Sara Stapleton Barrera, 2020 primary challenger to state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., announces comeback bid as he retires
Lucio announced Thursday that he is not seeking reelection after three decades in the Senate. 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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![Sara Stapleton Barrera, a Brownsville lawyer who last year challenged state Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., in downtown Brownsville on July 4, 2020. Stapleton Barrera said she is again running for the seat after Lucio decided against seeking reelection.]()
Credit: Brenda Bazán for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott leads Beto O’Rourke by 9 percentage points in hypothetical matchup, UT/TT Poll finds
The poll also found that potential candidate Matthew McConaughey is not universally beloved by Texans. About a quarter of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of the movie star who has flirted with running for governor. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin on Oct. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Democrat Eddie Lucio Jr., known for voting with Republicans on key issues, to retire after three decades in Texas Senate
The Brownsville Democrat, who made the announcement Thursday, has served in the upper chamber since 1991. Full Story
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![State Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr., D-Brownsville, on the Senate floor on April 11, 2019.]()
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Texas Democrats went "all in" to protect a San Antonio-area House seat from flipping. The GOP still took it.
Republican John Lujan attributed his victory in the House District 118 race to a “perfect environment.” It came the same night Republicans captured the Virginia governorship in a contest widely seen as a referendum on Joe Biden’s presidency. Full Story
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![John Lujan, Republican nominee for House District 118, poses for a photograph at an election night watch party in San Antonio on Nov. 2, 2021.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Republican John Lujan wins special election runoff to flip Texas House seat in San Antonio
Republicans saw flipping the seat as a way to make headway into South Texas, where Democrat Joe Biden underperformed last year. Full Story
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![John Lujan, Republican nominee for House District 118, speaks to reporters at an election night watch party in San Antonio on Nov. 2, 2021.]()
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Democratic state Reps. Claudia Ordaz Perez and Art Fierro will vie for the same El Paso House seat due to redistricting
Ordaz Perez announced she will challenge Fierro after new political maps forced her to run against another incumbent if she wanted to seek a new term. Democrats have criticized the GOP-drawn House map for diluting the El Paso area's representation. Full Story
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![State Rep. Claudia Ordaz Perez, D-El Paso, on the House floor on May 7, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Evan Young, former clerk to conservative U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, appointed to Texas Supreme Court
Young replaces former Justice Eva Guzman, who resigned in June ahead of a campaign for attorney general. Full Story
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![The Texas Supreme Court on Jan. 15, 2020.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Former ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza decides to run for attorney general after redistricting upends congressional campaign
Garza, a former lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union, had been running to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville. U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen, is now running for Vela's seat after redistricting made Gonzalez's seat more competitive for Republicans. Full Story
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![ACLU lawyer Rochelle Garza has announced she will be running for Texas Attorney General.]()
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With a congressional seat suddenly open, Democrats in the Rio Grande Valley race to recruit for a competitive district
U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez announced last week he’ll seek reelection in a new seat, leaving his 15th Congressional District open for the 2022 election. Candidate filing begins Nov. 13. Full Story
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![Pedestrians walk in downtown McAllen on Oct. 31, 2021.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Special election runoff on Tuesday for Texas House seat in San Antonio carries high stakes for both parties
The race pits Republican John Lujan against Democrat Frank Ramirez for the Democratic-leaning seat that former state Rep. Leo Pacheco, D-San Antonio, vacated earlier this year. Full Story
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![Democrat Frank Ramirez and Republican John Lujan are headed into a runoff election for House District 118.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune