Since the 2020 election, Texas Republicans have dramatically rewritten the state’s voting laws, which have made some long-standing practices illegal.

Politicians are always listening to voters — but the ones who actually select the state’s elected officials have a lot more clout than those who stay home. You can see it in the way lawmakers govern.

Witnesses say Kim Olson pushed the party’s top staffer during a bus tour in 2018. Olson denies the allegation.

Members of the Texas House and Senate wasted little time touting the never-ending "kumbaya" feeling that enabled them to reform school finance and property taxes. For those who covered the Capitol, a substantive, successful session meant a "boring" one.

This freshman class of female legislators is young, diverse and — thanks to the women who came before them — treated as equals in the traditionally male-dominated chambers.

Not everyone in the Texas Legislature gets deals done under the dome. Some lawmakers are drawn to bars, clubs and restaurants around the state Capitol for the quiet or the queso.

Most states have ended straight-ticket, or “one-punch,” voting, but Texas kept it going — as long as it helped the majority party. The state is getting rid of it starting in 2020.

Beto O'Rourke surged to a 15-point edge over Ted Cruz in Hays County during last week's election, even though the Central Texas county hadn't voted for a Democrat at the top of the ticket since 1992.

Republicans hoped to keep a majority Texas House seats from Dallas County when they redrew district boundaries in 2011. Seven years later, they've only held onto two of 14.

Abbott easily bested his Democratic opponent, Lupe Valdez. Meanwhile, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller faced rare single-digit contests before eventually besting Democratic challengers.

Many Texas counties purchased their current electronic voting machines about 15 years ago. The manufacturer says that's important context as to why some voters have faced issues voting a straight-ticket ballot.

Watch the latest version of our "Split Decision" series, which includes Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Mike Collier, his Democratic challenger.

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and his Democratic rival, U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke of El Paso, faced off for their second — and maybe final — debate Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Justin Nelson, the Democrat running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, said his plan to "clean up Texas government" includes ending an exemption in state bribery law that Paxton has cited in accepting "gifts" toward his legal defense.

Schwertner has denied the allegation, revealed Tuesday in a news report, but his challengers on the November ballot think it may prompt voters to give the race a second look.