Republicans Invoke an Off-Ballot Candidate
No matter what office they are running for in 2014, every Republican in Texas seems to be running against the same opponent: Barack Obama. Full Story
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![President Barack Obama speaking in Austin on Thursday, May 9, 2013.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa for The Texas Tribune -
Pauken Leans In, Against the GOP's Status Quo
The former Texas Republican Party chairman is betting his fellow conservatives want a change of direction after a dozen years of Gov. Rick Perry and what he says would be "more of the same" from Attorney General Greg Abbott. Full Story
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![Tom Pauken, who is running for governor, speaking to a young Republicans group in Houston on June 27, 2013.]()
Credit: Michael Stravato -
For Democrats, Abortion Debate and Filibuster Create a Line in the Sand
Texas Democrats had a big win on a big stage Tuesday night. Can they keep it going? Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Guest Column: Texas Should Leave Redistricting Alone
Republican leaders in Texas want the Legislature to take up redistricting this session. That's a bad idea, writes Matt Angle, director of the Lone Star Project. Full Story
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TribLive: A Conversation With Tony Garza
Full video of my April 18 TribLive conversation with former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza. Full Story
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The Polling Center: A Seat for the Tea Party
Sentiment for the Tea Party remains strong within the GOP, but what started as an insurgent group is becoming just another — albeit important — part of the Republican Party in Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
TribLive: Garza on Latinos and the GOP
At Thursday's TribLive conversation, former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Tony Garza talked about the efforts of Republicans — nationally and in Texas — to attract Latino voters. Full Story
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Polling Center: Education Wasn't a Silver Bullet for Democrats
A couple of Democrats won election in 2012 talking about education, but that doesn't mean the issue was a silver bullet for the minority party. Lots of others talked about it and lost, and the two who won were victorious in districts favorable to them. Full Story
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![Chris Perkins is a partner at the Republican polling firm Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research.]()
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Losing a Once-in-a-Lifetime Political Donor
With the death this weekend of Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, Texas Republicans lost one of their stalwarts, and one of their biggest and most reliable donors. So did a few Democrats. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Randal Ford / Todd Wiseman -
A House Less Susceptible to Political Stampedes
In 2011, state lawmakers fresh from a Tea Party election surge were hypersensitive to the opinions of and instructions from conservative activists. But as Thursday's House budget debate showed, this session isn't quite the same. Full Story
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Guest Column: Minority Voters Aren't Anti-Government
In their quest to woo minority voters, Republican leaders are missing something important: Most of those voters won't buy the party's anti-government message. Full Story
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Credit: Ross Ramsey -
The Polling Center: GOP Voters and the Path to Citizenship
Many Republican officials are moderating their views on immigration reform that includes a path to citizenship for immigrants already in the U.S. Their voters, however, remain opposed to the idea. And Tea Party voters are strongly opposed. Full Story
Credit: Todd Wiseman -
Bush Filing Clears the Air, But Only a Little Bit
George P. Bush is running for land commissioner, clearing the way for other politicians who want to run in 2014 but don't want to run against that famous last name. But the filing doesn't end the speculation — it just changes it. Full Story
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![George P. Bush at the state Capitol on Jan. 7, 2013, the day before the beginning of the 83rd session.]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera -
TWI: The Climate in Texas Political Districts
The newest Texas Weekly Index measures each of the state's legislative and congressional districts, based on how statewide Republicans and Democrats fared in races in each district over the 2010 and 2012 election cycles. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman -
Cornyn: Senate Losses Cause for Party to "Reflect"
Some are arguing Sen. John Cornyn is now vulnerable in his race to become the second in command in the US Senate, given the number of key Republican seats lost Tuesday night. Others cite outside factors for the unexpected outcomes. Full Story
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Credit: Gage Skidmore -
Video: Immigration in the Wake of the Election
The election last week showed many in the GOP that it may need to fine tune its message on immigration. The tight race between President Obama and former Gov. Mitt Romney motivated Latino voters — largely for Obama — and caused some immigrants to fear what a Romney administration could mean for their future. Full Story
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Science and Politics — and Partisans
An endorsement by the most famous political independent in the country highlights a political fault line: the partisan division over the usefulness of science in policy making. Full Story
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After Years on Top, Future Brings Challenges for State GOP
In the last installment of a three-part series on Texas Republicans' lock on state government over the past decade, Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune looks at the evolution of the GOP in Texas — and what the party might look like 10 years from now. Full Story
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Express-Lane Voting: It's Fast, but Problematic
Lots of people get elected by voters who didn't look at their names — voting instead by choosing all candidates from one party or another. Much of the electorate only uses that one piece of information to determine who gets votes. Full Story
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A 10-Week Sprint to Election Day
The conventions start next week, with Republicans going first, in Tampa, and Democrats following, in Charlotte. Both parties are going South, but they're interested in swing states. Texas isn't one. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman
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