This is the first buy that Trump’s well-heeled political operation has made for a general election, underscoring how critical Texas’ Senate race is to the GOP’s hopes.
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.
To report a tip, contact Gabby on Signal at @gabbybirenbaum.05
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2026 Texas Elections
Jasmine Crockett’s down-ballot slate starts to take shape as she steers clear of Senate race
The Dallas congresswoman has said she plans to focus on local races in Texas this fall rather than campaigning for James Talarico, who defeated her in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico to air first TV ad attacking Ken Paxton in Senate race
The Democrat’s negative spot that alleges corruption by his GOP rival debuts Saturday during a TCU vs. North Carolina football game.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
John Cornyn is raising money for competitive Senate races — just not in Texas
The GOP senator said he plans to use his considerable fundraising prowess to help colleagues in New Hampshire, Michigan, Alaska and elsewhere.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Trump visits Texas to fundraise for Ken Paxton’s Senate bid
The president’s trip, which includes a GOP event and a NASA ceremony, comes as the Texas attorney general trails his U.S. Senate challenger James Talarico in the polls and fundraising.
Posted in
Congress
Ted Cruz says on podcast it’s “no secret that I want to be president”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also speculated during their conversation that Gov. Greg Abbott also aspires for the White House.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Cornered by Big Bend backlash, Texas Republicans tread carefully around Trump
Most of the state’s GOP leaders have hedged on the White House’s plans for the region, welcoming a construction pause without breaking from a president they’re loath to cross.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Speaker Mike Johnson to campaign in battleground South Texas House districts this week
The Louisiana Republican is visiting four districts, each of which are majority Hispanic and were carried by Donald Trump in 2024. The seats could help decide control of the House this fall.
Posted in
Congress
Texas to receive at least $7.5 billion from stalled border reimbursement fund, Cornyn says
The state — which spent over $11 billion on Operation Lone Star — could receive more through a separate $3.5 billion reimbursement fund administered by the Department of Justice.
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2026 Texas Elections
As Big Bend wall outcry builds, Paxton does not say whether construction should proceed
The attorney general’s campaign said he wants strong border security that considers Big Bend’s “unique characteristics” — but did not say whether he supports building a wall there.
