Abbott, O'Rourke lead off election year with visits to border cities
The Republican governor officially announced his reelection campaign Saturday in McAllen, while likely Democratic opponent Beto O'Rourke campaigned in El Paso. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott, left, and former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, D-El Paso.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke’s blunt support of marijuana legalization gives advocates hope for policy change
While the Texas Legislature has been hesitant to embrace policy change, advocates hope the O’Rourke campaign’s attention to marijuana legalization will give the issue a political boost. Full Story
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![Singer Willie Nelson, his son Lukas Nelson and U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke sing at the “Turn out for Texas Rally with Willie & Beto” event in Austin on September 29, 2018.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Erich Schlegel -
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. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin on Oct. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
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.” Full Story
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![A colonia, unincorporated neighborhoods that lack basic services such as street lights, proper drainage, paved roads or waste management, is seen near Edinburg on March 25, 2020.]()
Credit: Verónica G. Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats see focusing on power grid failure as a winning campaign strategy heading into 2022
Republican leaders defend their record on the power grid, pointing to more than a dozen laws passed during this year’s legislative session to address the grid’s reliability. Gov. Greg Abbott has staked his reputation on a promise that the lights won't go out this winter. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol during the winter storm on Feb. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Matthew McConaughey says he won’t run for Texas governor
The actor said in a video Sunday that “political leadership” is a “path that I’m choosing not to take at this moment.” Full Story
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![Matthew McConaughey spoke at the March For Our Lives rally in Austin in 2018.]()
Credit: Shelby Knowles for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke targets South Texas in bid to win back Democratic voters he’ll need to beat Gov. Greg Abbott in 2022
O’Rourke has ground to make up after his own underwhelming performance with voters there in 2018 when he ran for U.S. Senate — and turning out more Latino voters has long been key to Democratic hopes statewide. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke takes photos with supporters after a rally in downtown McAllen on Nov. 17, 2021. O’Rourke has decided to stop at the Rio Grande Valley on his first week of announcing his gubernatorial run.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Beto O'Rourke launches his bid for governor
In this week's episode, Matthew talks with Cassie, James and Patrick about the early days of the Beto O'Rourke campaign and how the rest of the 2022 ballot is shaping up. Full Story
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![Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke speaks during the “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” at the Texas Capitol on May 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for the Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats rely on voters of color to be competitive. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white?
The GOP slate for statewide office includes two high-profile Latinos and two Black candidates who have previously held state or federal office. Republicans are making a play to be more competitive with voters of color as the state’s electorate grows more diverse. Full Story
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![Democratic Party signage and logos at the Texas Democratic Party office in Austin on Oct. 8, 2019.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Beto O'Rourke raises $2 million in first 24 hours of launching gubernatorial campaign
O'Rourke faces an even more formidable fundraiser in Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He had $55 million cash on hand at the end of June. Full Story
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![Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a campaign rally in San Antonio on November 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Analysis: Different year, different race, different Beto
Sneaking up on a bruised Ted Cruz and almost winning the 2018 U.S. Senate race made Beto O’Rourke a big political name. But after that loss and a poor showing in the 2020 Democratic primary for president, the El Pasoan’s challenge to Gov. Greg Abbott is a different kind of contest. Full Story
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![Texas gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks at a campagin rally in San Antonio on November 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke uses opening days of challenge against Gov. Greg Abbott to recalibrate
O’Rourke hit the campaign trail with a pitch narrowly focused on several issues that are largely popular with voters, leaving behind the more incendiary rhetoric from his presidential campaign. Full Story
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![Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O'Rourke speaks to supporters at a meet and greet held in San Antonio on Nov. 16, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Among El Pasoans, Beto O’Rourke’s gubernatorial run excites loyal fans and revives longtime grudges
El Pasoans who have followed O’Rourke’s political career are excited about his run for governor. But his critics still remember his support of a development plan that could have displaced Mexican American residents from one of the city’s oldest barrios. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke's early voting rally in San Jacinto Plaza and walking through downtown to vote at the County Court House.Friday, March 2, 2018, in El Paso, Texas. Photo by Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for the Sun -
Beto O’Rourke went after assault rifles in his run for president. Will that hurt him with gun-loving Texans?
“Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47,” O’Rourke said at a debate when he was running for president. Now he's running for governor and said he won't be backing down from the statement. Full Story
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![Then-presidential candidate and former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke responds to a question during a forum held by gun safety organizations in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Oct. 2, 2019.]()
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Beto O’Rourke enters 2022 a weaker candidate with a harder race
O’Rourke joins the 2022 gubernatorial race as Texas’ best-known Democrat, but he carries considerably more baggage after a series of political failures, including his bids for U.S. Senate and president. This time, instead of riding a blue wave nationally, he’ll be fighting a red one. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke holds his first official 2020 presidential campaign rally in El Paso on March 30, 2019.]()
Credit: Ivan Pierre Aguirre for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke says he’s running for Texas governor
O’Rourke’s decision to challenge Gov. Greg Abbott ends months of speculation and gives Democrats a formidable campaigner at the top of the ticket — someone who transformed Texas politics with his blockbuster campaign against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Full Story
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![Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, speaks at “Texans Rally for Our Voting Rights” at the Texas Capitol in Austin on May 8, 2021.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: How worried should Texas Democrats be about 2022?
In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Patrick, Reese and Neelam about Tuesday’s special election results, poll numbers in the governor’s race and oral arguments in the U.S. Supreme Court over Texas’ abortion law. Full Story
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![At least 50 House Democrats that Texas left the state held a press conference in Washington D.C. The democrats broke quorum and stopped Republicans from taking up GOP priority bills on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Greg Abbott leads Beto O’Rourke by 9 percentage points in hypothetical matchup, UT/TT Poll finds
The poll also found that potential candidate Matthew McConaughey is not universally beloved by Texans. About a quarter of respondents had an unfavorable opinion of the movie star who has flirted with running for governor. Full Story
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![The Texas Capitol in Austin on Oct. 19, 2021.]()
Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune -
Matthew Dowd, former George W. Bush strategist, to run as Democrat for Texas lieutenant governor
Dowd said Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has focused on “culture war” issues to divide and hurt Texans. Full Story
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![Political analyst Matthew Dowd at a Texas Tribune event in Austin with Tribune CEO Evan Smith on May 10, 2017.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke on Matthew McConaughey: “I don’t know how he feels about any of the issues”
In a Texas Tribune Festival interview, the former member of Congress discussed the fight for voting rights, his takeaways from his last two runs for office and speculation about his becoming a candidate for governor. Full Story
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![Beto O'Rourke.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune