Illinois court rejects Texas request to enforce arrest warrants against House Democrats
Judge Scott Larson ruled that the Texas speaker and attorney general had “failed to present a legal basis for the court” to take up the issue. Full Story
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![Democratic Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds speaks during a press conference with members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus at IBEW Local 701 in Warrenville, Ill., on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. More than 30 Democratic Texas lawmakers fled the state the day before to block a quorum and delay a redistricting plan backed by former President Donald Trump. They regrouped in Illinois to prevent the Legislature from advancing a mid-decade congressional map that could shift several seats to Republican control.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
TribCast: Will 13 Democrats be expelled from the Texas House?
In this week’s episode, Matthew and Eleanor ask University of Houston law professor David Froomkin to help them break down the legal cases seeking to remove 13 Democrats from the Texas House. Full Story
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![State Rep. Ramón Romero, D-Fort Worth, speaks at a press conference with members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus at Painters District Council 30 in Aurora, Ill., on Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton asks judge to jail Beto O’Rourke for fundraising Texas Dems' walkout
Paxton sued O’Rourke and his political group, Powered by People, last week, arguing that the group was deceptively fundraising for and illegally supporting Texas Democrats’ walkout. Full Story
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![Former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke speaks during the People vs. the Power Grab rally at the Ridglea Theater in Fort Worth on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025.]()
Credit: Desiree Rios for The Texas Tribune -
In redistricting clash, Texas GOP flexes power to shut down Democrats' last tool of resistance
Since Democratic lawmakers left Texas to delay Republicans’ new map, state leaders have challenged the limits of traditional democratic norms to break the impasse. Full Story
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![Streetlights and building lighting illuminate the Texas State Capitol through early morning fog on the ninth day of suspended Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 15, 2023.]()
Credit: Julius Shieh/The Texas Tribune -
Judge blocks Beto O’Rourke from financially supporting Texas Democrats who left the state
The order came at the request of Attorney General Ken Paxton, who O’Rourke accused in a separate lawsuit of going on a “fishing expedition, constitutional rights be damned.” Full Story
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![Former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke speaks during a Fight the Trump Takeover rally outside the South Steps of the Capitol on Thursday, July 24, 2025 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton asks Texas Supreme Court to expel 13 House Democrats over redistricting standoff
Gov. Greg Abbott previously asked the court to expel Rep. Gene Wu, the House Democratic leader. Paxton disputed the governor’s authority to make the request. Full Story
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![Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu, D-Houston, speaks during a press conference alongside dozens of fellow Texas lawmakers and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. Members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus announced they fled the state to block a quorum and halt a Trump-backed redistricting effort. The lawmakers regrouped in Illinois to prevent the Texas Legislature from advancing a mid-decade congressional map.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
John Cornyn enters critical window to change trajectory of Texas Senate primary against Ken Paxton
The annual summer break is a critical window for Texas’ senior senator, whose allies are blitzing the airwaves with ads courting primary voters — and President Donald Trump. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Paxton, Burrows ask Illinois court to enforce Texas arrest warrants against Democrats who left the state
The attorney general is calling on the “full faith and credit” clause of the U.S. Constitution, which says states should typically honor each other’s judicial proceedings. Full Story
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![Flanked by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, state Rep. and caucus chair Gene Wu speaks at a press conference at the DuPage County Democratic Party headquarters in Carol Stream, Ill., on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025.]()
Credit: Jamie Kelter Davis for The Texas Tribune -
Paxton launches investigation into Beto O’Rourke’s political group for funding Democrats who left state
The attorney general is also looking into the George Soros-backed Texas Majority PAC, which is playing a coordinating role to solicit donations from Democratic donors. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Republican Party of Texas Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024..]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas AG can't depose Catholic Charities leader in migrant aid case, appeals court rules
The three-judge panel agreed with a lower court that Ken Paxton’s office can’t question officials from Catholic Charities under oath without first filing a lawsuit. Full Story
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![A migrant child waits with his family in front of the Catholic Charities RGV Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen on July 27, 2021.]()
Credit: Jason Garza for The Texas Tribune -
Wesley Hunt tests waters of a Senate bid, setting up possible heavyweight primary with Cornyn and Paxton
The Houston Republican’s case rests on the notion that Sen. John Cornyn cannot win the primary and his challenger, Attorney General Ken Paxton, could jeopardize the seat in November. Full Story
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![U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Houston, alongside his house Republican colleagues, speaks about the Republican Party’s upcoming legislative agenda and accomplishments in the first one hundred days of holding the majority in the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 17, 2023.]()
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TribCast: What’s next for Republicans?
