Huffines avoided a runoff in a big-money race against acting Comptroller Kelly Hancock and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick to be the state’s chief financial officer.
Alejandro Serrano
Alejandro Serrano writes about Texas politics and government, with a focus on immigration and education issues. Since joining the Tribune, he has helped investigate the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, lived for half a year in Eagle Pass during a temporary assignment covering immigration and documented a variety of major occurrences in the state from Houston, where he used to live. He previously covered education for the Houston Chronicle and breaking news for the San Francisco Chronicle. The Long Island, New York, native received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Northeastern University. He is based in Austin and speaks fluent Spanish.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Supreme Court orders Dallas, Williamson counties to separate votes after poll hours extended
Dallas and Williamson counties closed centralized voting centers, which had become a common practice, at the request of local Republicans.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Polls close today in the Texas primaries. Here are five things to watch.
This Tuesday, Tribune reporters are watching two blockbuster Senate primaries, an open attorney general seat, and more high-stakes, competitive races up and down the Texas ballot.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas’ comptroller is the state’s top accountant. The candidates are campaigning on culture wars.
Don Huffines, Christi Craddick and Kelly Hancock are talking more about fighting DEI, trans athletes and illegal immigration than the office’s traditional fiscal duties.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Texan shot dead by ICE agent months before killings in Minneapolis, records show
The involvement of federal immigration agents in the fatal shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez on South Padre Island in March had not been disclosed in initial reports.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Rep. Tony Gonzales accuses dead staffer’s husband of trying to blackmail him amid affair scandal
The Republican congressman shared on social media an email requesting a settlement of up to $300,000 in exchange for a nondisclosure agreement.
Posted in
State Government
Texas AG Ken Paxton files second suit targeting Muslim housing project in North Texas
Paxton began investigating the East Plano Islamic Center in March for potential violations of consumer protection laws.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas Democrats launch $30 million coordinated campaign to target key races, flip state in 2026
The effort is a partnership between the state party, two of its largest political organizations and the House Democrats’ campaign arm.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Comptroller candidate Don Huffines’ family owns former Epstein ranch in New Mexico
Huffines’ campaign said the candidate’s family bought the ranch at a public auction four years after Jeffrey Epstein died.
Posted in
Courts
Houston-area developer Colony Ridge reaches $68 million settlement with Texas, feds
The agreement seeks to remedy a variety of concerns raised by government officials, who accused the development’s owners of targeting Latino homebuyers with predatory loans and false promises.