Mike Collier, Carla Brailey and Michelle Beckley are facing off for the Democratic nomination in the lieutenant governor race. Financially, the three candidates are outmatched by Dan Patrick’s $25 million war chest.
James Barragán
James Barragán was a politics reporter for The Texas Tribune with a focus on accountability reporting. Prior to joining the Tribune, James worked as a statehouse reporter for The Dallas Morning News and previously had stints at the Austin American-Statesman and the Los Angeles Times. In 2021, he was a finalist for the Toner Prize for Excellence in Local Reporting for his coverage of Texas politics during the COVID-19 pandemic. James was selected as a 2023-24 Nieman Fellow at Harvard. A Southern California native, James received his bachelor’s degree in history from the University of California, Los Angeles. He was based in Austin and is a native Spanish speaker.
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Politics
Attorney General Ken Paxton defies county official’s order to release records related to Jan. 6 Trump rally
Last week, the Travis County district attorney’s office gave Paxton four days to turn over communications requested by the state’s largest newspapers or face a lawsuit.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has fought vaccine mandates, tests positive for COVID-19
Paxton’s office said the Republican “remains working diligently for the people of Texas from home.”
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Criminal Justice
Ken Paxton violated law and must release records related to Jan. 6 Trump rally, district attorney says
The Travis County district attorney, a Democrat, says the Republican attorney general has four days to provide communications, multiple Texas news outlets first reported.
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Operation Lone Star
Probe of Texas National Guard border mission demanded over suicide attempts, abysmal conditions and delayed pay
The call for action from Texas Democrats comes as another service member based in the city of Pharr survived a suicide attempt on Sunday, according to an incident report obtained by Army Times and The Texas Tribune.
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Texas 2022 Elections
State Rep. Celia Israel announces run for Austin mayor
Former Austin mayor and Democratic state Sen. Kirk Watson has also expressed interest in running for the position, as has City Council member Kathie Tovo. Two candidates have formally announced their candidacy: Jennifer Virden, a Realtor and former Austin city council candidate, and Erica Nix.
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Operation Lone Star
Texas lawmakers deplore mistreatment of National Guardsmen sent to border duty
Legislative leaders overseeing the Texas Military Department say they are looking into reports of suicides, habitual pay problems and poor working conditions on Gov. Greg Abbott’s highly touted border mission.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Allen West blasts Gov. Greg Abbott over suicides, pay problems among National Guardsmen at the border
Abbott’s political challenger said guard members deployed to Operation Lone Star are facing late pay, being exposed to COVID-19, experiencing supply shortages and dealing with added stress that has led to multiple suicides tied to the mission.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick tested positive last week for COVID-19 but didn’t tell Texas right away
Patrick’s office said he tested positive for COVID-19 last week and experienced mild symptoms but has since tested negative.
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Coronavirus in Texas
Health agency warns Texas is running out of the only antibody treatment effective against the omicron variant
Five of the department’s regional infusion centers have run out of sotrovimab, the only antibody treatment known to be effective against the new variant.
