Farouk Shami's red-carpeted gubernatorial candidacy coming-out party was more like a scene out of Fashion Week than anything Texas Democrats typically put on. But the stagecraft and the statewide ad buy that begins today are aimed to quell doubts about whether he's making a serious run. Full Story
Couldn't make it to the big tent for Democrat Farouk Shami's gubernatorial announcement? This is your pass to the party. Full Story
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Mark Yudof vs. the crappy California economy. Full Story
Gov. Rick Perry won't grant clemency to Robert Lee Thompson, who was sentenced to death under Texas' controversial "law of parties." Full Story
Republicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry have started their air war, and Democrat Farouk Shami — new to the race — starts on TV at the same time. Full Story
Speaker Joe Straus has given committees their assignments for the next year. Full Story
The Republican Governor's Association does NOT get involved in primaries, but... Full Story
Complete with a red carpet, massive white tent, air-conditioned porta-potties and the kind of stagecraft that bests even presidential runs in their early stages, Texas billionaire Farouk Shami announced his run for the Democratic nomination for governor at his company headquarters in North Houston. Full Story
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El Paso Republican businessman Dee Margo said today he will run for the Texas House again, taking on Democrat Joe Moody. The campaign will be Margo's third try for a seat in the Texas Legislature. Full Story
Your afternoon reading. Full Story
The State Board of Education, which has showcased some intense philosophical fights, has drawn scrutiny for becoming a partisan battleground. For now, members are just trying to get along — but the rifts are as big as ever. Full Story
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Desperate Texans who get crosswise with payday lenders quickly find they get no help from the state, which hasn't regulated the industry since 2005. Full Story
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“What kind of governor will Kay Bailey Hutchison be? Just look what she’s fighting for today.” Full Story
The polarization was striking: 80% of Texas Democrats were worried about staying too long in Afghanistan, while 76% of Texas Republicans were worried about leaving Afghanistan too soon. In the comparable national poll question, there was a notable but less striking split, with 61% of Democrats choosing a smaller increase, with 65% calling for a larger increase. Full Story
The race for governor has a future in radio. Full Story
With 198 legislators on the ballot next year, there ought to be more fear in the air. But only a few are in obvious political trouble. Who's on the list, and what makes them vulnerable? Full Story
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The Republican Governors’ Association has come to Texas for its annual conference. They’re upbeat from its fresh wins in Virginia and New Jersey. And the group wants to build on those wins heading into the 2010 elections. Full Story
A campaign flier going out to 35,000 Houston voters says mayoral candidate Annise Parker shouldn't be elected based on her homosexual lifestyle. The sender's argument against Parker for mayor? "Homosexual behavior leads to extinction." Full Story
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"We westerners know the difference between a real talker and the real deal," Cheney told supporters at Hobby Airport in Houston. "When it comes to being conservative, Kay Bailey Hutchison is the real deal." Full Story
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Guess which demographic group is calling dibs on new congressional seats? Full Story