Freshman incumbent Tara Rios Ybarra, D-South Padre Island, lost her bid for re-election on Tuesday to Kingsville businessman J.M. Lozano.
Julián Aguilar
Julián Aguilar reported for the Tribune from 2009 to 2021, most recently on politics and on the Texas-Mexico border. He focused on immigration reform and enforcement, voter ID, international trade, border security, and the drug trade. His political coverage has included local, legislative and congressional races in Texas, as well as local and national elections in Mexico. Before joining The Texas Tribune, he was a freelance writer for the Fort Worth Weekly, a government and crime reporter for the Laredo Morning Times, and a political writer for the Rio Grande Guardian. A native of El Paso, he has a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Texas and a master's degree in journalism from the Frank W. Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas.
Posted inState Government
HD-43: Rios Ybarra in a Dead Heat After Early Returns
HD-43 incumbent Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra is in a close fight in her bid to return to the Legislature next year.
Posted in
State Government
HD-84: Griffin Holds Early Lead
Griffin holds an early lead in his bid to replace Lubbock County’s Carl Isett.
Posted in
State Government
HD-36: Muñoz Jr. Leads Rodriguez In Early Vote
After early returns, Sergio Muñoz Jr. leads opponent Sandra Rodriguez in his bid to replace embattled state Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores in HD-36.
Posted in
State Government
2010: What’s the Deal with Recounts?
Some losing candidates in today’s primary election could have one last chance to win — provided they meet one of three criteria.
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Early Voting Totals
Early voting totals in Texas’ largest counties nearly doubled, with the GOP race leading the charge.
Posted inState Government
TribBlog: Don’t Rock the Vote!
Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Jeff Daiell is urging voters to avoid the primary ballot box and stay true to Libertarian beliefs.
Posted in
Demographics
The Brief: February 26, 2010
Last chance to cast an early ballot, Hodge still a threat and a warning from the feds about going into the badlands.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Primary Color: The Final Five
This is the final day of early voting — a period in which many more energized and engaged Texans cast ballots for their favorite candidates than their counterparts did in 2006. During the last two weeks, we’ve published fifteen installments in our Primary Color series, analyzing the marquee contested party primaries for Texas House and Senate seats, for Congressional seats, and for slots on the State Board of Education and the Texas Supreme Court. Today we present the last five of our stories. Brian Thevenot reports on the face-off between very different GOP insiders to take on state Rep. Diana Maldonado, D-Round Rock, in House District 52. Julian Aguilar looks at the ideological purity test in HD-43, where incumbent Tara Rios Ybarra, D-South Padre Island, has been called a “closet Republican” by her Democratic challenger. Reeve Hamilton explains how Democrats have to choose between an Agriculture Commissioner candidate with ranching experience and one who’s the consummate promoter. Andrew Kreighbaum weighs in on the six-way free-for-all to succeed retiring Supreme Court Justice Harriet O’Neill in Place 3. And Ross Ramsey contemplates the potential karmic payback of state Rep. Chuck Hopson, of Jacksonville, who quit the Democratic party and filed for reelection as a Republican, only to find two GOP primary opponents lying in wait.