TXElects

Paxton, Christian Cruise; Cuellar Squeaks by Cisneros

May 25, 2022 | Election Night Returns

As runoff elections go, it was a pretty good night to be an incumbent, or a former incumbent. Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton (R) and Railroad Comm. Wayne Christian (R) easily turned aside their challengers to secure nominations for a third and second term, respectively. Paxton...

Runoff Candidates Raise More Than $17M for Final Push

May 17, 2022 | Campaign Finance

State candidates facing runoffs were required to file their runoff campaign finance reports yesterday (Monday). These reports disclose contributions received and expenditures made between February 10 and May 14. Most reports were available online today (Tuesday), and...

Abbott, AFL-CIO Issue Runoff Endorsements

Mar 30, 2022 | Campaign News

AG (Lean R): The Texas AFL-CIO endorsed Joe Jaworski (D) in the runoff over Rochelle Garza. The union did not endorse in the primary. LAND open (Likely R): The Texas AFL-CIO endorsed Jay Kleberg (D) in the runoff over Sandragrace Martinez. The union previously...

Recount and Runoff Endorsement News for March 28

Mar 28, 2022 | Campaign News

AG (Lean R): Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner endorsed Joe Jaworski (D) in the runoff over Rochelle Garza. HD23 open (Likely R): Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed Patrick Gurski (R) in the runoff over Terri Leo-Wilson. HD52 open (Lean R): Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed...

By the Numbers: First-place Candidates’ Historical Runoff Performance

Mar 20, 2022 | By the Numbers

83% Winning percentage of runoff candidates who finished 10% or more ahead of their challenger in the primary election since 2002. There have been 204 “open” primary runoff elections for state, legislative and federal offices since 2002, and the candidate who finished...

Revisiting Our Mostly Prescient Primary Storylines

Mar 13, 2022 | Political Climate

Now that the dust has (almost) settled from the March 1 primary election, we like to go back and look at the storylines we were watching heading into Election Day. Statewides in Runoff or Runoffs? Turns out, it was runoffs. For the first time since 2002, more than one...

History Repeats Itself: Top Fundraisers Dominate Open-seat Primaries

Mar 3, 2022 | Campaign Finance

We have analyzed historical campaign finance data and election results since 2006 to see how open-seat candidates fared in significant primary races based on their relative fundraising ranks. Unsurprisingly, we found a strong correlation between fundraising rank and...

Primary Night Delivers Some Drama, Lots of Runoffs

Mar 2, 2022 | Political Climate

Note: We will not have percentages for some races, including all statewide races, because of delays in counting Harris Co.’s votes (and some others including Dallas and Tarrant Cos.). Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D) cruised to their...

House Primaries Missing Some of the Big Bets from Conservative Groups

Feb 23, 2022 | breaking-news, Campaign Finance, House Race Analyses

House candidates facing primary opposition raised nearly $11M and spent over $13M during the roughly monthlong period covered by their 8-day-out reports. While that’s a fair amount, Gov. Greg Abbott (R) outspent the entire slate of House candidates by himself....

Newspaper Endorsement News for February 6

Feb 6, 2022 | Campaign News

Early voting for the March 1 primary begins a week from tomorrow (Monday). GOV (Likely R): The San Antonio Express-News endorsed Gov. Greg Abbott (R) and Beto O’Rourke (D) for their respective party’s nominations. AG (Lean R): The San Antonio Express-News endorsed Eva...

30-day-out Reports: Few Surprises, Lots of Cash on Hand

Feb 1, 2022 | Campaign Finance

Statewide and legislative candidates facing primary opposition raised just over $10.3M and spent at least $22.1M during the first 20 days of 2022, according to 30-day-out reports filed yesterday (Monday) and available online today. Collectively, the candidates have...

Ad, Endorsement and Special Election News for January 25

Jan 25, 2022 | Campaign News

LTGOV (Lean R): Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s (R) campaign released a new ad, “Promise,” featuring former President Trump’s endorsement and a familiar pickup truck. SD25 (Likely R): Sen. Donna Campbell’s (R-New Braunfels) campaign released a new ad, “HealthCare,” focusing on...

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#43 - Wes Benedict: Bridging Policy and Community with Texans for Reasonable Solutions
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Welcome to Episode #43 of Bills & Business. In this episode, Laura Carr, Co-Founder of USLege, sits down with Wes Benedict, Grassroots Manager at Texans for Reasonable Solutions.

Wes brings years of advocacy experience and a steady, practical approach to community engagement. The conversation explores how Texas communities can navigate political tension, build cross-partisan coalitions, and create space for meaningful dialogue in an increasingly polarized environment.

They dive into the organization’s focus on key statewide issues including housing, infrastructure, water, and the evolving relationship between local and state governments. Wes breaks down why these policies matter for both everyday Texans and the business community, and how reasonable, bipartisan solutions can move conversations forward.

The episode closes with insights on how individuals can get involved, what success looks like in grassroots policy work, and what Texans should be watching as the special session unfolds.

Don’t forget to subscribe to Bills & Business on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube for more deep dives into Texas policy and business news.

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Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back, friends

Michael and Susan Dell’s unprecedented $6.25 billion pledge to expand federal “Trump Accounts” aims to boost long-term savings for 25 million American children. In Lubbock, Texas Tech’s new classroom restrictions on race, gender identity, and sexuality have ignited an immediate clash over academic freedom and curriculum control. And in Northeast Texas, Rep. Gary VanDeaver’s decision not to seek reelection opens a pivotal Republican primary.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

Stay connected with TXLege News on X and LinkedIn!

USLege’s ‘Best in Government Affairs Awards’ Celebrates Heroes of the Texas Capitol with State’s First Peer-Nominated Government Affairs Honor
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Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back, friends

Michael and Susan Dell’s unprecedented $6.25 billion pledge to expand federal “Trump Accounts” aims to boost long-term savings for 25 million American children. In Lubbock, Texas Tech’s new classroom restrictions on race, gender identity, and sexuality have ignited an immediate clash over academic freedom and curriculum control. And in Northeast Texas, Rep. Gary VanDeaver’s decision not to seek reelection opens a pivotal Republican primary.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

Stay connected with TXLege News on X and LinkedIn!

Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back, friends

Texas voters approved one of the largest property tax relief packages in state history on Tuesday, raising the homestead exemption to $140,000 and granting new tax breaks for seniors, people with disabilities, and small businesses. In Austin, residents rejected Proposition Q, a plan to fund public safety, homelessness programs, and city facility initiatives through a property tax hike, forcing city leaders to rework the budget and brace for service cuts. Meanwhile, Bexar County voters narrowly passed Propositions A and B, greenlighting up to $311 million in tourism-funded support for a new downtown Spurs arena and upgrades to the Freeman Coliseum grounds.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

Stay connected with TXLege News on X and LinkedIn!

Texas Political Spotlight
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Welcome back friends,

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, one of the most influential and controversial figures in modern American politics, has died at 84, remembered by former President George W. Bush as a “patriot” whose intellect and conviction shaped decades of U.S. policy. In Texas, the Education Agency announced a sweeping takeover of Fort Worth ISD, the state’s second-largest intervention, citing years of academic underperformance and plans to install new local managers. And in Washington, a United Airlines flight was evacuated after a bomb threat, prompting an FBI investigation that later found no explosives, allowing operations to resume safely.

We hope you enjoyed today’s read!

Stay connected with TXLege News on X and LinkedIn!