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Jasmine Crockett at DNC says race is between career prosecutor and career criminal
Read full article: Jasmine Crockett at DNC says race is between career prosecutor and career criminalThe Dallas freshman congresswoman took to the national convention stage to ridicule former President Donald Trump and extol Vice President Kamala Harris.
Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the Democrats’ pick for Jackson Lee seat in Congress
Read full article: Former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is the Democrats’ pick for Jackson Lee seat in CongressHarris County Democratic leaders made their choice to represent the party in the November election.
With new platform, Texas Democrats may find common ground with Republicans on housing affordability crisis
Read full article: With new platform, Texas Democrats may find common ground with Republicans on housing affordability crisisThe Democrats’ recently approved platform includes calls to loosen zoning rules, which housing experts believe contribute to high housing costs.
Texas Democrats try to unify against GOP “extremism” as their own challenges and strife persist
Read full article: Texas Democrats try to unify against GOP “extremism” as their own challenges and strife persistThe party faces internal tension over the Israel-Hamas war and Biden’s new immigration policy heading into November.
New Texas Democratic group hopes to pump millions into neglected party infrastructure
Read full article: New Texas Democratic group hopes to pump millions into neglected party infrastructureThe new outfit is hoping that its long-term plan will eventually help Democrats become more competitive in statewide races.
Lauren Ashley Simmons declares victory over Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry, who broke with Democrats on LGBTQ+ votes
Read full article: Lauren Ashley Simmons declares victory over Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry, who broke with Democrats on LGBTQ+ votesThe Simmons-Thierry contest emerged as a test of whether Democratic lawmakers who do not fully support LGBTQ+ causes can remain in good standing with their own party’s voters.
In her reelection bid, Rep. Shawn Thierry tests whether Democrats will tolerate anti-LGBTQ votes
Read full article: In her reelection bid, Rep. Shawn Thierry tests whether Democrats will tolerate anti-LGBTQ votesThe Houston Democrat voted for three anti-LGBTQ bills last year, which could make her more vulnerable as she fights for reelection.
Republican blitz on LGBTQ issues exposes fractures among Texas Democrats
Read full article: Republican blitz on LGBTQ issues exposes fractures among Texas DemocratsThe defections have sparked feelings of betrayal and promises of retribution, particularly as Republicans in the Legislature have presented a unified front.
After backlash, Abbott expresses some regret after labeling all Cleveland shooting victims ‘illegal immigrants’
Read full article: After backlash, Abbott expresses some regret after labeling all Cleveland shooting victims ‘illegal immigrants’The governor’s focus on immigration status, not the loss of life, draws rebukes from across the country.
Texas Democrats rally around Joe Biden as he announces reelection bid
Read full article: Texas Democrats rally around Joe Biden as he announces reelection bidTexas Democrats are hopeful Biden can run a competitive race in the historically red state — especially if the GOP nominee is Donald Trump again.
Bills to create new Texas courts would likely reverse Democratic gains, restore GOP dominance
Read full article: Bills to create new Texas courts would likely reverse Democratic gains, restore GOP dominanceSupporters say the proposals would increase efficiency and expertise, but opponents argue the attempts are political and probably unconstitutional.
Texas Democrats and Republicans are on the hunt for rare chances to flip seats in 2024
Read full article: Texas Democrats and Republicans are on the hunt for rare chances to flip seats in 2024The dearth of competitive down-ballot races could contrast with the last few election cycles in Texas, when multiple congressional seats and state legislative seats drew significant national investment.
Texas Democrats admit to faltering on messaging and voter turnout, contributing to resounding midterm losses
Read full article: Texas Democrats admit to faltering on messaging and voter turnout, contributing to resounding midterm lossesBeto O’Rourke lost by double-digits on Tuesday night and so did every other statewide Democrat. That has left Democrats in a familiar position: wounded after a disappointing election night while contemplating their strategy and their future.
