Republicans dismissed the result as a one-off explained by the unpredictability of special elections. Others cited Rehmet’s working-class appeal and Latino and suburban backlash to GOP policies.
Lawmakers and industry leaders gathered in Austin this week to discuss the future of the market. “We almost have to take it on,” a Republican state House member said.
Rehmet had an unexpectedly strong performance in the November special election for the solidly red seat. He faces Republican Leigh Wambsganss in the runoff.
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.
Facing state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, Marcos Vélez has landed the Texas AFL-CIO’s endorsement and support from a donor trail that leads back to the state party’s top campaign partner.
The lieutenant governor’s office is often described as the most powerful in Texas government. Here’s a look at who’s running in the 2026 Democratic and Republican primaries and where they stand.
Democrats could be more competitive financially in the U.S. Senate race, but their comparatively small fundraising hauls for state office leave them with fewer resources to reach voters.
With a steep price tag, saving the landmark museum won’t be easy, but area residents and leaders are looking for solutions.
Patrick previously requested a Texas Rangers investigation into any criminal wrongdoing at TSU, one of the nation’s largest historically Black colleges.
Conservative and liberal tax policy experts said Abbott’s proposal would lead to higher housing costs and tax benefits flowing disproportionately to wealthy homeowners.
The A&M Board of Regents came to want a more explicitly conservative leader who would shut down controversy before it reared its head, as members grew weary from the steady drumbeat of online posts accusing the university of embracing liberal ideology.
The lieutenant governor also doubled down on his stance that property taxes can’t be totally eliminated, putting him at odds with Gov. Greg Abbott.
Republican officials in Oklahoma and Florida have also launched plans to expand the presence of the conservative youth organization founded by Charlie Kirk.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Turning Point USA are expected to make an announcement in Austin on Monday.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is proposing a state program to give every baby born in Texas $1,000 invested in the stock market.
Kate Rogers filed a lawsuit in federal court after she alleged her First Amendment rights were violated and culminated in political pressure from state officials. That pressure led to Rogers resigning as president of the Alamo Trust.
Former Alamo Trust president and CEO Kate Rogers alleges her First Amendment rights were violated in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed Monday against state and Alamo Trust leaders.
Rogers resigned from her position after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick criticized a 2023 dissertation in which she asserted the importance of Indigenous people’s history at the Alamo.
Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss will face off to succeed Kelly Hancock after winning the most votes in the Nov. 4 election.
Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival, Democratic Rep. Donna Howard acknowledged that Republicans have unified around Speaker Dustin Burrows to the point that he “may not need us” to retain the gavel.
The issue roiled Texas politics earlier this year when Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a ban on THC products spearheaded by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.
Within the legislation to end the longest-ever government shutdown is language that would ban hemp-derived THC products that have anything more than 0.4 milligrams of THC or other cannabinoids that could produce a high per container.
State Auditor Lisa Collier said university staff vacancies for “critical” financial responsibilities have contributed to delays in financial reporting, as well as poor asset oversight and weak contracting processes.
Turning Point USA was founded by the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Even voters in Austin, one of the state’s most liberal cities, shot down a measure to raise property taxes.
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.
At President Trump’s direction, Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the deployment of hundreds of troops to Illinois to “safeguard” U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The CEO of the nonprofit managing the Alamo has resigned after a powerful Republican state official criticized her and suggested she has views that are not compatible with the Texas shrine's history.
The post from the official Alamo account was condemned by Republican Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, who said “woke has no place at the Alamo.”
The lieutenant governor has insisted that the Alamo’s story remain focused on the 1836 battle over broader narratives addressing Indigenous people and slavery.
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.”
One company, known for making wholesome memories, is taking advantage of recent inaction by the Texas legislature to begin delivering hemp products.
The committees were made to honor slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk and come as university faculty have come under online scrutiny.
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.
The executive order comes after the Legislature ended a special session without the House, Senate and governor agreeing on restrictions.
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.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott will sign two camp safety bills into law on Friday morning in Austin in response to the deadly July flooding.
More Texas universities are turning to politicians to lead their systems, preferring political clout over academic credentials.
The families of some of the children who died at Texas' Camp Mystic during catastrophic flooding two months joined Gov. Greg Abbott for a ceremonial bill signing.
