The Army veteran was endorsed by President Donald Trump and saw millions in outside spending on her behalf. Cain, meanwhile, was backed by Gov. Greg Abbott.
The clash embodies the tension for Democrats who rely on large fundraising hauls to remain competitive, even as they denounce the outsized political influence of corporate cash.
Legal and political challenges continue to threaten Austin’s multibillion-dollar light rail project that voters approved in 2020.
The two contests are among the most closely watched U.S. House runoffs in Texas. Menefee, newly elected to Congress, faces longtime Democratic Rep. Al Green in a matchup spawned by GOP redistricting.
The latest version of the El Paso Democrat’s Dignity Act includes a key change to make it more palatable to Republicans. Some have gotten on board, but others are firmly opposed.
Texas voters could nominate as many as six Hispanic Republicans in the state’s most hotly contested congressional races. Party leaders hope that’ll help keep Hispanic voters in the GOP’s corner.
Separately, Amarillo Rep. Ronny Jackson is considering a bid for the top Republican spot on the House Armed Services Committee in the next Congress.
Most Texas Republicans remained supportive of their state’s redraw even as their gains have been wiped out by California and Virginia.
House Majority PAC is targeting five majority-Hispanic seats, including the 23rd Congressional District, which was recently vacated by Republican Tony Gonzales. The top Republican group is spending $13.9 million on two seats.
House members were set to vote this week on expelling both the San Antonio Republican and Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell. Gonzales’ announcement came shortly after Swalwell said he would step down.
U.S. House members say they will bring resolutions to the floor this week to expel the Republican Gonzales and Democrat Eric Swalwell. Each motion would require a two-thirds majority.
Since GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz said the race “isn’t about who you want performing at your niece’s quinceañera,” the Democrat has played at a dozen such events in the 15th Congressional District.
Groups funded by artificial intelligence industry leaders have spent more than $2.8 million in the state, mostly on U.S. House GOP candidates who favor a light regulatory touch.
After finishing a distant second in the March 3 primary, Ryan Binkley dropped out of the runoff. Yarbrough is favored to win the general election for the redrawn 32nd District.
Herrera’s history of brash comments, and the leftward drift of Hispanic voters, has renewed Democrats’ interest in the 23rd Congressional District, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso.
Twelve House incumbents from Texas are set to leave Congress after this year, with the possibility of additional turnover in the May runoffs and November general election.
If they win in November, Steve Toth and Brandon Herrera are poised to join the group known for its conservative absolutist approach and willingness to defy GOP leaders.
The fourth-term congressman, who lost decisively to state Rep. Steve Toth, said baseless attacks about his alleged insider trading and gun stances fueled the upset.
The San Antonio Republican was pushed into a runoff in the primary for his border district. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members had called on him to exit the race.
Two blockbuster Senate primaries dominated attention, chaos reigned in down-ballot races and an intense runoff season looms.
U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Houston, was defeated and four other incumbents — Democrats and Republicans — found themselves in close races or runoffs as votes were still being counted early Wednesday.
The Republican primary was upended in the final days by reports that Gonzales had an affair with a former aide who died last year after setting herself on fire. He'll face Herrera in a runoff for the second straight election.
While he has stayed out of some blockbuster contests, the president has otherwise spread his endorsement generously in Texas. The strategy has helped him form politically beneficial alliances in the past.
President Donald Trump recently endorsed Air Force veteran Carlos De La Cruz for the seat Texas Republicans drew at his request. Democrats also see a chance to win in November.
Before she was a firebrand congresswoman, Jasmine Crockett was a public defender — and local Democratic party chair — in Texarkana.
Mayra Flores argues her “battle scars” make her the best bet to beat Democrat Vicente Gonzalez. Eric Flores says his opponent is a proven “loser” after back-to-back defeats.
On the Republican side, Ken Paxton and John Cornyn were neck-and-neck and in position for a runoff, according to the poll from the University of Texas’ Texas Politics Project.
Additionally, a police report shows that the aide, Regina Santos-Aviles, told responding officers she set herself on fire because her husband was romantically involved with her best friend.
The letter says Herrera’s mailer depicting him next to the president “is inconsistent with President Trump’s unequivocal endorsement” of Rep. Tony Gonzales in the GOP primary for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District.
The former Texas Rangers first baseman has poured $2.5 million of his own money into the race and recently scooped up the key endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Cain, a state lawmaker, and Mealer, a former Harris County judge candidate, have consolidated much of the fundraising and endorsements in the 9th Congressional District’s Republican primary.
The 78-year-old Democrat is up against two younger opponents, including Rep.-elect Christian Menefee, in a district left vacant for 11 months after the death of Sylvester Turner.
After coming under fire for some earlier comments about Latinos, Crockett is working to narrow Democratic rival James Talarico’s lead among the key voting bloc.
The survey of likely Democratic voters suggests the March 3 primary is a toss-up less than three weeks out from early voting.
Two Democrats are competing to serve out the rest of Sylvester Turner’s term. The winner will have a two-week incumbency advantage before early voting begins in the March primary.
Other Texas Republicans have called for the Trump administration to double down on sending immigration officers to Minnesota and blamed Democrats for the violence, while others have remained silent.
The once solidly blue 32nd District is considered the safest bet for Republicans out of the five Democratic seats targeted by the GOP’s new congressional gerrymander.
The Texas Tribune’s politics team has compiled five of the top stories we're watching this year, when voters will have their first chance to make their opinions known on the events of 2025.
At least 10 Texas incumbents will not be returning to Congress next term, a high-water mark for turnover in the delegation.
Texas’ entire House GOP delegation voted this week for a health care package that lets the tax credits lapse. They will be forced to vote on a three-year extension of the subsidies in January.
The Fort Worth Democrat had filed to challenge GOP incumbent Tim O’Hare just before last week’s deadline to get on the 2026 ballot. His withdrawal gives Commissioner Alisa Simmons a clear path to the Democratic nomination.
After his corruption indictment last year, the Laredo Democrat forfeited his role as the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee that oversees more than $65 billion in annual spending.
The former Dallas congressman said he wanted to help his party avoid a runoff. In his campaign to return to the House, he will face U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, his successor in Congress.
The Richmond Republican, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, made the announcement with days left before the deadline for candidates to file for the 2026 primaries.
Tano Tijerina, the top elected official in a county that includes Laredo, is expected to seek the GOP nomination in Texas’ 28th Congressional District, long held by Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar.
The decision is a major blow for Republicans, in Texas and nationally, who pushed through this unusual mid-decade redistricting at the behest of President Donald Trump.
The issue roiled Texas politics earlier this year when Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a ban on THC products spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
If approved by the House, the agreement would fund the government through the end of January, with certain agencies funded through September, including those that provide food assistance.
The president has sharpened his calls for Senate Republicans to kill the longstanding legislative maneuver, saying the GOP’s electoral success could hinge on it.
The runoff winner will serve out the term of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died in office earlier this year. The seat will immediately be up for election again in 2026 for a full two-year term.
Many federal workers missed their first full paycheck this weekend as the shutdown nears the one-month mark.
A primary challenge to Rep. Sylvia Garcia underscores Latino Democrats’ fears of being unrepresented in Harris County.
Voters in the heavily Democratic district have expressed confusion about who can vote — after the boundaries were upended by a GOP gerrymander — and what November’s special election is for.
Texas’ congressional delegation obtained tentative funding for infrastructure improvements, university research and other initiatives, but the nearly 350 earmarks are all in jeopardy.
Lujan, a Republican, represents a state House district that covers southern and eastern portions of San Antonio, overlapping with the new congressional seat.
One lawsuit, filed by LULAC on behalf of 13 Texas residents, states that the redrawn districts in the new map are racially discriminatory and violate voter protection laws.
