The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.
Texas Democratic leaders tried to keep Kinky Friedman off of their November ticket, for fear voters will not take him seriously. But if he wins a runoff for agriculture commissioner in May, he might offer them their best odds for a win. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/01/03/TexTrib-Kinky-012.jpg)
If the University of Texas System regents tap Gov. Rick Perry's reported favorite, Kyle Janek, as their next chancellor, they won't get pushback from the president of the system's flagship campus. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/6d97561bbefd94aed51156a40d419951/BD%20INC%20Select%20Comm%20754%202013)
Some Texas-based advocacy groups say the release of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s use-of-force policy for Border Patrol agents is a positive step for transparency. But they add that more could be done. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2013/05/07/BorderPatrolCar.jpg)
Will primary night results carry into runoffs? Not necessarily, political observers say. A recent change in election law has prompted Texas to extend the time between primaries and runoffs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/11/Sandtimer-Ballot.jpg)
A week after the primary election, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples reflect on their failed bids for lieutenant governor, weigh in on the May runoff and talk about what's next for them. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/videos/SPLIT_AGAIN.jpg)
Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Dante Chinni of the American Communities Project at American University makes the argument that if Texas flips blue, it could do so in a hurry. And not just because of the state's growing Hispanic population. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/legislature-census-pct-texas.png)
For this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about runoffs for congressional and state Senate seats. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/inside_intelligence-logo_1.png){kind=logo}
Jerry Patterson and Todd Staples offered differing takes on Tuesday on how the May runoff between their former lieutenant governor primary opponents — Dan Patrick and incumbent David Dewhurst — might turn out. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/04/Patrick3-web.jpg)
With the Texas governor's race in full general election mode, Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis and her Republican opponent, Attorney General Greg Abbott, sparred on Tuesday over fair pay for women and ethics. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/04/DavisAbbott.jpg)
A letter from a state lawmaker asks the attorney general's office to give an opinion on whether Texas cities' bans on plastic bags are in compliance with the state’s health and safety laws. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TxTrib_PlasticBag_MS_1.jpg)
Ted Cruz's positioning for the next stage of his political career was the common thread in Monday's news coverage of Texas' junior senator. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/02/21/Ted_Cruz_5.jpg)
Wendy Davis isn't the first Democratic candidate for governor to lose a fifth of her primary vote, and GOP crowing about the size of its own electorate hides the overall unpopularity of voting in primary elections. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/07/Richards-Davis-1.jpg)
The Tea Party's big moment last week in the GOP party primaries already is creating anticipation of a more libertarian tilt to next year's legislative session. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/TeaParty.png)
The former TWIA chief says two top Republicans tried to pressure him into fighting more cases and complained that fees paid to lawyers were ending up in Democratic coffers. The Republicans said their actions were appropriate. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/07/TribInvestigates-T-M-D.jpg)
UPDATED: An email from a lobbyist at one of the state's largest law firms suggests there may be efforts underway to persuade three second-place Republican primary finishers to withdraw from the May runoffs. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/04/DEWHURST4673.jpg)
During its five-year lifetime, the Tea Party has lost some of its original focus on national spending and national debt. But it's hard to win a Republican primary without its support. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/06/TeaPartyBirthday.jpg)
What's in a name? For some candidates in this week's primaries, including Jim Hogan and Malachi Boyuls, the answer may have been a few thousand votes. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/06/NameID.jpg)
We pulled the county-by-county vote totals for each statewide candidate headed to a runoff in their primary and analyzed what parts of the state got them there. Use our interactive to compare each candidate's performance. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/06/Vote-Map-Patrick-Dewhurst.jpg)
GOP gubernatorial nominee Greg Abbott leads his Democratic rival, Wendy Davis, by 12 points among likely voters, according to a Rasmussen Reports poll. Full Story
Some Republicans' digs at Wendy Davis' performance in the Democratic primary on Tuesday have obscured the fact that turnout was down for both parties compared with 2010. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/images/2014/03/05/Voter-Wagon.jpg)