Rep. James Talarico mulls U.S. Senate bid as his profile rises amid Texas Democrats’ redistricting standoff
The Democratic state lawmaker has inquired about Senate television ad rates, two sources told the Tribune. Full Story
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![Texas Rep. James Talarico D-Austin smiles during a redistricting rally at Delco Activity Center Friday, July 25, 2025 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Texas redistricting standoff complicates preparations for March 2026 primary
New maps would mean months of work for election officials, and key deadlines are approaching. Full Story
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![Voters line up to cast their ballots at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Austin on Election Day, Nov. 8, 2022.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
John Cornyn enters critical window to change trajectory of Texas Senate primary against Ken Paxton
The annual summer break is a critical window for Texas’ senior senator, whose allies are blitzing the airwaves with ads courting primary voters — and President Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Texas Democrats know they may lose redistricting protest, but hope to spark a national fight
Democrats concede there’s only so much they can do to keep Texas from redrawing its maps. But they want to encourage blue states to retaliate. Full Story
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![Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin speaks during a press conference surrounded by members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus at Painters District Council 30 in Aurora, Ill., on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
Paxton, Burrows ask Illinois court to enforce Texas arrest warrants against Democrats who left the state
The attorney general is calling on the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says states should typically honor each other’s judicial proceedings. Full Story
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![Flanked by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, state Rep. and caucus chair Gene Wu speaks at a press conference at the DuPage County Democratic Party headquarters in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
Cornyn says FBI will help locate absent Texas Democrats, but scope of feds’ role unclear
The Republican senator, who is facing a tough primary challenge, previously asked FBI Director Kash Patel for the agency’s help in tracking down the House lawmakers. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the basement of the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Thursday, July 31, 2025.]()
Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Gov. Greg Abbott asks Texas Supreme Court to expel House Democratic leader who left state
Legal experts say it’s “inconsistent with the Texas Constitution” to argue that leaving the state to halt legislative action qualifies as abandoning an office. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 2308, the Ibogaine Treatment Research law, at the Capitol in Austin on June 11, 2025.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Beto O’Rourke’s political group is a top funder for Texas Democrats’ exodus to block GOP congressional map
The former El Paso congressman also contributed to House Democrats’ 2021 quorum break. A PAC backed by Democratic donor George Soros is also involved in this year’s effort. Full Story
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![A private plane headed to Chicago sits on the tarmac after loading luggage at Signature Aviation in Austin with Texas Democratic legislators headed to Illinios on a quorum break on August 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Wesley Hunt tests waters of a Senate bid, setting up possible heavyweight primary with Cornyn and Paxton
The Houston Republican’s case rests on the notion that Sen. John Cornyn cannot win the primary and his challenger, Attorney General Ken Paxton, could jeopardize the seat in November. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, alongside his house Republican colleagues, speaks about the Republican Party’s upcoming legislative agenda and accomplishments in the first one hundred days of holding the majority in the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 17, 2023.]()
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The Texas redistricting fight spurring a legislative standoff: What you need to know
Texas Republicans are trying to redraw congressional districts to pick up five additional U.S. House seats. Democrats face financial and political risk in their bid to block the GOP plan. Full Story
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![Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu speaks during a press conference alongside dozens of fellow Texas lawmakers and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
Gov. Greg Abbott threatens Texas House Democrats with removal from office for fleeing state
The governor also alleged absconding Democrats may have committed felonies by fundraising to cover the $500-a-day fines they will face under House rules. Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott at a bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol in Austin on June 11, 2025.]()
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Denying quorum has been a Texas political strategy since 1870
While the Democrats could technically derail the GOP’s redistricting map, such efforts have been largely symbolic and had limited success blocking past legislation, experts say. Full Story
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![At least 50 House Democrats that Texas left the state held a press conference in Washington D.C. The democrats broke quorum and stopped Republicans from taking up GOP priority bills on July 13, 2021.]()
Credit: Shuran Huang for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House Democrats flee the state in bid to block GOP’s proposed congressional map
The lawmakers’ absence means the lower chamber won’t have enough members present to function, stalling passage of a draft map Democrats have condemned as a political power grab. Full Story
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![Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu speaks during a press conference alongside dozens of fellow Texas lawmakers and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
In draft congressional map, Texas Republicans bet big that gains with Latino voters will persist
The plan increases the share of Hispanic voters in three of the five districts targeted by the GOP, banking that enough will turn out and vote for Republicans without Donald Trump on the ballot. Full Story
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![An attendee holds a Trump hat during a prayer at a GOP event in McAllen to motivate Republicans to vote for U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores, R-Los Indios, running for re-election and congressional candidates Monica De La Cruz, TX-15, and Cassy Garcia, TX-28, on Nov. 6, 2022.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez for The Texas Tribune -
Texas House panel advances redrawn congressional map that would add more GOP seats
The new district lines could be considered by the entire state House as soon as early next week. Full Story
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![State Rep. Todd Hunter, R-Corpus Christ, makes introductory remarks during the Texas House special committee hearing on redistricting August 1, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Why the proposed Texas congressional map may not be a lock to net five new GOP seats
The new proposed lines would also prevent few, if any, opportunities for Democrats hoping that an aggressive gerrymander could backfire on Republicans. Full Story
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![From left: U.S. Reps. Greg Casar, D-Austin, Al green, D-Houston, and Julie Johnson, D-Farmers Branch]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Cruz introduces weather radio modernization bill with a new focus on flood communications
This comes after Cruz voted in favor of the spending megabill that rescinded funds for NOAA. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks with television personality Dr. Phil McGraw on the day of a roundtable discussion with first responders and local officials along with with President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump after catastrophic floods, at the Hill Country Youth Center in Kerrville on July 11, 2025.]()
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Draft Texas congressional map pits Democratic incumbents against each other, spelling possible primary clashes
Multiple Democratic members have been packed into blue districts in Austin, Dallas and Houston to make way for newly crafted Republican districts in those areas. Full Story
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Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Newsom will move to redraw California map if Texas redistricts, teeing up national fight
The governor plans to go through the Legislature to usher in a map with more Democratic seats if Texas tilts its map to the right, according to a person with knowledge of Newsom’s thinking. Full Story
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![California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a news conference with Texas state representatives about redistricting at the Governor's Mansion in downtown Sacramento, California, on Friday, July 25, 2025, after meeting with Texas lawmakers about Republican plans to redraw districts in Texas.]()
Credit: DANIEL HEUER/The Sacramento Bee via ZUMA Press Wire via REUTERS -
Texas House Republicans unveil new congressional map that looks to pick up five GOP seats
The first draft of the lower chamber’s new redistricting map targets Democratic members of Congress in the Austin, Dallas and Houston metro areas and in South Texas. Full Story
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Credit: Graphic by Carla Astudillo