Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, has proposed a dramatic increase in state spending on border security and other crime-fighting initiatives. But he hasn’t identified the funding to pay for the programs.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
Posted inState Government
Davis Scrutinized Over Spending on Lodging
State Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate for governor, is facing scrutiny for spending more than $100,000 in campaign money on lodging in Austin.
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Politics
Secret Audio Stirs More Controversy in Top Race
Democrats say a secret recording of Greg Abbott’s comments at a fundraiser demonstrate the likely GOP nominee for governor is pushing attacks on his Democratic rival, Wendy Davis, while publicly maintaining he’s above the fray.
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Politics
Davis Says Critics Picked on “Wrong Texas Gal”
Saying she’d “had enough,” state Sen. Wendy Davis unloaded on Attorney General Greg Abbott on Tuesday night, blaming him and his allies for waging a smear campaign against her family.
Posted inState Government
Davis’ Daughters Fire Back at Critics of Their Mother
In open letters released Tuesday, Amber and Dru Davis fired back at critics who have suggested that their mother, state Sen. Wendy Davis, misrepresented her early biography.
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Politics
Despite Recent Hurdles, Battleground Founder Remains Optimistic
The Obama campaign operative who founded Battleground Texas weighs in on a controversy involving some of his volunteers and talks about the fierce criticism directed at Wendy Davis.
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Politics
Abbott: Davis Wants “Late-Term Abortion on Demand”
GOP gubernatorial front-runner Greg Abbott attacked chief Democratic rival Wendy Davis — though not by name — at a boisterous anti-abortion rally at the Texas Capitol on Saturday.
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Politics
Karin Johanson: The TT Interview
The campaign manager for state Sen. Wendy Davis on criticism that Davis blurred key details of her past, whether Davis will campaign with President Obama and whether Davis is running away from the abortion issue.
Posted inState Government
Davis Hires Obama’s Chief Pollster
UPDATED: State Sen. Wendy Davis has hired Joel Benenson of Benenson Strategy Group, who oversaw polling for President Obama during both his 2008 presidential campaign and his 2012 re-election.
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Politics
Slap Fight in Governor’s Race Over Fundraising
Nobody expected Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis to agree on big policy issues. But this week, after releasing their fundraising reports, it became clear they can’t agree about how to count, either.
