At this South Texas political convention, everyone has a voice, regardless of legal status
Inspired by the work of Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, the biennial “cumbre” helps South Texans organize for political change. Full Story
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![People cast their votes for the topics that they are interested in LUPE focusing on for the next two years during the Cumbre de Miembros 2024 in San Juan, Texas on Sept. 14, 2024.
Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Doug Emhoff to lead San Antonio rally for Texas Democrats
The second gentleman’s visit will focus on voting rights. Full Story
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![Doug Emhoff, second gentleman of the United States, walks on stage to speak with supporters for his wife, Democratic presidential nominee and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, in The Villages, Florida, on Sept. 13, 2024.]()
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Tarrant County GOP sought an election advantage with failed effort to shutter college voting locations
In a resolution signed Friday, the party blasted two Republicans who voted against the measure and accused them of undermining its electoral chances. Full Story
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![Cases of ballots and equipment at the Tarrant County Elections Administration building in Fort Worth, Texas. on May 6, 2023.]()
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Republicans pour money into attacking Texas Democrats on LGBTQ+ issues ahead of Election Day
In his largest ad buy to date, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz attacks U.S. Rep. Colin Allred for his support of the Equality Act. It would have prohibited gender discrimination in public places. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz speaks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing titled "Texas Unconstitutional Abortion Ban and the Role of the Shadow Docket", in Hart Senate Office Building in Washington on Sept. 29, 2021.]()
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Travis County sues top Texas officials, accusing them of violating National Voter Registration Act
Attorney General Ken Paxton and Secretary of State Jane Nelson are targeted in the new suit, escalating a pre-election war over voter registration efforts. Full Story
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![Travis County Judge Andy Brown speaks during a press conference and reviews the details related to accidental drug overdoses, in Austin, on June 27, 2023.]()
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Democrats hope campaign against school vouchers will help retake South Texas House seat
The first-term Republican defending her seat said a private school voucher program will help her community, especially students from low-income families. Full Story
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![From left: Democrat Jonathan Gracia is challenging Republican incumbent Janie Lopez in state House District 37, which covers part of the Rio Grande Valley, which includes Harlingen and part of Brownsville.]()
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Judge tosses Ken Paxton’s lawsuit targeting Bexar County’s voter registration effort
The county told a state district court judge that the applications were already mailed out and any ruling would be moot. Full Story
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![People wait outside the Bexar County Elections Department in San Antonio to drop off their mail-in ballots, their voter registration applications or to be trained as poll workers on Oct. 5, 2020.]()
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Texas GOP investing in South Texas races as some Republicans worry about party's performance in November
Several local party officials have signed an open letter warning that “grave and deteriorating” fundraising and voter outreach efforts could leave some candidates vulnerable. Full Story
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![Newly elected Republican Party of Texas Vice-Chair D’rinda Randall, left, and Chair Abraham George and speak during the Texas GOP Convention Saturday, May 25, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
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Texas officials say they’ve scrubbed the voter rolls. Here’s how to check if you’re still on them.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. The Texas Tribune, ProPublica and Votebeat want to hear from people removed from voter rolls. Full Story
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![Lily Trieu, interim executive director of Asian Texans for Justice (ATJ), who produced a report researching Asian voters, holds a voter registration card in her home in Austin on Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2022. Asian communities are growing rapidly in Texas, but still feel left out of the political process.]()
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Democratic Rep. Ana-María Rodríguez Ramos joins crowded Texas House speaker race
Rodríguez Ramos faces an uphill battle, as Democrats are the minority party with 64 seats in the 150-member Texas House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Ana-Maria Rodríguez Ramos, D-Richardson, speaks at a Texas House Progressive Caucus press conference at the Capitol on Sept. 20, 2021.]()
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Amarillo Republican John Smithee joins Texas House speaker race
After Attorney General Ken Paxton’s failed impeachment trial, his allies touted Smithee, one of the House’s most senior members, as a speaker candidate. Full Story
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![State Rep. John Smithee, R-Amarillo, speaks on the House floor in 2017.]()
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Texas civic group wants judge to block Ken Paxton’s investigation into voter registration efforts
Jolt, which advocates for more Latino voting participation, says the attorney general’s probe has spurred threatening comments online. Full Story
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![Voter registration tables were set up at the ‘For the People’ voting rights rally at the Texas Capitol on Sunday, June 20, 2021.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton withdrew an opinion on gun bans weeks after suing Texas state fair for a similar restriction
Paxton sued Dallas and state fair officials last month, arguing the fair’s private organizer had violated state law by banning firearms on the fairgrounds. Full Story
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![The State Fair of Texas in 2016.]()
Credit: Allison V. Smith for The Texas Tribune -
At this West Texas church, “the Lord’s work” is helping the poor, not rewriting law
Led by co-pastors Joe and Dawn Weaks, Connection Christian Church, a 118-year-old congregation in Odessa, has transformed while keeping true to its legacy of helping the community. Full Story
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![Pastor Dawn Weaks leads her congregation in prayer during a blessing of the backpacks ceremony for the start of the new school year at Connection Christian Church Sunday, Aug. 11, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
GOP bid to remove polling sites from Tarrant County college campuses fails
County Judge Tim O’Hare said he proposed the cuts to save costs. Critics accused Republican leaders of suppressing the vote of young people who back Democrats. Full Story
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![ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 10, 2024: Makayla Ortega, 19, a student at University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), registers to vote at the UTA campus in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. CREDIT: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
Odessa’s mayor ran to help the West Texas city “repent.” Now he wants a second term.
Under Javier Joven’s leadership, his critics say, the Odessa City Council has lost focus on municipal issues like roads and water infrastructure. Full Story
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![Javier Joven, Mayor of Odessa, poses for a photo at his childhood home Monday, Aug. 12, 2024, in Odessa.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Russian captive’s father blasts Ted Cruz in ad endorsing Colin Allred
Joey Reed said the Texas senator did not do enough to free his son Trevor who was held in Russia for three years until he was released in 2022. Full Story
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![Former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed during a 2020 court hearing in Moscow on March 11, 2020.]()
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National Dems target Texas, but focus remains on protecting Senate incumbents
U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, is challenging Sen. Ted Cruz this November, but the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee has vulnerable incumbents to defend first. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, addresses the crowd at a grassroots event in McAllen on Wed. Sept. 4, 2024.]()
Credit: Verónica Gabriela Cárdenas for The Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick asks Senate to consider bills to unmask protesters, change runoff elections
The new list includes many right-wing priorities, and would escalate Republicans’ wars against diversity, equity and inclusion programs and review laws to keep noncitizens off voter rolls. Full Story
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![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks during the Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024.]()
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State Rep. James Frank becomes fourth Republican to challenge Dade Phelan for House speaker
Frank said he would work to bring better communication, member empowerment and management of the flow of legislation if he became the chamber’s leader. Full Story
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![State Rep. James Frank, R- Wichita Falls, chairs the House Human Services Committee hearing at the Capitol on March 21, 2022. The committee is investigating reported allegations of sexual exploitation at a facility in Bastrop.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune