GOP candidates John Cornyn, Wesley Hunt and Ken Paxton refused to participate in a candidate Q&A on major issues, ranging from foreign policy to artificial intelligence. We used their past statements and voting history to show voters where they differ.
Gabby Birenbaum
Gabby Birenbaum is the Washington Correspondent for the Texas Tribune. She covers the Texas congressional delegation and the impact of federal policy on Texas. Gabby previously covered Washington for The Nevada Independent, where she wrote the weekly D.C. Download newsletter and covered the 2024 presidential election and competitive Senate race. Prior to The Nevada Independent, Gabby worked at The Washington Monthly and Vox. Gabby graduated from Northwestern University, where she studied journalism and political science. She is a native of Arlington, Virginia and is based in Washington, DC. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, watching movies and being a long-suffering fan of DC sports teams. Her work is supported by a partnership with Report for America.
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2026 Texas Elections
Briscoe Cain, Alex Mealer lead crowded pack vying for Houston’s new red congressional district
Cain, a state lawmaker, and Mealer, a former Harris County judge candidate, have consolidated much of the fundraising and endorsements in the 9th Congressional District’s Republican primary.
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2026 Texas Elections
On the issues: a Q&A with the Texas Democrats running for U.S. Senate
To help primary voters differentiate between the two, we asked Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico where they fall on major issues, ranging from international policy to taxes. See where they stand, and how they differ.
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2026 Texas Elections
After two Houston Congress members died in office, Al Green defends his seniority to voters
The 78-year-old Democrat is up against two younger opponents, including Rep.-elect Christian Menefee, in a district left vacant for 11 months after the death of Sylvester Turner.
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2026 Texas Elections
Houston Democrat Christian Menefee wins special election to complete Sylvester Turner’s term in Congress
The former Harris County attorney defeated Amanda Edwards in Texas’ 18th Congressional District. The two will face off again in the March 3 primary for a redrawn version of the district.
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2026 Texas Elections
Talarico began 2026 with bigger war chest than Crockett in Democratic Senate primary awash in cash
Crockett raised about $2 million between her Dec. 8 campaign launch and year’s end, about one-third of Talarico’s haul over the first three weeks of his Senate bid.
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2026 Texas Elections
Cornyn continues to lead Texas Senate GOP field in fundraising, cash reserves as primary hits homestretch
Despite dominating the airwaves, Texas’ senior senator has been neck and neck with Attorney General Ken Paxton in public polling, both falling well short of the support needed to avoid a runoff.
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Health care
More Texans have signed up for ACA health coverage despite expiring subsidies and falling national enrollment
The ACA enrollment figure indicates a stabler marketplace and less coverage loss than many experts and insurers feared, though the number could drop once premium bills become due.
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2026 Texas Elections
Vacant for 11 months, one of Texas’ bluest congressional districts will pick new representative Saturday
Two Democrats are competing to serve out the rest of Sylvester Turner’s term. The winner will have a two-week incumbency advantage before early voting begins in the March primary.
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Congress
GOP Sen. Cruz, Rep. McCaul call for investigation after federal agents fatally shoot man in Minneapolis
Other Texas Republicans have called for the Trump administration to double down on sending immigration officers to Minnesota and blamed Democrats for the violence, while others have remained silent.