Progressive Rep. Greg Casar has a playbook he wants Democrats to use in 2026
Casar, the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, thinks economic populism and “authentic candidates” can win back recently converted GOP voters. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, sits in his soon-to-be old office at Longworth House Office Building Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, in Washington, D.C. He and his team are currently in the process of moving office spaces to Canon House Office Building.]()
Credit: Luke Johnson for The Texas Tribune -
Rep. Jasmine Crockett drops bid for influential post on House oversight panel
The Dallas Democrat had said her party should respond more aggressively to the Trump administration and pitched herself as the best messenger for the job. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, at a House Committee on the Judiciary: Subcommittee on Oversight hearing in the Rayburn House office building in Washington on April 2, 2025.]()
Credit: Annabelle Gordon/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Former astronaut Terry Virts launches Democratic bid for U.S. Senate in Texas
The early announcement tees up what is likely to be a crowded primary field angling for the seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Full Story
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![International Space Station (ISS) crew member Terry Virts of the U.S. speaks by satellite phone shortly after landing near the town of Zhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, June 11, 2015. Three astronauts landed safely in the steppes of Kazakhstan on Thursday, ending their 199-day mission after an unexpected "bonus month" aboard the International Space Station, NASA Television showed.]()
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Former U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold of Corpus Christi dies at 63
Farenthold, a local radio personality, served in Congress from 2011 to 2018 and is credited with securing funding for the port. He resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi.]()
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American babies may get $1,000 each to invest because of Ted Cruz
Included in Congress’ major tax and spending bill is Cruz’s proposal to give every American baby $1,000 to invest. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, after the signing ceremony for the "Take it Down Act" in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday, May 19, 2025.]()
Credit: Aaron Schwartz/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
To fight screwworm, the U.S. is opening a South Texas facility to disperse sterile flies
Screwworm is a parasitic fly that targets warm-blooded animals and has the potential to disrupt Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry. Full Story
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![Cattle are brought across the U.S.-Mexico border at the livestock import/export facility in Santa Teresa, New Mexico on January 22, 2021.]()
Credit: Justin Hamel for The Texas Tribune -
Two Texas congressmembers named on alleged Minnesota assassin’s hit list
Reps. Veronica Escobar and Joaquin Castro were among the 45 elected officials placed on a hit list by a man accused of killing a former Minnesota House speaker and her husband. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso, speaks during Madres de la Frontera: Love Without Borders, a peaceful protest denouncing separation and honoring unity, on Saturday, May 10, 2025.]()
Credit: Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA TODAY Network via REUTERS -
Texas DPS makes arrest after warning state lawmakers of “credible threats” tied to Capitol protest
The agency said there was no additional active threat, as Austin demonstrators took aim at the Trump administration. Full Story
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![Texas Department of Public Safety vehicles outside of the state Capitol on Aug. 11, 2021.]()
Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales draws GOP primary challenge from Cotulla rancher Susan Storey Rubio
In a launch video, Storey Rubio attacked Gonzales’ border security record and said it’s “time to round up the career politicians and deport them out of Washington.” Full Story
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![Susan Storey Rubio is running in the Republican primary against U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio.]()
Credit: Courtesy of Susan Storey Rubio -
Trump aides want Texas to redraw its congressional maps to boost the GOP. What would that mean?
The plan would shift voters from safely red districts into blue ones. Members of the state’s Republican delegation aren’t sold on the idea. Full Story
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![The newest drafts of the statewide congressional districts in Texas outside the Senate Chamber in the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 30 2021.]()
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Texas’ GOP congressional delegation meets to discuss redrawing districts ahead of midterms
The proposal would require the Texas Legislature to return for a special session to carry out the rare move of reshaping the state’s political boundaries mid-decade. Full Story
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![2020 Census data and redistricting maps at The Texas Tribune office in Austin on Oct. 7, 2021. The state population grew by nearly 4 million and was mostly driven by people of color.]()
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A Texas Republican new to Congress, Brandon Gill has a knack for getting noticed
With a scant legislative record but a lot of face recognition, the representative from North Texas has found a way to make a mark in his first term. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Flower Mound, speaks during the news conference on the Birthright Citizenship Act at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 23, 2025.]()
Credit: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call/Sipa USA via REUTERS -
Texas Rep. Jolanda Jones announces bid to succeed Sylvester Turner in Congress
Jones, a Democrat elected to the Texas House in 2022 and previously served on the Houston City Council, joins a slate of candidates running to fill the solidly blue seat. Full Story
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![State Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, speaks in favor of Medicaid expansion during the budget debate in the Texas House on April 10, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett joins race for top Democratic slot on powerful House oversight panel
“Our work cannot be solely reactive,” Crockett told her colleagues, pitching herself as the most effective messenger among the Democratic hopefuls. Full Story
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![United States Representative Jasmine Crockett (Democrat of Texas), attends a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability markup ì1 H.Res. Recommending that the House of Representatives find Robert Hunter Biden in contempt of Congress for refusal to comply with a subpoena duly issued by the Committee on Oversight and Accountabilityî in the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, DC, Wednesday, January 10, 2024. Credit: Rod Lamkey / CNP/Sipa USANo Use Germany.]()
Credit: Rod Lamkey - CNP/Sipa USA via Reuters Connect -
Food aid cuts and other changes: What the U.S. House spending bill could mean for Texans
Many low-income families would see cuts in health care and food benefits. The state hopes for a big reimbursement for border security spending. Full Story
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![A volunteer loads a box of groceries into a truck for delivery to a nearby community in the the panhandle.]()
Credit: Callie Richmond for The Texas Tribune -
$12 billion added to congressional spending bill to reimburse states like Texas for border spending
The U.S. House approved the budget reconciliation bill, which also includes preservation of 2017 tax cuts and changes to Medicaid and SNAP. Full Story
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![A member of the Texas National Guard looks down at his rifle ahead of the arrival of Gov. Greg Abbott and several other states leadership ahead of a press conference at Shelby Park in Eagle Pass on Feb. 04, 2024.]()
Credit: Kaylee Greenlee Beal for The Texas Tribune -
Ted Cruz introduces bill incentivizing K-12 scholarships
The bill, titled the Universal School Choice Act, would provide a tax credit to match an amount donated to organizations that provide K-12 scholarships. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, arrives for the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee nominations in the Russell Senate Office Building on Tuesday, May 13,2025.]()
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A Texas teen was the victim of fake AI nudes. Now a new law requires platforms to remove such content.
A high school victim was one of the victims, but she and her mother fought back, with the help of Senator Ted Cruz. Full Story
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![President Donald Trump signs the the Take it Down Act into law during a ceremony at the White House in Washington on May 19, 2025.]()
Credit: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque -
John Cornyn says tax and spending bill must reimburse Texas $11 billion for border security
Texas Republicans are pushing the federal government to pay the state’s costs of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg’s Abbott’s border security initiative. Full Story
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![A member of the Texas Army National Guard patrols the Rio Grande from atop a line of shipping containers in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Sen. John Cornyn announces leadership team, including Trump pollster, for 2026 reelection campaign
Cornyn’s move to stockpile his campaign team with seasoned GOP operatives signals he is digging in for a serious fight against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Full Story
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![U.S. Sen. John Cornyn talks to reporters after Gov. Greg Abbott signs Senate Bill 2, the voucher bill, into law at the Governor's Mansion in Austin on May 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune