State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, the new star of the Texas Democratic Party, raised nearly $1 million in the final two weeks of June, her campaign will reveal Monday.
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.
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Politics
In Launching Bid for Governor, Abbott Says He’s Ready to Fight
“When it comes to our freedom and our future, I will never, I will never, stop fighting,” Attorney General Greg Abbott said Sunday as he declared his candidacy for governor.
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State Government
Democrats, Seeking Resurgence, May Struggle for Footing in 2014
The Democratic Party is having a hard time drawing candidates for statewide office in the 2014 elections. If no serious contender jumps in next year, the party will have given a pass to Republicans at a time of upheaval up and down the ballot.
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State Government
Rick Perry Says He Won’t Run for Re-election
Gov. Rick Perry announced Monday that he will not run for re-election next year, creating the first open race for Texas governor since 1990 and making Attorney General Greg Abbott the instant favorite to replace him.
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Politics
Slideshow: Abbott Through the Years
As Greg Abbott — widely believed to be running for governor — waits for Monday’s announcement on Gov. Rick Perry’s political future, we’ve compiled a photographic retrospective of the Texas attorney general’s life.
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Politics
Biding His Time, Abbott Poised to Be Favorite in 2014 Governor’s Race
Rather than displaying the swagger of Gov. Rick Perry, Attorney General Greg Abbott comes off as cautious and measured. Those who know him say he is very methodical, a trait that could be to his advantage in a potential race for governor.
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Politics
Setback at Home May Propel Perry Nationally
After Democrats scored a rare legislative victory on Gov. Rick Perry’s home turf, the national spotlight is revisiting the governor of Texas. How he handles it could affect his hopes as a 2016 presidential contender.
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Politics
Session Gives Perry More Time to Decide Future
Rick Perry was supposed to decide by July 1 whether he would jump into the 2014 governor’s race. But all bets are off now that he has called a new special session.
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Health care
Straus: Perry Crossed Line on Davis Comments
One of the most powerful Republicans in Texas, House Speaker Joe Straus, said Friday that Gov. Rick Perry’s controversial remarks about Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis were inappropriate and damaging to the GOP brand.
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Health care
On Abortion Filibuster, Perry Says Davis Didn’t Learn From Own Example
Gov. Rick Perry went after rising Democratic star Wendy Davis on Thursday, saying the Texas senator’s fierce advocacy of abortion rights shows that she did not “learn from her own example’’ as a single mother.
