Texas GOP Chairman Tom Mechler resigns
Tom Mechler, chairman of the Republican Party of Texas since 2015, announced his resignation from that post Saturday afternoon, citing personal reasons. Full Story
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![Republican Party of Texas Chairman Tom Mechler looks on as Electoral College members cast their vote for president at the state Capitol on December 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A political fishing guide for the 2018 elections in Texas
A small group of Texas Republican officeholders in the Legislature and Congress have something new to worry about in the Donald Trump era: They won their November elections, but Hillary Clinton beat Trump in their districts. Full Story
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![Trump supporters at the Harris County Republican Party headquarters election watch party in Houston on Nov. 8, 2016]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: A short history of Perry’s surprisingly long political career
Rick Perry has become the unsinkable Molly Brown of Texas politics — seemingly at the end of his career time after time, and now on his way to the biggest government job of his career. Full Story
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![State Rep. Rick Perry is shown on April 13, 1989, on the Texas House floor with state Rep. Pete Laney (right) and Rep. Ron Lewis the floor of the house during the 71st Legislative Session.]()
Credit: Texas State Library & Archives Commision -
Analysis: Live by the party, die by the party
Straight-ticket voting is generally popular with the political party in power, but not all Texas Republicans like it. The advantages and disadvantages vary widely by county. Full Story
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![Voters wait in line to cast their ballots at the Flawn Academic Center on the University of Texas at Austin campus on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Tamir Kalifa -
Analysis: Texas political changes in the wind — or the snow blower
The assembly of a Trump administration in Washington, D.C. could send a ripple through the political waters in Texas, particularly if the president-elect hires from within the state's congressional delegation. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks to the Texas delegation at the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio on July 21, 2016.]()
Credit: Justin Dehn -
Analysis: The blue dots in Texas’ red political sea
Texas remained true to the GOP in this week's general election, but the blue spots on the map that represent Democratic votes and mark many of the state's biggest cities are getting bluer. Full Story
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![A map shows which counties voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump in 2016.]()
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UT/TT Poll: Texas voters give tough grades to top officials, institutions
Texas voters give tough grades to federal officials and better grades to state officials. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Ben Hasson -
Analysis: A history lesson amid Texas Democrats’ hopes of a blue November
Texas Democrats have pined for years for a candidate who could turn their luck around. Now they're hoping a Republican will answer their prayers. Full Story
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![U.S. Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and U.S. Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton take the stage at their presidential town hall debate at Washington University in St. Louis on Oct. 9, 2016.]()
Credit: Brian Snyder/REUTERS -
Analysis: Texas braces for Hurricane Donald, chance of purple rain
Republican politicians in Texas ought to be celebrating right now, and for a variety of reasons. But the national election has them looking at the political weather forecasts. Full Story
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Credit: Illustration by Todd Wiseman / Gage Skidmore -
Analysis: Texas Politics Ain’t Fun and Games, But This Year Is One of a Kind
Nastiness and politics go together like expensive coffee and free wifi. Presidential races often prompt urges for civility. Even so, the forces of decency, propriety and good taste kinda have a point this year. Full Story
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![Rob Morrow spoke to reporters on Aug. 24, 2016, in Austin about losing his post as Travis County GOP chairman.]()
Credit: Alana Rocha / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: That Silly Perry Vs. Cruz Idea? Don’t Be So Quick to Dismiss It
Ted Cruz and Rick Perry are well known across Texas, able to raise money inside and outside of the state, and demonstrably ambitious. The speculation about a 2018 matchup will probably come to nothing, right? Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Gov. Rick Perry and state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, are shown at a press conference at Fort Hood, Texas, on April 4, 2014.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich -
Analysis: For Some Texas Republicans, Useful Distractions Back Home
Republicans who want to stay out of the national conversation about the presidential race — the speaker of the Texas House, to name one — there are a handful of races at home that offer plausible excuses. Full Story
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![Texas House Speaker Joe Straus is shown at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland on July 19, 2016.]()
Credit: Alana Rocha / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Texas, the Biggest Red State, Isn’t Feeling GOP Love
The largest red state of them all is effectively sitting on the sidelines as Republicans begin their national convention in Cleveland. Full Story
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![Ted Cruz thanks Texas Republicans for supporting his presidential bid in a Dallas speech on May 14, 2016.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune/Bob Daemmrich -
Platforms Reveal Texas Republicans, Democrats Actually Agree on Stuff
Though they disagree on almost every policy issue, from education funding to abortion to immigration, Texas Republicans and Democrats seem to have common ground on a few things, according to their newly approved platforms. Full Story
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![Attendees at the 2016 Texas Democratic Convention in San Antonio (top) and the 2016 Republican Party of Texas Convention in Dallas (bottom)]()
Credit: Marjorie Kamys Cotera / Bob Daemmrich -
Travis County GOP Limits Power of New Chairman
The Travis County GOP has voted to limit the power of incoming chairman Robert Morrow, a controversial figure whose surprise election earlier this year shook up local politics in Texas' fifth-largest county. Full Story
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![Robert Morrow at the Travis County precinct at Riverbend Church on March 3, 2016.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber / The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: State GOP Pols Still Finding Voices to Back Trump
Before Texas Republicans can become evangelists for their presidential nominee, they’re going to have to reconcile themselves to Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Donald Trump speaks at a rally in Fort Worth on February 26, 2016.]()
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Analysis: A Very Early Guide to November’s Competitive Texas Races
Most of the 218 races at the top of the state and federal sections of our general election ballots in November are not going to be competitive. Here's a look at those that are likely to be. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Todd Wiseman -
Analysis: Selling Ideas to the People Who Influence Texas Lawmakers
The more prescriptive a party platform becomes, the more it reads like a directive to the Legislature. In Texas, the GOP platform becomes a way to build the kind of grassroots support that can spur action from legislators. That, in turn, attracts lobbyists. Full Story
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![The entrance to the 2016 Republican Party of Texas convention at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center in Dallas.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: The Texas GOP, in Its Own Words
It’s not really news that the latest Republican Party of Texas platform has some offbeat ideas in it. That’s always the case. The platform is the state GOP’s biennial gift to political reporters and columnists. But it's also the clearest expression of the GOP's preferences and intentions. Full Story
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![Texas Republicans study the proposed party platform as the debate plays out in Dallas on May 13, 2016.]()
Credit: Illustration by Bob Daemmrich -
Scenes from the Texas GOP Convention
Scenes from the 2016 state Republican Party convention in Dallas, Texas. Full Story
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![Linda Eden of Denton County poses with Donald Trump poster while attending the trade show at the Republican Party of Texas convention on May 13, 2016.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich/Texas Tribune