The two-day gathering, informally dubbed “Trumpapalooza,” will put Texas at the center of the political world as it hits the homestretch of its most competitive election cycle in years.
Kayla Guo
Kayla Guo covers state politics and government. Before joining the Tribune, she covered Congress for The New York Times as a reporting fellow based in Washington, D.C. Kayla has also covered transportation policy for Politico and local news for The Raleigh News & Observer, and she was a part-time digital producer for The Boston Globe. She graduated from Brown University, where she studied public policy and served as editor-in-chief and president of the independent student newspaper. She was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She is based in Austin.
To report a tip, contact Kayla on Signal at @kaylaguo.19
Posted in
Investigations
Ken Paxton omits rental income and mortgages from financial disclosures, obscuring his wealth
The Republican U.S. Senate nominee appears to have violated federal ethics law, which requires candidates to report their income and disclose mortgages on properties other than personal residences, experts said.
Posted in
Texas affordability crisis
With voters squeezed by high costs, Texas candidates race to claim affordability mantle
If not carefully vetted, candidates’ proposals to lower costs could exacerbate future affordability issues, experts say.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Talarico campaign asks court to unseal Paxton’s depositions in energy investing dispute
The petition, to be filed in Collin County, seeks the transcripts from two rounds of testimony Paxton gave as part of a legal clash that entangled his financial adviser and former business associates.
Posted in
Immigration
Feds pausing Big Bend border construction while CBP commissioner visits the park
It was not immediately clear how long CBP plans to implement the pause. The Trump administration had announced plans to build an access road and vehicle barriers in the park.
Posted in
Public Education
Gov. Greg Abbott proposes further limiting screen time in K-12 classrooms
The proposal, which would have to be passed by the Legislature, follows a ban on cellphone use in K-12 schools approved by lawmakers last year.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico rolls out economic agenda that takes aim at “false Gospel of trickle-down economics”
Like his U.S. Senate rival, Ken Paxton, the Austin state lawmaker introduced a plan to address what he called an “affordability crisis.” But they differed on who is to blame for rising costs.
Posted in
Investigations
James Talarico accused Ken Paxton of voter fraud. His own voter registration is raising questions.
After hitting his GOP foe for voting under an address where he no longer lived, the Tribune and ProPublica found the Democratic Senate candidate also appears to have done so.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico calls for tighter regulations on data center development
Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, unveiled her own plan this week and called on Gov. Greg Abbott to take executive action to pause data center development.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Talarico pledges $25 million for Black voter outreach at sometimes tense Houston town hall
The Democratic Senate nominee faced pointed questions from some Black voters and was confronted by a political content creator who said “you cannot win without us.”
