The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
One of the most intractable questions in Texas politics in recent years is why the state hasn't moved blue despite drastic demographic changes. A new analysis from The New York Times sheds new light on why this is so. Full Story
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State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, wants the state to pay college students’ tuition and fees for two years if they attend a public community college in the state. Full Story
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Rio Grande City Mayor Ruben Villarreal is among the few public officials on the border welcoming the presence of National Guard troops to deal with the surge of illegal immigration. Full Story
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Sexual assault has emerged as a potentially potent new issue in the governor's race. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry was in Bastrop County on Wednesday to check on the progress of his decision to deploy 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to help secure the Texas-Mexico border. Full Story
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As the trial over ambulatory surgical center requirements for abortion facilities wrapped up Wednesday, the presiding judge questioned a key standard being used in the case. Full Story
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A few years ago, lawmakers passed a bill designed to shed light on expenditures for the governor's security. Under a new ruling from the office of Attorney General Greg Abbott, the itemized records won't be provided after all. Full Story
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UPDATED: Attorneys in the trial over ambulatory surgical center requirements for abortion facilities wrapped up their closing arguments Wednesday morning. Full Story
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At the 2014 RedState Gathering, a national conference hosted by the conservative blog, GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott focused much of his 25-minute speech on policy proposals and Wendy Davis, his Democratic challenger. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry's full remarks to hundreds of conservative bloggers at the annual RedState Gathering held on Aug. 8 in Fort Worth, where he vowed to take the Texas approach to government national. Full Story
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Asked about a Wendy Davis television ad focused on his dissenting opinion in a 1993 case involving a woman who was raped by a door-to-door salesman, Greg Abbott said, “the opinion speaks for itself.” Full Story
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Speaking at the RedState Gathering in Fort Worth on Friday, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz said “time will tell” whether he would launch a bid for president, but he encouraged those thinking of running for president in 2016 to "stand up and lead." Full Story
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A convoy of anti-illegal immigration activists made it to McAllen on Friday for a rally at the city’s municipal bus station. Full Story
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Promising to secure the border and take the Texas approach to government national, Gov. Rick Perry delivered an impassioned speech Friday morning in which he called for conservatives to wage a “war” on “the battlefield of ideas.” Full Story
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Last week, state Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, shot down speculation she was considering a run for San Antonio mayor. The rumors could hurt her prospects on multiple fronts. Full Story
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No debates have been scheduled yet between lieutenant governor candidates Dan Patrick and Leticia Van de Putte. But the two spoke in front of the same crowd on Thursday, making a case for their candidacies and promoting their support for business. You can read the full story here. Full Story
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Rick Perry's political star is rising again, and associates say the new man behind the curtain is Jeff Miller, a California transplant known for his fundraising prowess and overflowing address book. Full Story
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UPDATED: A TV ad war is about to begin in the governor's race. State Sen. Wendy Davis is out with a blistering TV attack ad featuring the story of a rape victim and a vote her opponent made as a judge. The ad was released after Greg Abbott announced he was airing the first major statewide TV ad of the fall governor's race. Full Story
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Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, two potential 2016 presidential candidates, are among the Texas Republicans scheduled to speak at RedState's national conference Friday and Saturday in Fort Worth. Full Story
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Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, calls for reducing high-stakes testing in a new plan for Texas schools. The campaign of her Republican opponent, Dan Patrick, said the plan would do nothing to help turn around underperforming schools. Full Story
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