CEO Sam Altman and ChatGPT are top competitors to Elon Musk, the tech billionaire fueling Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign.
Eleanor Klibanoff
Eleanor Klibanoff is the law and politics reporter, based in Austin, where she covers the the Texas Legislature, the Office of the Attorney General, state and federal courts and politics writ large. She also co-hosts the weekly politics podcast, TribCast. Eleanor previously spent three years as the Tribune’s women’s health reporter, covering abortion, maternal health and LGBTQ issues. Before coming to Texas, Eleanor worked for the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, where she reported, hosted and produced the Peabody-nominated podcast, “Dig.” Eleanor was born in Philadelphia and raised in Atlanta, and attended The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
To report a tip, contact Eleanor on Signal at @eklib.49
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Fed up with data centers and Big Tech, rural Republican crossover could decide Democrats’ fate in Texas
Rural Republicans have long undercut Democrats’ gains in cities and suburbs. Will enough defect to make a difference this fall?
Posted in
Politics
Feds charge Fort Bend County official with theft of government money
Carmen Turner, the Democratic tax assessor-collector since 2021, was arrested Thursday morning.
Posted in
TribCast
TribCast: Steve Kornacki on Texas’ midterm outlook
As early voting begins, the chief data analyst for NBC News turns his Big Board analysis on Texas to assess where things stand.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
How Ken Paxton and allies fanned a false conspiracy to convince voters James Talarico was mentally unfit
While James Talarico was recovering from the flu, Paxton supporters said the Democrat was being treated for mental illness in Ohio. The debunked story was shared by White House officials, Elon Musk and social media influencers.
Posted in
TribCast
TribCast: Houston is a model for school takeovers. Is it sustainable?
This week, the podcast explores what can be learned from Houston ISD as more school districts face state takeover.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Mayes Middleton, running for Texas attorney general, wants to “put God back in government”
Middleton, a Republican, has long pushed for injecting Christianity into the public sphere. His Democratic opponent, Nathan Johnson, said those views make him unfit for office.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Democrat Nathan Johnson pitches back-to-basics attorney general’s office after 12 years under Paxton
Johnson is hoping enough moderates are tired of Paxton-era culture wars to cross party lines. His GOP opponent, Mayes Middleton, is running as the outgoing incumbent’s ideological heir.
Posted in
TribCast
TribCast: Are Texas’ voter systems ready for a contentious election?
Votebeat’s Natalia Contreras joins TribCast to explain the state of Texas’ voter rolls one month before election day.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
2026 Texas attorney general race: Who is running and what to know
Republican Mayes Middleton, Democrat Nathan Johnson and Libertarian Tom Oxford are running to replace Ken Paxton. Here’s where they stand.
