The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Now that the political candidates have filed, some of the races in the 2016 election cycle have come to an end. It's not that the elections are over, but 75 federal and state lawmakers don't have any major-party opponents. Full Story
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Since Texas began looking to privatize many state services more than 20 years ago, multiple contracts representing billions in public dollars have blown up in the state's face. Here's a look at Contract High, our series taking a look at some of those contracting problems. Full Story
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Embarking on a weeklong tour of southern states, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz finds himself on the defensive as Sen. Marco Rubio continues pecking away at Cruz's stands on immigration and foreign policy. Full Story
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One Democratic candidate to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Ruben Hinojosa in Congressional District 15 is Ruben Ramirez Hinojosa, a 33-year-old University of Houston law student and U.S. Army combat veteran from McAllen. Full Story
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The ballots for 2016’s Republican and Democratic primary elections are set — for the most part. Here's an unofficial list of who has filed to run. The parties are finishing up their work and getting official versions to the state. We'll update and finish our list as they finish theirs. Full Story
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A top operative for U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela is headed for U.S. Rep. Gene Green's already heated re-election campaign against challenger — and failed Houston mayoral candidate — Adrian Garcia. Full Story
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With the primary election less than three months away, a handful of legislators are considering just how much they want to throw their weight around in the contests. Full Story
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Full video of my 12/17 conversation with veteran political strategist Karl Rove, the author of The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters. Full Story
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Texas' Republican leadership in 2015 sought to cut funding from Planned Parenthood, bar Syrian refugees from resettling in the state and bolster opposition to federal health reform. Full Story
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As former state Sen. Wendy Davis begins stumping for Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton today in Iowa, the Clinton camp expects the erstwhile gubernatorial candidate will draw interest from some key voting blocs. Full Story
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Republicans have reportedly been worried that their control of the U.S. House could be in jeopardy if Donald Trump is their presidential nominee. But there also appears to be concern that having Ted Cruz top the GOP ballot could also have far-reaching effects on the House map. Full Story
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U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz sounds a lot like billionaire businessman Donald Trump these days when it comes to illegal immigration. But his deport-now-ask-questions-later approach represents a stark change from what he advocated in 2013. Full Story
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The U.S. Congress is on the verge of lifting a 40-year ban on crude oil exports onto the international market, an issue that pitted Texans who work in oil production — and their House representatives — against those who work in refineries. Full Story
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Crafted carefully, state laws can be written that would allow Texas to crack down on undocumented immigrants and illegal border crossers without running afoul of the U.S. Constitution, a state attorney told lawmakers recently. Full Story
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For a few days, it looked like one of the most curious alliances in the presidential race was in peril — that of Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. But on Tuesday night, all was good again between the two GOP presidential candidates. Full Story
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For the first time, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and his campaign have made it clear that he "unequivocally" opposes any form of legalization for millions of undocumented immigrants already in the country. Full Story
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Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio clashed over immigration and foreign policy Tuesday night in a series of confrontations that have been building for weeks. Full Story
An old friend called U.S. Rep. Gene Green Monday to say he intended to challenge the 12-term incumbent for his Houston seat. Just like that, former Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia made the race personal. Full Story
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Despite Texas Republicans’ laser focus on keeping Syrian refugees from being resettled here, the head of the state's Department of Public Safety says he’d prefer a wider lens that focuses on all countries connected to “Islamic extremist terrorism.” Full Story
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Because of a recent spike in minors crossing the border illegally in the Rio Grande Valley, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that he is ordering the Texas National Guard to stay in the area through December. Full Story
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