Democrat Lina Hidalgo — a 27-year-old Colombian immigrant with a rich life story — will preside over her first Harris County Commissioners Court meeting as county judge on Tuesday. The political newcomer rode into office on a Democratic wave that swept the state’s most populous county.
2018 elections
Does Texas still have straight-ticket voting?
Most states have ended straight-ticket, or “one-punch,” voting, but Texas kept it going — as long as it helped the majority party. The state is getting rid of it starting in 2020.
Analysis: Mike Collier lost, but outdid Beto O’Rourke in most Texas counties
Beto O’Rourke, the Texas Democrat who got most of the attention in this year’s general election, got more votes than any other Democrat on the statewide ticket. But one of them out-performed O’Rourke in 171 counties.
State Rep. Carol Alvarado wins special election to replace Sylvia Garcia in Texas Senate
The Houston Democrat narrowly avoided a runoff Tuesday night as unofficial results showed she prevailed in the special election to succeed ex-state Sen. Sylvia Garcia.
Beto O’Rourke raised $80 million total for Ted Cruz challenge, left little in bank
Post-election campaign finance reports came out Thursday in the U.S. Senate race.
Texas saw the nation’s sixth-highest voter turnout increase, but still lagged behind most other states
Voter turnout in the 2018 Texas midterm elections increased by 18 percentage points compared with the previous midterms, according to data from the United States Elections Project.
Two Texas House Democrats from Houston lead 4-way race to replace state Sen. Sylvia Garcia
State Reps. Carol Alvarado and Ana Hernandez, both Democrats, are the most well-known candidates running to replace former state Sen. Sylvia Garcia in a district that Hillary Clinton won in 2016 by 46 percentage points.
National Democratic group was behind mysterious anti-Cruz super PAC
The super PAC, Texas Forever, was set up in a way so that it did not have to disclose its donor before Election Day.
Beto O’Rourke met with Barack Obama as he ponders a 2020 presidential campaign
Former Obama aides have encouraged the outgoing Democratic House member to make a White House run. The recent meeting was the first signal that the former president is getting personally involved in talks with the Texas congressman.
Ahead of 2020, Texas GOP chair gets a salary
The State Republican Executive Committee approved a budget Friday that includes a $150,000 salary for Texas GOP Chairman James Dickey.


