Yes, yes, the governor’s race: It’s tended to suck all the air out of the room this election cycle, hasn’t it? But there’s an undercard as well, and even if it’s received scant attention by comparison, don’t think it doesn’t matter. To the contrary, the outcome of races other than the one at the top of the ballot has serious implications for a great many matters of politics and policy that will affect and should interest every single Texan in the near term.
Joe Straus
Posted in
State Government
TribBlog: Chisum Running for Speaker [Updated]
As he was widely expected to do, state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, officially threw his hat into the race for Speaker today.
Posted inState Government
Trash Tweeting
From the governor’s race to the bubbling battle for speaker of the Texas House, political campaigns and their staffs increasingly have to fend off social media attacks by unnamed tweeters who can’t be held accountable.
Posted inState Government
TribBlog: The Shrinking Debt of the RPT
Republican state representatives and House candidates have pledged $200,000 to the Republican Party of Texas in the last week.
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State Government
The Chisum Trail
The route to toppling House Speaker Joe Straus is littered with big obstacles and high hurdles. But it’s not completely impassable, which is why state Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, is considering a challenge. “I’m sticking my toe in the water and seeing if there’s any temperature there,” he told the Tribune on Friday. “Seems to be some temperature.”
Posted inState Government
Accounts Playable
The 2,694 political committees and campaigns that filed mid-year reports with the Texas Ethics Commission together held $167 million in their accounts, but only 274 of them had more than $100,000 on hand. Our interactive chart tells you who or what they are and how much they’ve banked.
Posted in
Economy
The Hole Truth
Comptroller Susan Combs’ quiet acknowledgment that Texas will show a $1.3 billion deficit at the end of the budget year contrasts with the happy face she’s put on state finances leading up to the 2010 elections. The numbers are the worst since 2003, when the Legislature responded with $10 billion in spending cuts, and increased fees, tuition and other revenue sources.
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State Government
TribBlog: He’s All That
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, did not have to win a formalwear or swimwear competition to land the title of Mr. South Texas.
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State Government
Follow the Money
The mid-year campaign finance reports reveal which races have the attention of the political players. They’re a down-in-the-weeds look at where the fights will be this fall.
Posted inState Government
The Brief: July 15, 2010
If campaign finance reports are a show of strength, House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, is making a muscle.