Texas Democrats to Biden: Protect out-of-state providers who prescribe abortion-inducing medication
Read full article: Texas Democrats to Biden: Protect out-of-state providers who prescribe abortion-inducing medicationThe request for a public health emergency declaration was part of a set of recommendations to allow abortion access to Texans who might not be able to travel out of state.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa fends off two challengers, wins another term
Read full article: Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa fends off two challengers, wins another termHinojosa, who became party chair in 2012, was among those who were the target of Democratic frustration over the party’s lack of gains in Texas in the 2020 election.
Eager for a statewide breakthrough, Texas Democrats will soon decide who will lead their party
Read full article: Eager for a statewide breakthrough, Texas Democrats will soon decide who will lead their partyHinojosa, the chair of the Texas Democratic Party since 2012, is running for reelection against two challengers, Kim Olson and Carroll G. Robinson, at the party’s biennial convention this weekend in Dallas.
Henry Cuellar wins Democratic primary to keep his South Texas congressional seat, recount finds
Read full article: Henry Cuellar wins Democratic primary to keep his South Texas congressional seat, recount findsA separate recount found that Michelle Vallejo won the party’s nomination for another congressional seat.
Jessica Cisneros, Ruben Ramirez demand recounts in two close-call South Texas runoff races
Read full article: Jessica Cisneros, Ruben Ramirez demand recounts in two close-call South Texas runoff racesThe state Democratic Party confirmed Monday that Ramirez’s opponent, Michelle Vallejo, won by a slim margin.
Texas Democrats make moves to be early presidential primary state in 2024
Read full article: Texas Democrats make moves to be early presidential primary state in 2024The Democratic National Committee has decided to allow new states to bid for the coveted status, which has long belonged to places like Iowa and New Hampshire, in an effort to kick off the nominating process in states that better reflect the diversity of the broader electorate.
Texas Democratic Party leadership election roiled by accusation that a candidate shoved a staffer
Read full article: Texas Democratic Party leadership election roiled by accusation that a candidate shoved a stafferWitnesses say Kim Olson pushed the party’s top staffer during a bus tour in 2018. Olson denies the allegation.
Parties’ activist wings see mixed results in Texas as Abbott advances, progressives fall short of goals
Read full article: Parties’ activist wings see mixed results in Texas as Abbott advances, progressives fall short of goalsGov. Greg Abbott and most other statewide elected officials won their primaries Tuesday night. But Attorney General Ken Paxton was forced into a runoff, and progressive Democrats fell short of their congressional goals.
Meet the 3 Democrats competing to oust Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick
Read full article: Meet the 3 Democrats competing to oust Lt. Gov. Dan PatrickMike Collier, Carla Brailey and Michelle Beckley are facing off for the Democratic nomination in the lieutenant governor race. Financially, the three candidates are outmatched by Dan Patrick’s $25 million war chest.
COVID-19 kept Texas Democrats off the campaign trail in 2020. Not this time.
Read full article: COVID-19 kept Texas Democrats off the campaign trail in 2020. Not this time.In 2020, Democrats took their campaign efforts virtual. But they later admitted that the lack of in-person campaigning hurt them at the polls.
As critical race theory and mask mandate debates heat up, Texas GOP takes aim at local school board and municipal races
Read full article: As critical race theory and mask mandate debates heat up, Texas GOP takes aim at local school board and municipal racesThe Republican Party of Texas announced Monday it had launched a new Local Government Committee to work with county parties on backing candidates for nonpartisan local offices.
After Texas Democrats’ woeful performance last year, the 2022 race to chair the party is already heating up
Read full article: After Texas Democrats’ woeful performance last year, the 2022 race to chair the party is already heating upCurrent state party leader Gilberto Hinojosa has indicated he isn’t going anywhere. But that hasn’t stopped open discussion about leadership of the party with several months until convention delegates vote on the position.
Texas Democrats rely on voters of color to be competitive. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white?
Read full article: Texas Democrats rely on voters of color to be competitive. So why are their top statewide candidates mostly white?The GOP slate for statewide office includes two high-profile Latinos and two Black candidates who have previously held state or federal office. Republicans are making a play to be more competitive with voters of color as the state’s electorate grows more diverse.
