Selected races — with results from the election — ranked by expected risk to the incumbents and/or the level of drama for candidates and voters in the state's congressional and legislative races.
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With the midterm elections now in the rearview mirror, transition time is upon us. Between now and Jan. 13 when the gavel falls on the opening of the 84th Legislature, here are some questions to keep in mind.
Full StoryThis week in the Newsreel: It's election week and all statewide offices up for election went to Republicans.
Full StoryFor this week’s nonscientific survey of insiders in government and politics, we asked about the changes ahead at the top of the state government’s organization chart.
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Key meetings and events for the coming week.
Full StoryRepublicans swept all statewide offices in the most recent midterm elections on Tuesday. They have won every statewide seat since 1998. The GOP also flipped a Senate seat — Wendy Davis' SD-10 — and gained three seats in the House, moving ever closer to outright supermajorities in both chambers.
Gov. Rick Perry was in court on Thursday, where his legal team was trying to disqualify the prosecutor who brought two felony charges against the governor, alleging irregularities in how the prosecutor was sworn in. Perry afterward told reporters that he had no regrets about his veto of funding for the Travis County public integrity unit, the action that led to his indictment. "I would do it again," Perry said.
Residents of Denton caused a ruckus heard nationwide when they voted on Tuesday to ban hydraulic fracturing within the city limits. The vote spurred an almost immediate lawsuit by the Texas Oil & Gas Association as well as legal action from Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.
About a dozen voters in Bexar County were victims of a system glitch that caused GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott's name to be omitted from the ballot. In its place was a misspelled version of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Authorities said the votes were correctly counted despite the naming error.
Texas voters for the second year in a row approved a constitutional amendment to use oil and gas tax revenue to fund needed infrastructure. The amendment approved Tuesday would create a new funding source — estimated at $1.7 billon in year one — for road projects.
The Texas Water Development Board on Thursday approved rules on the new revolving water projects fund, meaning that entities can now begin applying for money to help expand water supplies.
Patricia Garza of Olmito was named to the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement by Gov. Rick Perry for a term to expire Aug. 30, 2019.
T. Tolbert Chisum of Beaumont and J.B. Goodwin of Austin were named to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs by Perry. Chisum's term expires Jan. 31, 2019, and Goodwin's term expires Jan. 31, 2015.
Jessica Corna of Austin was named the Injured Employee Public Counsel by Perry for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2015.
Fred Rangel of Huntsville was named by Perry to the Board of Pardons and Paroles for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2019.
Riley Shaw of Fort Worth was named by Perry to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board for a term to expire Feb. 1, 2017.
Perry has named six — Charlie Galvin of Austin, Sha-Chelle Manning of Fairview, David L. Miller of Lubbock, Ofer Molad of Austin, Emil Pena of Houston and Jaye Thompson of The Woodlands — to the Texas Emerging Technology Advisory Committee for terms to expire Sept. 1, 2016.
State Sen.-elect Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, announced his staff for the legislative session. They are: Virginia "VA" Stephens, chief of staff; Stacie Bennett, general counsel; Brad Tegeler, legislative director; David Shoemaker, legislative aide; Marc Salvato, legislative aide; Jocelyn Burton, communications director; Rachel Schmidt, legislative assistant; and Wendi Lojo, district director.
Deaths: Julia Bass, 20-year employee of the Texas House who, for the past 11 years, was the chamber's journal clerk.
