Three Republicans who served in the Legislature with Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, are criticizing his GOP opponent’s use of a picture of Jesus in a controversial mail piece. Republican U.S. Rep. Quico Canseco is standing by the ad.
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
Perry to Campaign for Romney in Colorado, Nevada
With a tight presidential race going down to the wire, Gov. Rick Perry will campaign this weekend for formal rival Mitt Romney in Colorado and Nevada, where Perry will appear at a series of rallies.
Posted inState Government
Dick Cheney to Help Raise Money for Romney in Texas
Former Vice President Dick Cheney will visit Texas next week to raise money for Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney. Cheney will be joined at events in Austin and Dallas by Romney’s son Josh.
Posted inState Government
Gallego: Jesus Would Not Like Political Mailer
Democrat Pete Gallego, locked in one of the hottest congressional races in the country, says his opponent Quico Canseco went too far by using the face of Jesus in a political ad. Canseco stands by the mailer.
Posted inState Government
Hinojosa Admits Errors, Will Change Gears on Mileage Reimbursement
State Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, acknowledges he made errors in how his campaign reimbursed him for the use of his personal vehicle. He says he plans to now keep a log of his miles.
Posted inState Government
Huge Margins With Anglo Voters Gives GOP Edge
The GOP’s ever-tightening grip on Anglo voters helps explain why no Democrat won statewide in Texas from 2000 to 2010 even though minorities accounted for 89 percent of the population growth over the same period.
Posted inState Government
The Oops Diaries: Internal Power Struggle Preceded Oops Moment
The turmoil on the debate stage was matched by monumental infighting and bitterness inside Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign. In the last excerpt from Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail, the divisions are laid bare.
Posted inState Government
Perry Downplays Sleep Apnea in Failed Run
Gov. Rick Perry is downplaying the effects that a previously undiagnosed sleep disorder had on his ill-fated presidential campaign, days after his office confirmed the ailment.
Posted inState Government
The Oops Diaries: Crisis Mode Over a Mannequin
By the time Gov. Rick Perry’s campaign sputtered into South Carolina in January, he was so gaffe-prone that aides struggled to bat down stories about blunders that never actually happened. An excerpt from Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.
Posted inState Government
The Oops Diaries: Anita Perry — Spouse, Adviser
In Gov. Rick Perry’s Texas campaigns, his wife, Anita, offered spousal support. But during the presidential race, she was all in. Her central role, and the resistance it provoked, is detailed in this excerpt from Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.
