A rematch is scheduled for November, as Ligon’s win only puts him in the seat through January. But the former prosecutor will be heavily favored, given the district’s solidly Republican makeup.
Texas lawmakers will be able to draw more aggressively partisan maps for the state House, Senate and education board when they return in 2027.
The Republican and Democratic primary runoffs are May 26. See the full list of statewide candidates, as well as local races that will be on your ballot.
The lieutenant governor’s remarks are the latest sign that Republicans are worried about the fall midterms. The GOP has controlled the state House since 2003 and currently has an 88-62 advantage.
Patrick’s Friday release of priorities calls on lawmakers to study the emerging issues ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa captured the nomination to take on Abbott while Rep. Vikki Goodwin is in the lead for the lieutenant governor nomination.
Dallas and Williamson counties closed centralized voting centers, which had become a common practice, at the request of local Republicans.
Both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton argue they’re best equipped to carry the torch for Republicans and fight off Democratic headwinds in local races.
The Texas Tribune is trying new things to help Texans vote with confidence this spring. We want to demystify the process, the candidates and the offices of this year’s Texas primaries.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet’s stunning upset victory is explained in part by the massive swing by Latino voters toward his campaign compared to other Democrats in recent elections.
Patrick’s initial five-item to-do list also included assessing risks posed by hostile foreign entities to the grid’s supply chain and preventing fraud in Texas’ health and human services.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss will face off to succeed Kelly Hancock after winning the most votes in the Nov. 4 election.
John Huffman was the best-funded candidate in the Senate District 9 special election thanks to casino interests, but failed to make the runoff. Gambling proponents still have millions more to spend on Texas races.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet came within three percentage points of winning Senate District 9 — which voted for Donald Trump by over 17 points in 2024 — over his two Republican opponents.
With the GOP vote fractured between Wambsganss and another Republican, Rehmet led the three-person contest for the red-leaning district.
The Austin Democrat will face an uphill battle in the GOP-leaning district. McCaul announced earlier this year he would not seek reelection.
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Camp Mystic leaders would be invited to testify before the committees, as part of what Speaker Dustin Burrows said would be a “comprehensive and thorough review.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Friday called Abbott’s decision a pathway to full legalization of cannabis, including marijuana which is still federally illegal. Hemp-derived THC is legal.
Another special Texas legislative session ended without action on banning or further regulating consumable hemp products. However, a narrower ban on certain vapes has taken away one popular way to consume THC variations.
Both legislative chambers adjourned without agreeing on changes to Senate Bill 2, which aimed to create new training and licensing requirements for local officials.
Between cracking down on abortion pills and restricting transgender restroom use, lawmakers also tackled flood safety and the STAAR test. Left untouched: Texas’ hemp industry.
The Conroe Republican has authored some of Texas’ major higher education legislation in recent years. He will take over as chancellor once he resigns from the Texas Senate.
High priority bills that propose banning THC have not moved through the Texas House, as the current overtime session could conclude in the coming days.
Senate Bill 8, which goes into effect on Dec. 4, restricts bathroom use in government buildings and schools to the sex assigned at birth.
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.
The Texas Senate has given final approval to a new, Republican-leaning congressional voting map, sending it to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.
Republican lawmakers pushed the map through over fierce Democratic opposition, positioning the GOP to net up to five additional seats in Texas.
Camp Mystic and Richard “Dick” Eastland’s family expressed their support Thursday for Senate Bill 1 and House Bill 1, legislation aimed at improving safety at camps and communities along the Guadalupe River.
The parents of Camp Mystic flood victims are scheduled to testify at a Texas Senate committee hearing on Wednesday.
Senators moved fast on Gov. Greg Abbott’s agenda for the second special session. With House Democrats back in Texas, bills can now move through that chamber.
Now that the Texas House has a quorum following Democrats’ two-week absence, lawmakers are back to debate a wide range of issues, including redrawing congressional maps to benefit Republicans.
With Democrats’ walkout over redistricting bringing the House to a standstill, both parties are accusing each other of abandoning Central Texas flood victims.
Democrats' absence has halted work in the Texas House, which must also approve the new boundaries, for more than a week.
Senate Bill 7 would require people to use restrooms that match their birth gender and fine institutions up to $25,000 for repeated violations.
Senate Bill 5 would ban products containing any detectable amount of any cannabinoid, creating criminal offenses for possession of hemp-derived THC.
The contest coincides with the state’s November uniform election, when voters across Texas will already be at the polls to decide local offices and ballot measures.
Lawmakers also approved direct pay for student athletes and sought better pathways from college to the workforce.
Screwworm is a parasitic fly that targets warm-blooded animals and has the potential to disrupt Texas’ $15 billion cattle industry.
Texas lawmakers approved a sweeping package to overhaul the state’s bail system, a longtime priority of Gov. Greg Abbott’s.
