Democrats’ chances hinge on finally winning a county that for years has been trending purple.
Beto O’Rourke
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Fed up with data centers and Big Tech, rural Republican crossover could decide Democrats’ fate in Texas
Rural Republicans have long undercut Democrats’ gains in cities and suburbs. Will enough defect to make a difference this fall?
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Most polls have Talarico ahead of Paxton in the U.S. Senate race
We’re tracking all major polls in the U.S. Senate race to give Texans a fuller picture of where this race is headed. Paxton has been consistently trailing in the polls, but the margins are tight.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
How Gina Hinojosa went from progressive to populist, emerging as Greg Abbott’s most formidable challenger
Hinojosa has gone from unknown state lawmaker to Abbott’s most viable Democratic challenger yet — a surge that has dared Democrats to wonder if she could actually topple this mainstay of the Texas Republican establishment.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
These are the most competitive November races up and down Texas’ midterm ballot
Texas has an unusually large slate of competitive races for the state Legislature and U.S. House this year. Here’s our list of contests to watch.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
“Uncharted territory”: Two months from Election Day, Democrats in Texas are truly competitive
Democrat James Talarico is consistently leading in the polls over Ken Paxton, which is unheard of in recent decades. National forecasters are calling Texas a tie, or else giving the advantage to the Democrat.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
James Talarico raises over $30 million in second quarter, campaign says, more than triple Ken Paxton’s sum
The Austin Democrat’s haul is a record for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year and is nearly three times what Beto O’Rourke raised in the same period in 2018.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Abbott trolls Talarico with tacos and cattle at Texas Democratic Convention, ignoring opponent Hinojosa
The trolling blitz spared the governor’s Democratic foe, Gina Hinojosa, instead focusing on painting Talarico and the entire party as radicals attempting to gloss over their past stances.
Posted in
The 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
Listen to highlights from the 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
Hear conversations on the issues shaping Texas and the nation, including education, the economy, politics, public policy, the arts and more.
Posted in
The 2025 Texas Tribune Festival
Joaquin Castro on why a Democratic Senate logjam stopped him from running for AG
The San Antonio Democrat said at The Texas Tribune Festival that he hoped to form a statewide slate with Colin Allred, Beto O’Rourke and James Talarico, but the group couldn’t find consensus.
