Only 10 days out from Labor Day — the unofficial start of the campaign season — we bring you a scouting report on the 21 Texas House races to watch. We based our picks on dozens of interviews with politicos and our own analysis of district voting patterns, campaign coffers, the relative strength of the candidates and issues that could turn each contest. Most of the vulnerable incumbents are Democrats, which is no surprise in a Republican year. But a few veteran R’s are at risk, thanks to alleged ethical lapses that could swing voters against the national mood.
21 House Races to Watch
Posted inState Government
TribBlog: RPT Questions Dunnam’s Residency [Updated]
At a press conference in Waco this afternoon, Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri laid out a case alleging that Democratic state Rep. Jim Dunnam does not live in Waco’s House District 57, which he currently represents.
Posted in
Energy
TribBlog: Bashing Coal Ash
A new report by three environmental groups documents dangerous levels of toxic contaminants from coal ash in Texas and elsewhere — and little regulation.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
2010: Abbott Won’t Commit to Debating Radnofsky
At this morning’s TribLive interview, Attorney General Greg Abbott wouldn’t say whether he’ll square off against his Democratic opponent, Barbara Ann Radnofsky. “That is going to be up to the people who run my campaign,” he said.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: Aug. 26, 2010
Someone tell Tom DeLay to ready his tie dye and burnt orange.
Posted in
Criminal Justice
Justice for Aaron?
He can’t read or write, struggles to speak, and at age 19 has an IQ of 47. Yet a judge in the northeast Texas town of Paris still sentenced Aaron Hart to 100 years in prison for performing sexual acts on a 6-year-old neighbor. An appeals court overturned Aaron’s conviction this spring. Now he sits in jail facing the same charges a second time, and his family is praying for a different outcome.
Posted in
Energy
Oil’s Well That Ends Well
Halfway through a controversial six-month hold on deep water oil drilling, Matt Largey of KUT News reports, energy sector jobs in Texas appear relatively unaffected.
Posted in
Demographics
The Road to Candelaria
State lawmakers looking for guidance on how to draft immigration legislation that can withstand legal challenges may not have to wait for resolution of the Department of Justice’s lawsuit against Arizona. A case now pending before the U.S. Supreme Court could light the path.
Posted in
Energy
Hola, Amigas
Texas has always operated its own electricity grid, separate from the two other grids that span the rest of the nation. But a project quietly emerging in eastern New Mexico could curb that independence — and affect energy prices here in ways that remain much in dispute.
