A Week With Some of Austin’s Most Vehement, Revolutionary Protesters 

byRamón Rodríguez

The Mike Ramos Brigade, or MRB, formed the night Mike Ramos, an unarmed 42-year-old Black and Mexican-American man, was shot and killed by Austin police in April. The brigade’s demands started with justice for Ramos. They quickly started calling for justice for all victims of police brutality and the abolition of the criminal justice system, capitalism and the destruction of what they call the ruling class.

Republicans Dominate Elections in Central Texas

byHarrison Young, Ram Rodríguez, Madi Donham, Madi Gee, Benton Graham, Jillian Price and Mizelle Mayo

Some experts labeled Texas as a toss-up in the presidential election, with most polls showing a 2-4 point lead for Donald Trump. Trump outperformed those expectations, winning by closer to 6 percentage points. Other races included a U.S. Senate race won easily by GOP incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and several Central Texas congressional races where Republicans won easily.

Trump March Fizzles in Downtown Austin

byBenton Graham

The march, the fourth annual iteration of the event, attracted a much smaller crowd than previous marches, which have seen upward of 300 attendees. The marchers were unfazed by the lackluster turnout and insisted that it wasn’t a sign of flailing support for an embattled president.

Updates: On Election Day, Austin Voters Encounter Short Lines at the Polls; No Reports of Intimidation Efforts or Voting Issues

byMadi Donham, Benton Graham, Sumaiya Malik, Harrison Young, Jillian Price, Ram Rodríguez, Mizelle Mayo and Madelyn Gee

During early voting, Reporting Texas correspondents will regularly file reports from Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties, as well as early voting locations in Travis County. On Election Day, correspondents will post dispatches from polling places around Travis County. Check back for updates.

Pre-Pandemic Politics: Democratic Socialism and the Youth Vote

byJennifer Martinez

Until his decision in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak to drop out of the presidential race, Bernie Sanders continuously captured the youth vote in the 2020 Democratic primaries, including a 65% backing from voters under 30 in Texas. Primary election results before the country was ensnared by the COVID-19 outbreak show his democratic socialist […]

Presidential Politics Dominated Forty Acres Before Pandemic

bySamantha Hall

Before a global pandemic pierced mosts Americans’ imaginations, the nation wondered if the youth vote, including students at the University of Texas, would turn out for the presidential election. With this backdrop, for the first time in decades, Texas had a major voice in determining the Democratic nominee. And in typical fashion, Travis County took […]

Racial Politics and Economic Woes Roil an East Texas City

byVicky Camarillo

How the battle over an East Texas city’s economic development corporation laid bare racial fault lines in the age of Trump.

Lois Kolkhorst, Rising Star in the Texas GOP, Won’t Back Down

byClaire Allbright

Authoring hot-button socially conservative legislation has established Sen. Lois Kolkhorst as a leading voice in the socially conservative block of the Republican party in Texas. (Story also appeared in the Victoria Advocate.)

Mystified by Texas Politics? We’ve Got Answers

byShepard Price

Find out why Democrats disappeared and get a quick look at the state’s most notorious political scandals.

Texas Pundits Ponder the Importance of the BriLab Scandal 40 Years On

byShepard Price

Billy Wayne Clayton, the figure at the center of the scandal, remade the office of Texas House speaker.

Civil War Battle Rises Again in East Texas

byAndrea Tinning

The annual Battle of Blackjack Grove, a mock Civil War battle, started in 2017 in the East Texas town of Groveton and has attracted more and more attendees each year.

U.S. House Democrats Target Six Texas Districts for 2020, Face Uphill Battle

byKatherine Corley

National Democrats are targeting six congressional districts in Texas in 2020. Despite Democratic gains in the 2018 midterms, some political scientists say the party faces an uphill battle in the Lone Star State.

Advocates Push for Criminal Sentencing Reform

byJack Keyes

Support is growing for legislation that would allow prisoners, even those convicted of violent crimes, to reduce their sentences through good behavior.

Bikers Rally in Opposition to Mandatory Helmet Proposal

byAlyx Wilson

The Dallas state representative who is sponsoring the bill says the numbers show that helmets save lives.

Advocates Continue Push to Lessen Importance of Standardized Tests in Texas

byMorgan Kilgo

The debate over the proper role of standard tests in evaluating student performance returns to the Capitol.

For Texas Republicans, a Biennial Legislature Means Less Government

byClaire Allbright

Unlike most states, the Texas Legislature only meets every other year.

School Trustee Woody Looks for Ways to Make Del Valle Better

byVicky Camarillo

The community of about 17,000 faces some of the most challenging issues in Travis County.

Advocates Hopeful for Reform of Marijuana Laws in Texas

byStephen Cabler

Advocates are optimistic about the possible reform of marijuana laws during the 2019 Texas legislative session.

In Election Night Loss, Austin City Council Candidate Sees Reason for Hope

byForrest Milburn

Danielle Skidmore, a trans woman who ran in 2018 election, failed in her bid. But she sees promise in the rise of LGBTQ candidates.

After O’Rourke Defeat, East Texas Democrats Disappointed but Optimistic about Future

byVicky Camarillo

O’Rourke’s defeat left some East Texas Democrats asking: If a hardworking, ready-for-prime-time candidate such as O’Rourke can’t win in Texas, when will the state turn blue?