Despite dominating the airwaves, Texas’ senior senator has been neck and neck with Attorney General Ken Paxton in public polling, both falling well short of the support needed to avoid a runoff.
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.
Posted in
Health care
More Texans have signed up for ACA health coverage despite expiring subsidies and falling national enrollment
The ACA enrollment figure indicates a stabler marketplace and less coverage loss than many experts and insurers feared, though the number could drop once premium bills become due.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Vacant for 11 months, one of Texas’ bluest congressional districts will pick new representative Saturday
Two Democrats are competing to serve out the rest of Sylvester Turner’s term. The winner will have a two-week incumbency advantage before early voting begins in the March primary.
Posted in
Congress
GOP Sen. Cruz, Rep. McCaul call for investigation after federal agents fatally shoot man in Minneapolis
Other Texas Republicans have called for the Trump administration to double down on sending immigration officers to Minnesota and blamed Democrats for the violence, while others have remained silent.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Anti-Islam rhetoric takes center stage in Texas Republican primary
As the GOP and its factions debate what constitutes American identity, opposition to Islam has become a key campaign pillar for some Texas Republicans in statewide races and beyond.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico unveils Spanish-language TV ad, signaling push for Latino support in Texas Senate bid
The spot, which describes the Austin Democrat’s work on education issues in the Legislature, will air this week in nearly a dozen of the state’s largest media markets.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
New Texas poll finds Talarico leading Crockett by 9 points in Senate Democratic primary
Texas’ Senate Republican primary, meanwhile, looks headed for a runoff. The survey found U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a dead heat against Attorney General Ken Paxton, with neither eclipsing 30%.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Jasmine Crockett’s pastor, Frederick Haynes III, sees Congress as stage to pursue social justice
Haynes staked out several progressive policy positions at his recent campaign launch event, including support for Medicare for All and dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Posted in
Immigration
In border visit, John Cornyn resists calls to expand visas for foreign workers
The Republican U.S. senator praised Trump’s border initiatives and said fully securing the border should take priority over changing immigration law.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Texas hands over complete list of registered voters to Trump administration
The Justice Department has asked states for their voter rolls with an eye toward purging ineligible voters. Democrats say sharing the data could violate federal election law.