Texas lawmakers redrew congressional districts in a partisan bid to give Republicans five additional U.S. House seats. The move set off a bipartisan war across the U.S.
Texas Republicans are trying to redraw congressional districts to pick up five additional U.S. House seats. Democrats face financial and political risk in their bid to block the GOP plan.
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.
The longtime Laredo congressman fended off Republican challenger Jay Furman despite a federal indictment accusing the incumbent of bribery and money laundering.
Texas might not be a swing state, but many of its races will have major consequences to the national political landscape and on the lives of everyday Texans.
Allred has run a more traditional campaign in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, focusing on targeted ads and moderate policy.
Weber, who has disagreed with the hard-right caucus’ tactics during the House Speaker election last year, said Caucus Chair Bob Good expelled him after missing some of the group’s weekly meetings.
Fallon, who made the decision 24 hours after filing to run for his old Texas Senate seat, did not say why he changed his mind. His staff said the congressperson would provide more information later.
The bill is among the first major legislative packages by House Speaker Mike Johnson and has faced criticism for tying the aid to a cut to the IRS.
A handful of Texas Republicans back the Ohio Republican’s speaker bid after initially backing the former frontrunner, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise
Panelists will discuss the current situation with the war, U.S. involvement and what the stakes are for everybody.
Texas Democrats are hopeful Biden can run a competitive race in the historically red state — especially if the GOP nominee is Donald Trump again.
The former president is courting state support as other GOP candidates try to emerge from his shadow, including Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley.
The Austin Republican is the staunch conservative who led 19 House members in blocking Kevin McCarthy’s bid for the speakership. “I believe it’s time for a new generation of leadership,” he said of DeSantis.
The Austin Republican and new chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee hopes to reach across the aisle to project a unified front as the country faces new threats, despite a staunchly conservative record.
Nathaniel Moran, the former Smith County judge, has promised to be a staunch conservative who will pass legislation. That worries some of his constituents.
After finally flipping the Democratic district, Monica De La Cruz vowed to “represent all of South Texas” and likely will be influential on border issues.
The three GOP candidates raked in a combined $4.3 million over the past three months, and their Democratic competitors got $2.4 million together, according to new campaign finance filings.
U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, hopes the pilot program will help female veterans get better access to cancer care.
In an interview at The Texas Tribune Festival, Crenshaw harshly criticized extremists at both ends of the political spectrum.
Flores’ district director, Aron Peña, was accused of touching and kissing an intern without her consent. He denies any wrongdoing.
The U.S. Senate voted to authorize the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to begin planning for a massive coastal barrier project in Galveston Bay meant to protect against hurricanes’ storm surge. Funding is not yet secured.
A Mexican immigrant who worked in cotton fields to pay for school supplies, Flores is a source of hope for Republicans looking to gain ground in the Rio Grande Valley. But her staying power will be put to the test this November.
For this week’s episode, Patrick speaks with Tribune reporters about the latest Texas headlines on immigration, abortion and the Jan. 6 investigation.
The new law contains modest provisions but is the most significant gun measure passed by Congress in nearly three decades.
The GOP is spending big to capture an open congressional seat in South Texas — if only for a few months — as they try to create momentum toward a November election where they are newly targeting the region.
The winner of the special election will replace former U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, who resigned last month to work for Akin Gump.
Josh Malone funded a super PAC that spent over $400,000 working to defeat the Plano congressman, who got forced into a primary runoff and then admitted to an affair and ended his campaign.
Casar won the Democratic primary for Texas’ 35th Congressional District in a landslide victory last month and is expected to win the general election in November.
Cruz argued with the committee’s chair over procedure, leading to an accusation that he was performing for the television cameras.
Taylor made the stunning announcement hours after he finished his five-way primary with 49% of the vote. Former Collin County Judge Keith Self, who finished second, is now likely to become the next congressman for the 3rd District.
Cisneros came within 4 percentage points of unseating the moderate Cuellar in 2020. He seemed better prepared to fend her off in 2022 — until the FBI raided his office.