Republican state senators will still hold a majority in the Capitol’s upper chamber. They have the ability to significantly weaken the role of the lieutenant governor.
State Government
Stay informed on Texas state government with The Texas Tribune’s in-depth coverage of the governor, Legislature, state agencies, and policies shaping the future of Texas.
Posted in
Higher Education
Democrats inheriting Texas colleges the GOP overhauled in conservative push
Universities were a political target of Texas Republicans. As Gina Hinojosa and other Democrats prepare for office, here’s a look at the turning point facing college campuses.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Rio Grande Valley celebrates daughter Gina Hinojosa’s historic gubernatorial win
Hinojosa’s victory has injected a surge of pride in the South Texas region where the Austin lawmaker was born and raised.
Posted in
Health care
Attorney General-elect Nathan Johnson says he won’t sue out-of-state doctors who mail abortion pills to Texas
Current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued multiple out-of-state doctors for illegally mailing abortion pills, which abortion advocates say has chilled access.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Surge in voter turnout in urban, border counties carried Texas blue wave
Meanwhile, rural counties saw the smallest growth in turnout.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Gina Hinojosa’s win could change Austin ISD’s fate. But state law may stand in the way.
Texas’ next governor and former AISD trustee has vowed to replace the state’s education commissioner, but a replacement would be bound by law that requires intervention.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Gina Hinojosa won the governor’s race. What happens to Texas data centers now?
The governor-elect has called for a data center moratorium to last until the Texas Legislature meets in January to pass “real protections so Texans can have a seat at the table.”
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Democrats flip Texas House amid generational wave
Democrats needed to flip 14 seats to win the lower chamber, which has been under Republican control since 2003. They were on track to easily clear that threshold.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Clayton Tucker becomes first Democratic agriculture commissioner in nearly 40 years
Tucker will usher in a new era for the agriculture department as the agency’s first Democratic commissioner since Jim Hightower in 1990.
Posted in
2026 Texas Elections
Sarah Eckhardt unseats GOP Comptroller Don Huffines in historic victory for Democrats
Sarah Eckhardt won the Texas comptroller race on Election Day, becoming the first Democrat in decades to oversee state revenue forecasts, tax collections and government purchasing.
