With two U.S. House members from Texas declining to seek re-election, we know that the state’s congressional delegation will look different after 2016. But could there be other new faces? Here are four races that are standing out.
Texas congressional delegation
Analysis: For Many Candidates in Texas, Election is No Contest
Now that the political candidates have filed, some of the races in the 2016 election cycle have come to an end. It’s not that the elections are over, but 75 federal and state lawmakers don’t have any major-party opponents.
Congress Poised to Lift 40-Year Oil Export Ban
The U.S. Congress is on the verge of lifting a 40-year ban on crude oil exports onto the international market, an issue that pitted Texans who work in oil production — and their House representatives — against those who work in refineries.
Analysis: Familiar Incumbents and Familiar Challengers, Too
The candidates for the 2016 elections have filed their papers, and the ballots have some familiar names. There are perennial candidates, former officeholders who want their own jobs back and candidates with the same names as their opponents.
Roundup: Refugees, Visa Waivers, Supreme Court
In this special edition of the Political Roundup: Texas lawmakers introduce and advance legislation in Washington to create new curbs on Syrian refugees entering the country. And the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in two Texas cases.
Halt All Refugee Resettlement, Two Texas Congressmen Say
As Republicans push to temporarily freeze admissions of Syrian refugees into the U.S., U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and Brian Babin, R-Woodville, on Wednesday called for a temporary suspension of all refugee resettlement efforts.
Texas Delegation Raises, Shares Big Money
Recently filed campaign finance reports show whether Texas congressional incumbents are building viable re-election operations, and they also reveal how Texans spread their campaign wealth to colleagues.
After Paris Attacks, Cruz Vows to Call Out Terrorism
Campaigning in South Carolina on Saturday, Ted Cruz said that as president, he would not be afraid to call “radical Islamic terrorism by its name.” But he stopped well short of calling for the U.S. to engage in a land war targeting ISIS in the Middle East.
Hinojosa Announces Retirement From Congress
Saying he was most proud of his work in making college affordable for a diverse group of students, U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa announced Friday that he would not seek another term in Congress.
UT/TT Poll: With Tea Party Option, Texans Show Split in Support
If the Tea Party had its own candidate for Congress, 17 percent of Texans would back that candidate, while 22 percent would vote Republican and 33 percent would vote Democrat, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.