Mark Davis, the dean of Texas conservative talk radio, joins TribCast to talk about the GOP’s outlook for 2026. Full Story
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![A Texas representatives speak on House floor during the opening day of the 89th Texas special legislative session Monday, July 21, 2025 in Austin, Texas.]()
Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune -
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is handing more of his office’s work to costly private lawyers
Despite having an office with hundreds of attorneys, Ken Paxton frequently opts to hire private lawyers. One cost taxpayers more than $24,000 in one day. Full Story
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![An illustration of bags of money, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and a group of lawyers holding briefcases and documents.]()
Credit: Margaret Flatley for The Texas Tribune and ProPublica -
Democrat Joe Jaworski to run for Texas attorney general again
The former Galveston mayor lost his party’s nomination in a 2022 runoff but says better preparation and a different political environment will work in his favor. Full Story
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![Joe Jaworski, a Democratic candidate for attorney general, speaks with Frank Ramirez at a campaign event in San Antonio on Oct. 31, 2021.]()
Credit: Chris Stokes for The Texas Tribune -
Ken Paxton investigating “potential noncitizens” for voting in 2020 and 2022 election cycles
Most of those voters are in Harris County, home to Houston. Noncitizen voting is illegal and documented instances are rare. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton fields questions at the Frisco Gun Club during a press conference announcing his intent to sue the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on May 1, 2024. This comes after the Justice Department announced a new rule requiring all gun sellers to conduct federal background checks on buyers, closing what is known as the “gun show loophole”.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for The Texas Tribune -
Democratic state Sen. Nathan Johnson announces run for attorney general
The third-term Democrat from Dallas faces long odds in a state that has only elected Republicans to statewide office for three decades. Full Story
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![Texas Senator Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, in action on the Senate floor on the second-to-the-last day of the 89th legislative session on June 1, 2025.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Why Greg Abbott refuses to release his emails with Elon Musk
The governor’s office said some of the correspondence with the billionaire and his companies contains “intimate” information that isn’t of “legitimate concern to the public.” Full Story
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![Gov. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference.]()
Credit: Michael Minasi/KUT News -
Divorce between Ken and Angela Paxton will proceed outside public view, reports say
A Collin County judge’s reported decision could keep details of the divorce from spilling into Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate race. Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton addresses the crowd during a rally at the Tarrant County Republican Party Headquarters in Fort Worth on January 6, 2025.]()
Credit: Photo by Emil T. Lippe for The Texas Tribune -
Sen. John Cornyn outraises AG Ken Paxton by $1 million in first three months of Senate primary matchup — but there’s a catch
Cornyn will need to use his deep coffers to overcome an early polling deficit to Paxton, who is looking to deny the GOP incumbent’s bid for a fifth term. Full Story
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![from left: U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton is challenging Cornyn in the Republican primary.]()
Credit: The Texas Tribune -
Sen. Angela Paxton files for divorce from Attorney General Ken Paxton
In a statement, Angela Paxton said she moved to end her 38-year marriage “on biblical grounds,” citing “recent discoveries.” Full Story
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![Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his wife Senator Angela Paxton wave to conventioneers during the Texas GOP Convention Thursday, May 23, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune