Five takeaways from third-quarter fundraising reports in Texas' congressional races
Tuesday was the latest quarterly deadline for congressional candidates in Texas, an increasingly vital state in the battle for the House majority. 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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![The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.]()
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Dallas attorney Chrysta Castañeda to challenge Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton
Castañeda, a Democrat, is centering her 2020 campaign on the issue of flaring, or the burning of natural gas that companies do not move to market. Full Story
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![Chrysta Castañeda is the Democratic candidate for the Texas Railroad Commission.]()
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In their secretly recorded meeting, Dennis Bonnen and Michael Quinn Sullivan laid bare GOP anxieties about 2020
The recording, released Tuesday, features the two prominent Republicans airing their concerns about how Texas Republicans will fare next election, particularly in state House races. Full Story
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![The Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen offered media access to Empower Texans, suggested it target certain Republicans, recording shows
Bonnen also spoke disparagingly about multiple Democrats, calling one House member “vile” and suggesting that another’s “wife’s gonna be really pissed when she learns he’s gay.” Full Story
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![Speaker Dennis Bonnen during the Texas Fallen Heroes ceremony on May 25, 2019]()
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Democratic hopefuls unveil third-quarter fundraising figures as John Cornyn's financial advantage grows
Tuesday was the deadline for candidates to report their third-quarter fundraising numbers to the Federal Election Commission. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, speaks to the press at the University of Texas at Austin tower in Austin on June 14, 2019.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
Key goal for Texans Julián Castro and Beto O'Rourke in Tuesday's debate: Make the next one
If the two candidates don't show improvement in the polls, they won't make it to the November debate stage. Full Story
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![Democratic 2020 presidential candidates former HUD Secretary Julian Castro, U.S. Senator Cory Booker, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren and former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke participate in the first U.S. 2020 presidential election Democratic candidates' debate in Miami, Florida on June 26, 2019.]()
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Democratic super PAC, GOP candidate to run first TV ads in key Texas House special election
With less than a week until early voting starts, the Democratic push to flip the seat previously held by state Rep. John Zerwas, R-Richmond, is ramping up. Full Story
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![Vote signs outside early voting locations in Austin on Feb. 23, 2014.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
After raising $4.5 million in third quarter, O'Rourke says he needs to "break through" now more than ever
The Democratic presidential candidate improved on his second-quarter haul but remains in the lower third of candidates who've released their latest numbers so far. Full Story
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![Presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks to supporters at Tom Lee Park on Aug. 15, 2019, in El Paso.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O'Rourke says religious institutions should lose tax-exempt status if they oppose gay marriage
The Democratic presidential candidate gave an unequivocal answer Thursday night during a CNN town hall on LGBTQ rights, drawing intense criticism from Republicans and religious groups. Full Story
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![Democratic presidential candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks with Garrett Haake, a Washington correspondent for MSNBC, during the Texas Tribune Festival in downtown Austin. O'Rourke has latched onto gun control as a major campaign issue following last month's tragic Walmart shooting in El Paso.]()
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State Sen. Pat Fallon decides against primary challenge to Cornyn
The Prosper Republican revealed his decision Thursday, after he previously announced an exploratory committee to consider whether to run against the state's senior U.S. senator. Full Story
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![State Sen. Pat Fallon, R-Prosper, on the Senate floor on April 9, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune