a critical advantage in the state Senate. Will Dan Patrick push to change the rules?

  by Patrick Svitek Dec. 2, 2020

  In January, the lieutenant governor suggested he could push to further lower the threshold required to bring bills to the floor if the GOP lost its supermajority. Now that that has happened, it remains to be seen whether Patrick will follow through. Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott endorses Drew Springer over Shelley Luther in Texas Senate special election runoff

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Dec. 1, 2020

  Springer and Luther, who has been a vocal opponent of Abbott's pandemic management, are in a Dec. 19 special election runoff. Full Story 

• Harris County GOP chair who assumed role after facing backlash for racist Facebook post resigns

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Nov. 30, 2020

  Keith Nielsen won the job in March, but as he prepared to take office this summer, he faced widespread condemnation for posting a Facebook graphic juxtaposing a Martin Luther King Jr. quote with a banana. Full Story 

• Texas Republicans eye 2022 — and beyond — after romping in November election

  by Patrick Svitek Nov. 23, 2020

  Two questions could shape Texas politics in the coming years: Who will challenge Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022? And will Abbott — and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — run for president in 2024? Full Story 

• Gov. Greg Abbott reiterates Texas will not shut down again while touting arrival of new coronavirus treatment

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Nov. 19, 2020

  ​Abbott's news conference came the same day that Texas reported more daily new cases than ever before — 12,293 — easily surpassing the previous record of 10,823 two days earlier. Full Story 

• Coronavirus cases in Texas are soaring again. But this time Gov. Greg Abbott says no lockdown is coming.

  by Patrick Svitek and Dan Rosenzweig-Ziff Nov. 18, 2020

  The last time case numbers were this high, Abbott closed bars and urged Texans to avoid summer holiday gatherings. This time, he's staying the course, relying on a 2-month-old blueprint to claw back reopenings regionally based on hospitalizations. Full Story 

• Allen West takes sharp-elbowed approach as Texas GOP chair, raising intraparty tension ahead of legislative session

  by Patrick Svitek Nov. 17, 2020

  West has protested outside the Governor's Mansion and called the likely next speaker of the Texas House a "political traitor." The upcoming legislative session will put his influence within the party to the test. Full Story 

• A handful of battleground races in Texas remain unsettled days after Election Day

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Nov. 9, 2020

  Candidates have not yet conceded in at least three contests for state House, saying they want to see more ballots come in. Full Story 

• After 2018 wake-up call, Texas Republicans were ready to fight back this year

  by Patrick Svitek Nov. 7, 2020

  Republicans held the line against the biggest push to turn Texas blue in recent history. Full Story 

• Joe Biden’s struggles along the Texas border raise questions about Democrats’ outreach there

  by Alex Samuels, Patrick Svitek, Anna Novak and Mandi Cai Nov. 4, 2020

  Democrats once again won a large number of counties along or near the Texas-Mexico border, but by narrower margins than in recent elections. That showing played a big role in disappointing results for the state’s Democrats. Full Story 

• John Cornyn defeats MJ Hegar to retain U.S. Senate seat

  by Patrick Svitek Updated: Nov. 3, 2020

  Hegar called Cornyn and conceded within minutes of the race being called, according to both campaigns. Cornyn gave a victory speech shortly after 9 p.m. Full Story 

• Five things to watch on Election Day 2020 in Texas

  by Alex Samuels and Patrick Svitek Nov. 3, 2020

  Texas is playing host to a series of high-stakes contests up and down the ballot, from a presidential race that could be the state’s closest in a generation to the fight for the Texas House majority. Full Story 

• Rural Texans have long helped Republicans. Will that hold true on Tuesday?

  by Patrick Svitek and Alex Samuels Nov. 2, 2020

  Republicans believe rural Texas will play a crucial role in delivering Texas for President Donald Trump on Tuesday as polls continue to show a close race in the state. Full Story