It was the closest a Democrat came to toppling a Republican incumbent U.S. senator since 1978. And while O’Rourke beat Cruz in some traditional GOP strongholds, it wasn’t enough to overcome rural Texas counties and some suburbs that remain fiercely loyal to Cruz.
Brandon Formby
Brandon Formby works with The Texas Tribune’s beat editors and reporters to bring Texans the news, analysis and explanatory journalism they need to put pressing issues into perspective. Previously, as an editor on the news desk, he helped steer coverage of legislative sessions, natural disasters, prolonged power outages, mass shootings and the coronavirus pandemic. As a reporter, he covered urban affairs. Before joining the Tribune in 2016, he reported on transportation, politics and local government for The Dallas Morning News. Brandon grew up in Plano and earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas Tech University. He is based in Austin.
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Texas Elections 2018
Battles between firefighters and mayors among several down-ballot issues in Texas cities
Houston and San Antonio firefighters are at odds with their mayors over local ballot measures. Austin is asking residents for $250 million for affordable housing. And in Dallas, voters will replace a city council member facing jail time for corruption.
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State Government
Texas values collide in fight over Houston-Dallas high speed rail
A proposed high-speed rail line between the state’s two largest urban areas represents the collision of two things Texans hold dear: private property rights and an unrestrained free market
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Blocked Out
As Texas grows, an affordable housing crisis looms. Here are six things to know.
Demographics, income and location all play roles in the difficulties Texans face finding an affordable home in a neighborhood they like.
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Blocked Out
How to know if you’re spending too much on housing in Texas
We analyzed housing data in hundreds of Texas ZIP codes to create a searchable tool so readers can see how affordable their neighborhood is.
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Texas Elections 2018
Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke clash over immigration, Trump, guns during intense debate
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Democratic opponent Beto O’Rourke held a feisty debate Friday evening at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
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Demographics
Report says gentrification threatens to displace Austin’s low-income residents, communities of color
The city council is slated to discuss a new University of Texas at Austin study that identifies neighborhoods where redevelopment threatens to push out existing residents.
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In Harvey's Wake
Nearly 10 percent of Texans displaced by Harvey still haven’t gone home, survey says
Meanwhile, 15 percent of homes damaged or destroyed by the storm are still unlivable. Yet FEMA and Texas officials aren’t keeping track of how many people remain displaced one year later.
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Transportation
Austin officials backing away from controversial rewrite of land-use regulations
Amid a fierce battle over the city’s attempts to improve traffic and combat housing unaffordability, Austin leaders are looking to drop CodeNEXT and start a new process.
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Families Divided
Feds remain mum on whether there is a plan to reunify parents and children who are seeking asylum
While officials on Tuesday provided more details on reuniting families who will be deported, it’s not clear how — or if — they plan to reunify thousands who came to the U.S. seeking a safe haven from violent situations back home.