A nine-seat change in the Texas House could affect the balance of power in the Texas Capitol, but also in Congress. Texas lawmakers will draw political maps next year that could remain in place until the 2030 census.
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.
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Texas 2020 Elections
National Democrats are increasingly assertive about their chances in Texas this election — and they’re spending accordingly
In a move of confidence that Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher will be reelected, a national PAC is redirecting ad spending from that district to a nearby open seat currently held by a Republican.
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Demographics
Supreme Court says Trump administration can shut down census count now, despite fears of an undercount
Plaintiffs in the case contend that a shortened timeline would result in an undercount of harder-to-count populations, including immigrants, people of color and lower-income groups, depriving them of funding and representation.
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Texas 2020 Elections
How down-ballot candidates could help Democrats flip Texas
The fate of the presidential race in Texas could be tied to dozens of legislative and congressional races in the state’s suburbs. Those seats have often gone to Republicans. But Democratic candidates are raising and spending big.
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Texas 2020 Elections
Texas’ John Cornyn and MJ Hegar argue over coronavirus response, policing and the Supreme Court in U.S. Senate debate
Cornyn repeatedly tried to paint Hegar as a puppet of Democratic leaders and too liberal for Texas. She argued he has lost touch with the state after 18 years in the Senate.
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Texas 2020 Elections
State Sen. Royce West won’t vote for fellow Democrat MJ Hegar, accuses her of having “a problem all along with Black folks”
West made the comments Friday to the Austin American-Statesman after his lack of support for Hegar came up at her first debate with Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
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COVID-19 Recession in Texas
“We can’t do it alone”: Texans say federal leaders’ inaction on a new coronavirus aid package is endangering their livelihoods
Texas business owners and unemployed residents feel like federal leaders of both parties are playing political games with their financial lives in the middle of a damaging recession.
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University of Texas/Texas Tribune Polls
John Cornyn leads MJ Hegar by 8 points in U.S. Senate race, UT/TT Poll finds
Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, leads Hegar 50%-42% in his bid for a fourth term, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
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Criminal Justice
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn says he’s “not really happy” with the way Ken Paxton has run the Texas attorney general’s office
Cornyn said the allegations against Paxton “need to be investigated.”
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Texas 2020 Elections
Democratic leaders in Congress urge Gov. Greg Abbott to lift limit on mail-in ballot drop-off locations
The House members, all chairs of prominent committees, called Abbott’s order an apparent “last-ditch effort to suppress Texans’ ability to vote.”