With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next moves
Read full article: With special session’s end looming, Texas Democrats and Republicans mull their next movesAbbott has promised to call a second special session to pass the GOP’s priority voting bill, but the exact timing is uncertain. And House Democrats have not yet revealed what they have planned after the session ends this week.
Watch live: Texas House Democrats discuss voting legislation
Read full article: Watch live: Texas House Democrats discuss voting legislationThree Texas House Democrats testified before a congressional committee on their efforts to thwart voting restrictions — and were met with heat from their Republican counterparts.
Texas House Democrats and legislative staffers take Gov. Greg Abbott to court for defunding Legislature
Read full article: Texas House Democrats and legislative staffers take Gov. Greg Abbott to court for defunding LegislatureThe governor had vowed to veto the Legislature’s funding in the final hours of the regular legislative session in May after House Democrats broke quorum and left the chamber to prevent passage of a controversial elections bill.
Texas Democrats blame lack of in-person campaigning, inefficient voter outreach for 2020 disappointment
Read full article: Texas Democrats blame lack of in-person campaigning, inefficient voter outreach for 2020 disappointmentTexas Democrats failed to meet their expectations for the 2020 election. While Democrats had outpaced Republicans in registering voters, their willingness to campaign in person netted a late surge in new Republican voters. In addition, Texas Democrats contend that data suggesting a massive shift toward Republicans among Latino voters is more accurately explained by increased turnout among Republican Latinos. Despite an underwhelming performance in 2020, Texas Democrats continued to paint an ambitious picture of a “sustainably blue” state over the next 10 years. “The Texas GOP will continue to out-hustle the Texas Democrats in every election, it doesn't matter how much money from Hollywood and Manhattan they ship in."
What went wrong with Texas Democrats' 2020 plans? State party leaders intend to find out.
Read full article: What went wrong with Texas Democrats' 2020 plans? State party leaders intend to find out.The Texas Democratic Party is looking into why it underperformed expectations in the November election. Credit: Alyssa Banata for The Texas TribuneSign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The head of the Texas Democratic Party has appointed a committee to take a "deep dive" on what went wrong in the November election after a group of executive committee members wrote to him demanding answers, reforms and a shakeup in senior staff. Texas Democrats severely underperformed expectations in the November election after looking to it as their best shot in decades at making inroads. As for the party's headquarters, Hinojosa wrote in his letter that he "strongly believes" the party should maintain a "storefront" office as it has in Austin.
After 2018 wake-up call, Texas Republicans were ready to fight back this year
Read full article: After 2018 wake-up call, Texas Republicans were ready to fight back this yearIt was one of many bright spots Tuesday for Republicans in Texas — and an example of relatively reliable polling to boot. After Texas Republicans were caught sleeping two years ago, they say it was Democrats who walked into a buzzsaw this time — a more battle-ready, unified GOP. And Democrats’ hopes of flipping the Texas House collapsed, with the balance of power largely unchanged heading into January. That vigilance reassured Texas Republicans throughout the cycle, even as they wearily watched poll after poll come out showing Trump struggling in Texas. Like the DCCC, the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee was left Thursday touting its defense victories — the reelection of 11 out of 12 freshmen — and emphasizing the expensive battle they forced Republicans to fight.
Why Asian American voters in Texas may hold outsized importance in key races this year
Read full article: Why Asian American voters in Texas may hold outsized importance in key races this yearChen works on Asian American and Pacific Islander voter turnout every year, but this year she feels even more motivated. In Texas, there are sizable Asian American communities in districts that hold outsize importance this year. Asian Americans make up about 5% of the population and most statewide polls don’t contact enough Asian voters to provide a reliable sample. And it’s not just an existential type of attack, but the Asian American community, especially the Chinese American community, feels their lives are being threatened because they’re being singled out. “Most Asian American voters are naturalized citizens.
