Grissom on the 1.2 million Texans who’ve lost their licenses under the Driver Responsibility Act and the impenetrable black box that is the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, Ramshaw and Kraft on nurses with substance abuse problems and rehabilitation that can get them back to work, M. Smith finds it’s not easy being Rick Green, Stiles on counting Texans (and everybody else), Rapoport on the State Board of Education’s war with itself and the runoff in SBOE District 10, Thevenot’s revealing interview with a big-city superintendent on closing bad schools, Aguilar on the tensions over water on the Texas-Mexico border, Hamilton on the new Coffee Party, Hu on Kesha Rogers and why her party doesn’t want her, Philpott on the runoff in HD-47, Ramsey on Bill White and the politics of taxes, and E. Smith’s conversation with Game Change authors Mark Halperin and John Heleimann: The best of our best from March 15 to 19.
Politics
Stay informed with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth political coverage, including Texas elections, state government, policy debates, and the leaders shaping the future of the state.
2010: More of DC Rates Perry as Vulnerable
The Cook Political Report isn’t the only place that sees some chinks in Rick Perry’s armor.
The Elefante in the Room
Railroad Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo, a seven-year incumbent with a background in the industry he regulates, got trounced in the GOP primary on Tuesday by an unknown, David Porter, who spent little money on the race. He’s not the only one who thinks his Hispanic surname cost him his job.
Carrillo: Hispanic Surname Caused Election Loss
“Early polling showed that the typical GOP primary voter has very little info about the position of Railroad Commissioner, what we do, or who my opponent or I were. Given the choice between “Porter” and “Carrillo” — unfortunately, the Hispanic-surname was a serious setback from which I could never recover.”
HuTube: At the Polls
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.
The Polling Center: Poll Roads
An election that initially favored Sen. Hutchison has settled into a contest where Sen. Hutchison’s support is in the high 20’s while Gov. Perry’s is in the mid-40’s.
2010: Election Night Needs You
Be our eyes and ears on election day. Start sending in your photos, updates and other ephemera from throughout election day to MEDIA@TEXASTRIBUNE.ORG.
In Closing: Debra Medina
“We’ll do a runoff if we have to,” she said Saturday. “I’d like to secure it outright.” She paused and smiled. “It will be the upset of the century if that happens.”
2010: Perry, Hutchison Lead White in New Poll
The latest Rasmussen Poll has Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White still trailing Republicans Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in hypothetical general-election contests this fall.