Our interactive tool allows you to search how state lawmakers voted on the most consequential proposals debated during the session, which ended June 2.
Research shows cellphones interfere with students' ability to focus in class. Texas would join at least nine other states that ban students from using their phones during the school day.
Many trans Texans have changed the sex listed on their birth certificate, driver’s licenses and other documents. They say their identities will be invalidated under bill headed to governor's desk.
House Bill 46, which awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s approval, would include more patients with chronic pain and allow for prescribed vaporized and aerosol products.
SB 3070, which awaits Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, would move the lottery game to Texas’ Department of Licensing and Regulation and includes new restrictions on ticket purchases.
The chambers differ on how much power districts should have to push back in courts over their accountability ratings. They risk keeping STAAR by default if they don’t reach an agreement.
Senate Bill 3070 would allow the Texas Lottery’s games to continue under a new department, abolish the agency and create restrictions on ticket purchases.
The proposal would heavily invest in teacher pay and special education. It includes a modest $55 increase to schools' base per-student funding, significantly lower than what the House had sought.
The Texas House must approve changes to the proposal that were brokered by party leaders. It’s part of a package of bills to bring down property taxes statewide.
Sen. Brandon Creighton says the bill will prevent disruption. Critics say it walks back conservative lawmakers' previous pledge to protect campus free speech.
Student discipline, uncertified teachers and school bans on DEI and cellphones are some of the topics being debated at the Texas Legislature this session.
A key Senate critic threw a lifeline to the Texas Lottery when he proposed moving its oversight to a new agency instead of eliminating it entirely.
The bill contains many provisions legal experts say are likely unconstitutional, including one that says it can’t be challenged in state court.
Paul is the first candidate out of the gate to succeed incumbent Mayes Middleton in an open seat running from Galveston to the outskirts of Houston.
The bill would overturn a two-decade-old law allowing some undocumented college students to pay in-state tuition.
Senate bills that reduce the influence of faculties and restrict protests on college campuses were voted out of committee in a last-minute meeting Monday.
The legislation, which won unanimous approval in both chambers, was written following the state’s historic Panhandle wildfires last year.
After years of claiming that companies selling lottery tickets online could not be regulated, the Texas Lottery Commission voted to ban the practice.
Voting rights advocates worry that legislation approved by House and Senate committees could make it harder to get more people on the rolls.
Senate Bill 1717 would require the name of Gulf of Mexico to be changed in every official reference made by a state agency, resolution, rule or publication.
The only time the state conducted such an assessment two decades ago, it found that undocumented Texans contributed more to the state’s economy than they cost the state.
The revised bill, which seeks to clarify when a doctor can perform medically necessary abortions, aims to address concerns from abortion advocates and conservative groups.
The lieutenant governor proposes that the Texas Senate adopt the House bill, which would eliminate a negotiation over the two versions and cement the victory for supporters.
The bill would let families use taxpayer dollars for their children’s private schooling. Lawmakers also signed off on a sweeping $7.7 billion package to boost public school funding.
House Bill 6 is a response to reports of more violent classroom disruptions after the pandemic. It lowers the bar for when schools can discipline for the state’s homeless and youngest students.
Senate Bill 36, a priority bill for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, would create an office within the Department of Public Safety focused on immigration enforcement, organized crime and threats to state infrastructure.
One Senate Democrat joined Republicans, providing the margin needed to approve Justin Berry to the state law-enforcement board.
Senate Bill 7, which won unanimous approval, is among legislation that seeks to avert a looming water crisis as the state’s population booms.
Only Gov. Greg Abbott can call for a special session. But in his role presiding over the Texas Senate, Patrick can block any bill from passing, giving him leverage to compel overtime sessions by killing must-pass legislation.
Next step will be action in the state House, where budget writers have different plans for distributing property tax help.
Lawmakers, who are preempting locals on lot sizes in new subdivisions, have been eyeing ways to allow more homes to be built as the state faces a shortage.
A possible reassignment of the charitable games comes as 15 bills in the Legislature seek to either alter or abolish the troubled agency.
A Senate bill filed Friday does not expand abortion access, but aims to give doctors clarity while operating under laws that come with up to life in prison.
The bill would have set deadlines for the oil and gas industry to plug inactive wells, which can pose a danger to the environment.
All 20 GOP senators signed on to Senate Bill 16, which would apply to currently registered voters, and restrict some to only congressional elections.
The prominent right-wing pastor told state lawmakers that an anti-communist curriculum is crucial to reaffirming that America is a “Christian country.”
The legislation would require voters to approve the $3 billion start-up cost, and then the fund would be maintained at no more than $300 million annually.
Senate Bill 13 would create school library advisory councils largely made up of parents. It would give school boards, rather than librarians, the final say over new books.