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.
Experts in Houston have been studying the idea of building massive tunnels to divert floodwaters. Musk’s company wants a piece of the project.
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.
Parents of the 27 Camp Mystic girls killed in the deadly Hill Country flooding last month met with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and other state leaders to push for youth camp safety reform.
Democrats' absence has halted work in the Texas House, which must also approve the new boundaries, for more than a week.
The leaders of both chambers said they would adjourn for the session Friday if Democrats do not return, while the governor said he might add more items to his agenda.
The Texas Supreme Court said in 2021 the Constitution allows members to thwart legislation by leaving the state. Abbott wants them to reconsider.
In the aftermath of the Guadalupe River flood that ravaged the Hill Country on July 4, claiming over 100 lives in Kerr County, questions are still mounting about the timeline of how local officials prepared and responded to the catastrophe.
Several people shared harrowing stories of the devastating floods in the Hill Country on July 4, describing how rising waters forced them to flee their homes, seek refuge in trees and mourn the loss of loved ones.
As catastrophic floods on the Fourth of July swept through the Texas Hill Country, killing more than 100 people, one Kerr County official told lawmakers he was at the lake while another said he was sick in bed.
Officials in Texas are facing questions about whether they did enough to get people out of harm’s way before a flash flood swept down the Guadalupe River and killed at least 120 people, including more than two dozen children and counselors at an all-girls Christian camp.
Devastating flash floods from a storm that pounded central Texas have killed at least 51 people.
As the floodwaters recede from Camp Mystic, a torrent of grief remains for the families of the children who died and those who went missing when flash floods tore through central Texas earlier this week.
Heavy rains have caused devastating flash floods in Texas Hill Country, killing at least 24 people and leaving many others missing.
At least 25 people are dead and several others remain unaccounted for after flooding in the Texas Hill Country early Friday, the start of a busy Fourth of July weekend.
The Kerr County Sheriff’s Office and Comfort Volunteer Fire Department are evacuating people along the Guadalupe River amid major flooding.
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.
Although Patrick and hemp industry leaders have quarreled over the risks and benefits of THC, cannabis researchers say it can be addictive but doesn’t usually cause widespread psychosis or brain damage.
The North Texas district opened up last week when Republican Kelly Hancock resigned from the upper chamber to take over as the state’s acting comptroller.
San Antonio smoke shops and THC retailers sighed in relief Monday after Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a proposal to ban THC and most other consumable hemp products in Texas. Instead, Abbott urged legislators to consider regulating the products in a manner similar to alcohol.
The clash marks a rare break between two of the most powerful Republicans in Texas after a legislative session that ushered in a series of conservative victories.
Democrats will need to sort through a pileup of potential candidates who see an opportunity to harness backlash to the Trump administration in next year’s midterms.
Lawmakers have approved funding clinical trials for ibogaine as a treatment for addiction and brain trauma. It comes as Texas contemplates banning THC.
It’s an unusual situation for the lieutenant governor, long viewed by GOP activists as a stalwart conservative responsible for driving the Legislature rightward.
Star running back Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens finally has the attention of “The Waterboy.”.
In 2001, Texas Republicans saw expanding college access for certain undocumented students as a way to build an educated workforce. Now, some GOP lawmakers feel only U.S. citizens should receive those benefits.
At the same time, some Democrats acknowledged the Lubbock Republican let them leave their mark on some of the GOP bills they disagreed with.
Texas passed sweeping changes to cannabis policy, including expanding the medical marijuana program and banning hemp products, while also boosting psychedelics research.
Texas lawmakers have approved banning gummies, drinks and vapes infused with THC, the compound that gives marijuana its psychoactive properties.
Abbott faces pressure from both sides of the aisle. The prohibition was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, but some hemp farmers and veterans want it killed.
The Legislature wrapped up without the same drama that defined the end of the last two sessions, with state GOP leaders checking off nearly everything on their to-do lists.
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor talk with politics reporter Jasper Scherer about education funding, a THC ban and the success of conservative priorities this year.
The governor has not addressed whether he supports the ban, as hemp industry leaders have urged him to veto Senate Bill 3.
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.
A top priority of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the legislation would make it easier to construct homes on smaller lots. A House Democrat briefly killed the bill.