O’Rourke’s campaign said they gave the money back before the company’s scandals became widely public, because they were taken aback by such a large unsolicited donation.
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.
Posted in
Politics
Texas Republicans show mix of enthusiasm and reticence toward Trump’s run for president
Gov. Greg Abbott, who Trump endorsed for his reelection, has not commented about the former president’s announcement to run for the White House a third time.
Posted in
Politics
Gov. Greg Abbott expands Texas’ migrant busing plan to Philadelphia
Abbott said Philadelphia’s mayor has “long-celebrated and fought for sanctuary city status, making the city an ideal addition to Texas’ list of drop-off locations.”
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Ken Paxton wins third term as attorney general, beating Democrat Rochelle Garza
In a difficult cycle for Democrats, the race was widely seen as the most competitive statewide election because of Paxton’s laundry list of legal troubles.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Beto O’Rourke has lost three races in four years. Is his political career over?
He has been the Texas Democratic Party’s great hope. But after failed runs for senator, president and governor, observers wonder if he has a political future.
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Politics
Caught between feuding politicians, nonprofits shoulder burden of Texas’ migrant busing program
Texas has transported about 13,000 migrants to New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. But in the absence of communication between the state and those cities, nonprofits are having to pick up the pieces for this mass movement of migrants.
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Politics
Dan Flynn, who served 18 years in the Texas House, has died at 79
He also served much of his life in the military, including the U.S. Army, the Texas Army National Guard and the Texas State Guard.
Posted in
Uvalde school shooting
Tony Gonzales becomes first major Republican to call for DPS Director Steve McCraw to resign
The representative called for McCraw’s resignation after the Department of Public Safety director said in a meeting that the agency had not failed the city of Uvalde.
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Texas 2022 Elections
Ken Paxton, Texas’ election denier-in-chief, closes in on third term
That Paxton is so close to securing his reelection this November as the state’s chief legal officer is raising alarms from election experts about the impact he could have on future contested elections, particularly if Donald Trump runs for president again in 2024.
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Politics
Bexar County sheriff certifies that migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard are crime victims, clearing path for special visas
The move clears a pathway for those people to get a special visa to stay in the country that they otherwise would not have received.
