The military veteran and unsuccessful 2018 congressional candidate is considering running for U.S. Senate in 2020, as well as challenging U.S. Rep. John Carter again.
Abby Livingston
Abby Livingston joined The Texas Tribune in 2014 as the publication's first Washington bureau chief, and departed August 2022. In this role, she covered members in the Texas congressional delegation and campaigns back in the home state. A seventh-generation Texan, Abby grew up in Fort Worth and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to the Tribune, Abby worked for NBC, CNN, National Journal and Roll Call. At the Tribune, she won the 2017 National Press Club Award for Washington regional reporting and the Society of Professional Journalists' 2018 Sigma Delta Chi Award for Washington correspondence. Abby is a contributing writer to the Almanac of American Politics and frequently appears on MSNBC, CNN and Sirius XM radio. She also had a role on an episode of "The Bold and The Beautiful." In keeping with the Trib’s great history of hiring softball stars, Abby is a three-time MVP (the most in game history) for The Bad News Babes, the women’s press softball team that takes on female members of Congress in the annual Congressional Women’s Softball breast cancer charity game.
In State of the Union speech, Trump continues hammering Congress over border wall funding
Raising warnings of out-of-control illegal immigration and soaring crime by immigrants — including debunked claims about El Paso’s crime — the president tried to pressure Congress to end a stalemate over border wall funding and avert another government shutdown.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has nearly $6 million ready for his Texas re-election campaign
The state’s senior senator is taking little for granted as he seeks a fourth term.
Former Texas Republican Party chair leaving White House to work on John Cornyn’s campaign
Steve Munisteri is headed home to help Texas’ senior U.S. senator in his 2020 re-election bid.
Sheila Jackson Lee steps down from two powerful posts — but not from Congress
A former staffer in the congresswoman’s office claims Jackson Lee fired her after the staff member reported a rape by a supervisor at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Jackson Lee was the foundation’s board chair before stepping down Wednesday.
Just 5 of the 38 Texans in Congress voted to support Trump in weakening Russian sanctions
At issue was a December announcement that the U.S. Treasury Department would lift sanctions against companies tied to a Russian oligarch with strong ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee accused in lawsuit of retaliation against staffer
The Houston congresswoman is accused of firing an employee after the employee sued the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation over an alleged 2015 rape.
Governor, top Texans in Congress ask Trump not to raid Harvey aid for border wall
Gov. Greg Abbott and 22 members of Congress from Texas sent a letter to President Trump stating their opposition to using Harvey aid for a border wall.
At least 35,000 Texans with federal jobs aren’t being paid because of the shutdown
The partial federal shutdown could come to a head Friday, when tens of thousands of Texas federal workers will miss their paychecks. Meanwhile, officials also worry about small businesses who rely on federal contracts.
Republican Congressman Mac Thornberry pushes back against idea of military building border wall
Thornberry, the former chair of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, said “it is not a responsibility of the Department of Defense” to build the wall.



