Hours after Uvalde school shooting, Gov. Greg Abbott attended a fundraiser 300 miles away
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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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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![Gov. Abbott sat his election night watch party in Corpus Christi on March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Moderate Democrats win two key South Texas runoffs, while another is too close to call
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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![Morgan LaMantia, Texas Senate District 27 Democratic Candidate, poses for a photo after a Futuro RGV candidate forum in Brownsville, Texas on Jan. 19, 2022.
Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Henry Cuellar declares victory, but Jessica Cisneros won’t concede in nail-biter runoff for South Texas seat
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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![Jessica Cisneros and Henry Cuellar.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
End of the Bush era? Democratic men in trouble? 5 things to watch during Texas’ primary runoffs
Tuesday’s elections will solidify the major parties’ statewide tickets and have national political implications. Full Story
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![Candidate signs for the primary election stand outside of the voter center located at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Dallas on March 1, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune -
Law to crack down on lobbyists ensnares two former Texas House members
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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![From left: Former state Reps. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, and Eddie Lucio III, D-Brownsville.]()
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Republican Texas House races become high-dollar affairs as Tuesday’s primary runoff nears
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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![An empty chair on the House floor on Oct. 12, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Why Ken Paxton’s supporters in the Texas attorney general race are unbothered by his mounting scandals
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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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attends a campaign event during a Bulverde Spring Branch Conservative Republicans meeting on Monday evening in Bulverde. Paxton criticized President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, championed voter fraud in Texas and praised the leaked SCOTUS draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
West Texas rancher pours $2 million into Sarah Stogner’s underdog campaign for statewide oil and gas board seat
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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![Railroad Commissioner candidate Sarah Stogner waits to speak at a Republican Railroad Commission Forum alongside incumbent Wayne Christian at Celebrate It, an event hall in Paris, Texas, on April 26, 2022.]()
Credit: Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune -
South Texas Democrats fight to shape their party’s future in primary runoffs
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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![Jessica Marie Ramirez, 34, attends a press conference organized by Black Voters Matter, the Texas Right to Vote Coalition, Texas for All Coalition and other advocacy groups on the south steps of the Texas Capitol on July 8, 2021.
Source diversity info: Hispanic Female]()
Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott voices clear support for school voucher program
Abbott said he supports giving parents the option to attend private school “with state funding following the student.” Such measures have failed in the Legislature in the past. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a rally in Conroe on Jan. 29, 2022.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Go Nakamura