The two contests are among the most closely watched U.S. House runoffs in Texas. Menefee, newly elected to Congress, faces longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green in a matchup spawned by GOP redistricting.
Gabby Birenbaum
Gabby Birenbaum is the Washington Correspondent for the Texas Tribune. She covers the Texas congressional delegation and the impact of federal policy on Texas. Gabby previously covered Washington for The Nevada Independent, where she wrote the weekly D.C. Download newsletter and covered the 2024 presidential election and competitive Senate race. Prior to The Nevada Independent, Gabby worked at The Washington Monthly and Vox. Gabby graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and political science. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia and is based in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, watching movies and being a long-suffering fan of DC sports teams. Her work is supported by a partnership with Report for America.
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Immigration
U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar’s bipartisan immigration bill draws GOP support — and backlash
The latest version of the El Paso Democrat’s Dignity Act includes a key change to make it more palatable to Republicans. Some have gotten on board, but others are firmly opposed.
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2026 Texas Elections
Ken Paxton narrowly leads John Cornyn in new poll of Texas’ Senate GOP runoff
The University of Houston survey results were within the margin of error less than a month out from the May 26 election. State Sen. Mayes Middleton had a wider lead in the attorney general primary.
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2026 Texas Elections
Texas’ 18th Congressional District Democratic runoff: Who is running and what to know
The Democratic runoff for the Houston-based seat — a longtime bastion of Black political power — pits the Texas delegation’s newest member, Christian Menefee, against one of its longest-tenured, Al Green.
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Redistricting Texas 2025
How the Voting Rights Act reshaped Texas’ electoral maps by empowering voters, candidates of color
The Supreme Court weakened Section 2, the linchpin of the 1965 civil rights legislation that prohibits diluting the electoral power of voters of color. But the statute’s fingerprints can be seen all over Texas’ maps.
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Politics
Sen. Ted Cruz makes Iowa appearance, fueling speculation about another presidential bid
The U.S. senator won the Hawkeye State during the 2016 Republican primaries. This year he used his appearance to blame Democrats for anti-Semitism and call out GOP Trump foes Tucker Carlson and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
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Congress
Christian Menefee’s district sat vacant for 11 months. His first bill in Congress would set a deadline for special elections.
The Houston Democrat was elected earlier this year to finish out the term of Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in March 2025. The safely blue district was left vacant for 334 days.
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2026 Texas Elections
Hispanic GOP candidates could reshape Texas’ congressional delegation — if they can win Hispanic voters
Texas voters could nominate as many as six Hispanic Republicans in the state’s most hotly contested congressional races. Party leaders hope that’ll help keep Hispanic voters in the GOP’s corner.
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2026 Texas Elections
Talarico leads both Cornyn, Paxton in new polls of Texas’ U.S. Senate race
The Austin Democrat, who won his party’s nomination in March, led Cornyn and Paxton in two successive polls, though he did not crack 50%.
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Congress
North Texas Rep. Pat Fallon running to lead GOP on influential House Oversight Committee
Separately, Amarillo Rep. Ronny Jackson is considering a bid for the top Republican spot on the House Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.