Texas’ Senate Republican primary, meanwhile, looks headed for a runoff. The survey found U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in a dead heat against Attorney General Ken Paxton, with neither eclipsing 30%.
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.
Jasmine Crockett’s pastor, Frederick Haynes III, sees Congress as stage to pursue social justice
Haynes staked out several progressive policy positions at his recent campaign launch event, including support for Medicare for All and dismantling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
More Texans have signed up for ACA health coverage despite expiring subsidies and falling national enrollment
The Jan. 3 snapshot, though incomplete, indicates a stabler marketplace and less coverage loss than many experts and insurers feared.
In border visit, John Cornyn resists calls to expand visas for foreign workers
The Republican U.S. senator praised Trump’s border initiatives and said fully securing the border should take priority over changing immigration law.
Texas GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz joins Democrats in vote to pass three-year ACA subsidy extension
Edinburg Rep. Monica De La Cruz was the only Texas Republican to break with her party and vote with all Democrats and a handful of Republicans on a key healthcare bill.
U.S. Rep. Monica De La Cruz wants legal status for migrant workers in struggling construction industry
South Texas builders said a growing number of ICE arrests at construction sites have made it difficult for work to continue.
Dallas County sues Trump administration over clawback of public health funds
Dallas is the second Texas county to sue over public health cuts after a judge ordered the Trump administration to return $20 million to Harris County last summer.
Statewide battles, Latino voters and down-ballot contests: the biggest Texas political stories to watch in 2026
The Texas Tribune’s politics team has compiled five of the top stories we’re watching this year, when voters will have their first chance to make their opinions known on the events of 2025.
Texas 2025: The stories that mattered most to readers
Texans closely followed 17 constitutional propositions, the growth of one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities and a controversial plan to move billions of gallons of groundwater.
The Rio Grande Valley among Texas regions most impacted by expiring health insurance subsidies
In the Rio Grande Valley, 98% of ACA enrollees received an advanced premium tax credit that lowered their monthly payments. Those subsidies will decrease Jan. 1.

