In Texas, environmental activists and experts raise the alarm about the potential impact on public health if the Toxic Substances Control Act is weakened.
Congress
Read the latest Texas Tribune coverage of Congress, from the state’s lawmakers in Washington to key legislation and political debates shaping Texas and the nation.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Rep. Tony Gonzales drops reelection bid amid pressure over affair scandal
The San Antonio Republican was pushed into a runoff in the primary for his border district. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members had called on him to exit the race.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Green, Menefee are headed for runoff in Houston clash of Democratic incumbents
Newly drawn political maps put the incumbents into the same congressional district.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Paxton says he’d consider dropping out of Senate runoff if Republicans pass voter ID bill
President Donald Trump, who was neutral in the first round, said he would endorse “soon” in the runoff between Paxton and GOP incumbent John Cornyn and would expect the candidate he did not endorse to drop out.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Who is Steve Toth, the outspoken state House hardliner who wiped out incumbent Dan Crenshaw?
The Texas state representative is part of a band of conservatives known for antagonizing Republican leadership and working to push the state further right.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
With Trump endorsement looming, Cornyn and Paxton prepare for “knife fight” in Senate runoff
The president could scramble the traditional assumptions about a runoff if he carries out his promise to make an endorsement “soon” and urge whoever he snubs to drop out.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Rep. Tony Gonzales, forced into runoff, admits to affair with aide who died by suicide
“I’ve asked God to forgive me, which he has,” the San Antonio Republican told a conservative radio host the day after he was forced into a primary runoff.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
U.S. House ethics panel launches investigation into Rep. Tony Gonzales’ alleged affair with staffer who died
The committee will determine whether Gonzales “engaged in sexual misconduct towards an individual employed in his congressional office.”
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Big money moved the needle and down-ballot chaos reigned in Texas’ action-packed primaries
Two blockbuster Senate primaries dominated attention, chaos reigned in down-ballot races and an intense runoff season looms.
Posted in
Politics
Multiple U.S. House members face setbacks in Texas primaries
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, was defeated and four other incumbents — Democrats and Republicans — found themselves in close races or runoffs as votes were still being counted early Wednesday.