Senate Democrats' fundraising success puts GOP on defensive
Read full article: Senate Democrats' fundraising success puts GOP on defensive(Bob Daemmrich/Nexstar/KXAN via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – Buoyed by massive fundraising success, Democratic Senate candidates are mounting a push in Republican states that few would have thought possible just a few months ago, placing continued GOP control of the chamber at risk. MJ Hegar in Texas reported raising over $13 million during the same period for her race against Republican Sen. John Cornyn. In deep-red Kentucky, Amy McGrath has posted strong fundraising numbers against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. In Mississippi, Mike Espy reported raising $4 million in his rematch against Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. O'Rourke was criticized for being too stingy with his cash, only reluctantly aiding other Democrats, though he eventually donated large amounts to the Texas Democratic Party.
Biden campaign to spend $6 million on Texas campaign ads, more than any Democratic presidential nominee in decades
Read full article: Biden campaign to spend $6 million on Texas campaign ads, more than any Democratic presidential nominee in decadesDemocratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden spoke during a campaign stop in Dallas in March. Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s campaign is set to spend millions of dollars on TV ads in Texas as polls continue to show a close race in the state. That shows you just how important Texas is to them and it shows that Texas is in play,” said Abhi Rahman, a spokesperson for the Texas Democratic Party. Though Biden and Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris have yet to visit Texas in the run-up to Election Day, Democrats have called for the duo to invest heavily in Texas. As speculation has swirled about the extent of Biden’s investment in the state, the Texas Democratic Party has been ramping up its advertising.
Federal court tosses suit brought by Texas Democrats seeking to revive straight-ticket voting
Read full article: Federal court tosses suit brought by Texas Democrats seeking to revive straight-ticket votingSuper Tuesday voting lines at the Metropolitan Multi Service Center near downtown Houston on Tuesday, March 3, 2020. Michael Stravato for The Texas TribuneA federal judge on Wednesday threw out Democrats effort to reinstate the straight-ticket voting option in Texas. Siding with the state, U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo found that Democrats lacked standing to challenge Texas Republicans decision to kill straight-ticket voting ahead of the November general election. The judge dismissed the federal lawsuit after ruling that Democrats' claims of the electoral fallout that could come from eliminating straight-ticket voting were too speculative. And other Texans will experience shorter lines given that voters have been encouraged to steer clear from in-person voting where possible.
Texas Democrats ask U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on voting by mail
Read full article: Texas Democrats ask U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on voting by mailMiguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas TribuneAfter a series of losses in state and federal courts, Texas Democrats are looking to the U.S. Supreme Court to expand voting by mail during the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas Democratic Party on Tuesday said it asked the high court to immediately lift the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals' block on a sweeping ruling that would allow all Texas voters who are seeking to avoid becoming infecting at in-person polling places to instead vote by mail. The fight to expand who can qualify for a ballot they can fill at home and mail in has been on a trajectory toward the Supreme Court since Texas Democrats, civil rights groups and individual voters first challenged the state's rules months ago when the new coronavirus reached Texas. Under his order, voters under the age of 65 who would ordinarily not qualify for mail-in ballots would now be eligible. In their appeal, the Democrats are asking the Supreme Court to leave in place Biery's order and take up the case on the claim that the state's age restrictions for voting by mail violate the 26th Amendment's protections against voting restrictions that discriminate based on age.
Decision 2020: Battle over expanding vote by mail in Texas during coronavirus pandemic
Read full article: Decision 2020: Battle over expanding vote by mail in Texas during coronavirus pandemicHOUSTON – There's a big legal fight underway over whether voting by mail in Texas should be expanded. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton says no, but the Texas Democratic Party and several voting rights groups say yes. What is the state’s legal argument against expanding vote by mail? What are the legal arguments for expanding vote by mail in texas? The Texas Democratic Party and other voting rights and civil rights groups, like the Texas Civil Rights Project, are suing the state, arguing that the current eligibility requirements for mail-in ballots should be dropped because of the coronavirus pandemic.