Van Taylor has attracted a group of March primary challengers who are running on his support for a bipartisan independent commission to probe that deadly day, when supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in protest of his reelection loss.
Patrick Svitek
Patrick Svitek was the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covered elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state from 2015 until 2024. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. Patrick graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
GOP expands effort for South Texas dominance to local races
In the weeks before the December filing deadline to run in the March primary election, Project Red Texas traveled South Texas to recruit candidates to run for county offices. The group ended up helping get 125 candidates on the ballot across 25 counties.
Posted in
Winter Storm 2021
Texas puts final estimate of winter storm death toll at 246
Officials added 36 to the estimate of lives lost in the disaster, which knocked out power in much of the state. Some experts place the toll even higher.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Statewide elections, a redder South Texas and Beto-mania: the biggest Texas political stories to watch for in 2022
Next year, every state official and every member of the Texas Legislature and Congress are up for election. That makes for a big year in Texas politics.
Posted in
Coronavirus in Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott sticks with hands-off approach to COVID-19 as omicron spreads
Abbott’s office says vaccines are the best defense to the pandemic, however, the governor has rarely spoken about vaccines in recent months other than to push back against mandates. He did not respond to a question about whether he got the booster.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Beto O’Rourke targets Gov. Greg Abbott for vetoing bill to improve internet access in rural Texas
Abbott vetoed legislation in June that would have helped shore up the Universal Service Fund, which supports telecommunications in rural Texas. He said it would have “imposed a new fee on millions of Texans.”
Posted in
Politics
Texas attorney general cannot unilaterally prosecute election cases, state’s highest criminal court rules
The 8-1 decision came Wednesday from the all-Republican Court of Criminal Appeals.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Republican primary for attorney general heats up, with challengers taking aim at Ken Paxton’s legal troubles
With the candidate filing deadline behind them, the attorney general’s challengers jockey to establish themselves as best person to unseat him.
Posted in
Texas 2022 Elections
Texas’ 2022 races coming into focus as candidate filings close
Every statewide office, legislative seat and U.S. House district will be on the ballot next year when the state’s new political maps are expected to be used.
Posted in
Texas Abortion Restrictions
Texas abortion law author reacts to California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pledge to do the same thing with guns: “Good luck”
State Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola, who wrote the law, was dismissive of Newsom’s effort to restrict gun rights by using Texas’ legal strategy to ban many abortions. He said he didn’t think his enforcement mechanism would be “effective against firmly established constitutional rights.”
