Politicians are always listening to voters — but the ones who actually select the state’s elected officials have a lot more clout than those who stay home. You can see it in the way lawmakers govern.
2014 elections
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State Government
Analysis: A 2020 holiday fantasy for Texas officeholders looking to 2022
Big election campaigns take years to mount. So some politicians aren’t thinking about the 2020 elections. They’re dreaming and planning for 2022.
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Texas 2020 Elections
Is Texas really going purple? Our Heat Index will show how competitive your district was — and is.
Is Texas really a swing state? To explore the question, we looked at nearly 20 years of election data to assess the competitiveness of every congressional and legislative district in the state. Take a tour of some of the state’s hot spots and then type in your address to find out the lay of the land in your districts.
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Graphics and data reporting
Texas saw the nation’s sixth-highest voter turnout increase, but still lagged behind most other states
Voter turnout in the 2018 Texas midterm elections increased by 18 percentage points compared with the previous midterms, according to data from the United States Elections Project.
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Texas Elections 2018
Texas’ largest counties have nearly doubled voter turnout so far compared to 2014
Soon, more Texans will have voted early in 2018 than in all of 2014’s early voting period, according to data from the secretary of state’s office.
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Politics
Wendy Davis, Battleground Texas sanctioned for delayed campaign disclosures in 2014
Citing “a somewhat complicated and novel fundraising operation not explicitly contemplated by Texas law,” the Texas Ethics Commission fined Battleground Texas and Wendy Davis’ gubernatorial campaign $3,000 each for late disclosures in 2014.
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Politics
Former U.S. Rep. Stockman charged with violating federal election law
Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, R-Texas, has been charged with violating federal election law.
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Politics
Abbott Will Pick Susan Hawk’s Replacement as Dallas County DA
After struggling with mental illness, including three admissions at psychiatric treatment centers, Republican Susan Hawk stepped down from her position as Dallas County District Attorney on Tuesday.
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Politics
Democrats’ Alliance with Battleground Texas Shows Strains Ahead of Elections
While many Democrats have mixed feelings about the group that helped lead the party’s election efforts in 2014, Battleground Texas officials still believe in their long-term strategy to turn Texas blue.
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State Government
Analysis: With a Week to Go, the Most Important Fights Are Over
With one week left in this legislative session, hundreds of bills are still pending. But if legislative action ended right now, there would be little reason for Gov. Greg Abbott to call lawmakers back for overtime.