Skip to main content
Topics

Politics

The latest politics news from The Texas Tribune.

  • HuTube: At the Polls

    By Elise Hu

    Photographer Justin Dehn and I hit up some polling places around Austin to see what was on voters minds. We selected some timely music for our drive. Full Story 

  • The Polling Center: Voter Empathy

    By Jim Henson

    Whether he crosses the 50% threshold or is forced into a run-off when the polls close next Tuesday, the results of the last UT/Texas Tribune Poll suggest that Rick Perry's synchronous orbit over a big chunk of the Republican primary electorate has helped him prove many observers — not to mention KBH boosters and donors — very wrong. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail
    Credit: Marjorie Cotera

  • Accentuate the Negative

    By Ross Ramsey

    Do attack ads work? In the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, we tested the effectiveness of two "comparative" commercials run in the governor's race to see if they were persuasive to voters. Apparently so. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail

  • Day Care Danger

    By Emily Ramshaw

    The Texas Workforce Commission spent nearly $50 million during the last two years on day care centers and in-home childcare providers with troubled track records — including sexual and physical abuse, kidnapping, and leaving infants to suffocate and die in their cribs. A Texas Tribune review found that at least 135 subsidized facilities had their licenses revoked or denied by the Department of Family and Protective Services in 2008 and 2009 and had their funding immediately suspended. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail
    Credit: Jacob Villanueva

  • Primary Color: SBOE District 5

    By Abby Rapoport

    Forget about Don McLeroy vs. Thomas Ratliff. The most interesting fight for a State Board of Education seat may be in San Antonio, where well-funded lawyer-lobbyist Tim Tuggey is challenging incumbent Ken Mercer — and the big question being asked is, 'How conservative is conservative enough?' Full Story 

    Ken Mercer (left), Tim Tuggy (right)

  • 2010: New Poll, Same Story

    By Ross Ramsey

    Rick Perry has 49 percent; Kay Bailey Hutchison has 27 percent and Debra Medina has 19 percent, according to a new survey done for the Texas Credit Union League. On the Democratic side, Bill White got 51 percent to Farouk Shami's 19 percent. Full Story 

    Republican gubernatorial debate coverage
    Credit: Bob Daemmerich

  • Primary Color: HD-66

    By Reeve Hamilton

    The race to replace state Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, has it all: the high price of ambition, reruns of a 2006 campaign ad, a bikini-clad beauty and a fight over conservative bonafides. Full Story 

    Political signs by the road in House District 66.

  • The Last Time Around

    By Julián Aguilar

    How will lawmakers deal with a budget shortfall of at least $11 billion — and maybe several billion more — in the next legislative session? In all likelihood, by doing what they did in 2003, when things were almost this bad. Full Story 

    Article thumbnail