Houston Rep. Lacey Hull has prevailed in the Republican primary against Jared Woodfill, a prominent anti-gay activist who was backed by Attorney General Ken Paxton and other Republican leaders despite his role in an ongoing sex abuse scandal. The Associated Press called the race for Hull around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, as she led Woodfill with 61.6% of votes. view article

Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan is facing a runoff election after he failed to secure a majority of votes in primary voting, the clearest sign to date of his precarious position within the Republican Party.  Phelan advanced to the runoff with rival David Covey, a former chairman of the Orange County Republican Party who has been endorsed by Attorney General Ken Paxton, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and former President Donald Trump.  The third candidate in the race, anti-tax crusader Alicia Davis, won only a fraction of a vote but prevented Phelan and Covey from securing the 50% necessary to win outright. view article

Teare, a former prosecutor in Ogg’s office, defeated the two-term incumbent at Tuesday’s primary and will face the Republican nominee in November’s general election.  Former prosecutor Sean Teare unseated Harris County’s embattled, two-term District Attorney Kim Ogg Tuesday night in a primary race that divided county Democrats.  Teare’s campaign gained steam as the district attorney faced a barrage of criticism from within her own party. Teare — a prosecutor in Ogg’s office until last year — will face Houston attorney Dan Simons, the lone Republican candidate in the race, in November’s general election.  Teare led Ogg in early and mail-in votes by over 50 percent Tuesday night. In a University of Houston poll released during early voting, he held a near 40 point lead over Ogg among likely voters. Ogg conceded the race shortly before 9 p.m. Tuesday night. view article

The shockwaves rippled up and down the ballot as incumbent state House members, judges and other state leaders were forced into runoffs or defeated outright.  The shockwaves rippled up and down the ballot. Most notably, Speaker Dade Phelan, R-Beaumont, was forced into a runoff with a well-funded challenger, David Covey, after being targeted by ultra-conservative donors and activists, who faulted the second-term speaker for declining to stop the impeachment of Attorney General Ken Paxton last May. view article

Liberal billionaire George Soros has been heavily contributing to Democrat candidate for Harris County District Attorney, Sean Teare. According to a recent campaign finance report, Soros spent just over $2 million on Teare’s campaign. Teare is running against the incumbent Harris County District Attorney, Democrat Kim Ogg. A poll published Feb. 20 by the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs showed Teare leading Ogg in popularity by 38 points. Teare’s campaign has been endorsed by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, former Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Harris County Precinct One County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. view article

Just one day after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would step down from his post in November, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has announced he will be running to replace him as Senate GOP Leader.  Cornyn made the announcement on Thursday morning, pointing to his two terms as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and time as Republican Whip as reasons to support his candidacy.  “During my two terms as NRSC Chair, we shrunk Democrats’ majority by five seats and laid the foundation to retake the majority in 2014. Then as the Republican Whip, I helped President Trump advance his agenda through the Senate, including passing historic tax reform and remaking our judiciary—including two Supreme Court Justices. Throughout my time I’ve built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause,” said Cornyn.  view article

Sometimes the remarkable thing is what didn’t happen. Last year, the Legislature passed a bill allowing public school districts to bring in religious chaplains to provide counseling services — a startling attempt to push a particular kind of Christianity in schools that are supposed to be welcoming to all. As I noted last May, Senate Bill 763 had serious shortcomings: No training or certification requirements for chaplains before they can counsel youth. No standards for accommodating students from a range of faith traditions. No prohibition on proselytizing. And no requirement for parental consent before a chaplain starts providing spiritual guidance to a child. view article

The Charles Butt Public Education PAC injected $1.3 million into the campaigns of nine Republican candidates in Texas, seven of whom are against Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans to create a private school voucher program in Texas, which would give families taxpayer dollars to send their children to private schools. Butt is the founder and only donor to the PAC. The campaign donations, which were provided from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24, were given mostly to incumbents Abbott is targeting, the Houston Chronicle reports. Those who received six figures included Texas state reps. Steve Allison, Ernest Bailes, Gary VanDeaver and John Kuempel. For Allison and Kuempel, who received about $340,000 and $138,000, respectively, the money helped them outraise challengers Abbott has view article

With the March 5 election just a few days away, six anti-voucher House GOP incumbents managed to sidestep Abbott’s revenge warpath.  Joshua Feuerstein, a Forney Republican, met with Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign team on a Zoom call, seeking an endorsement in his primary challenge to Rep. Keith Bell.  Feuerstein said he’d support the governor’s voucher legislation. Bell, R-Forney, was among the 21 House Republicans who blocked Abbott’s priority voucher bill from passing into law last year.  “They told me I was the perfect candidate,” Feuerstein told The Texas Tribune. But no endorsement ever came. view article

Conservative antagonists Karl Rove and Joe Straus are still messing with Texas.  Recent reports reveal House Speaker Dade Phelan’s largest donor to date in 2024 is a D.C.-based PAC that may be misleading donors and spending to empower Democrats.  The Republican State Legislative Committee donated $750,000 to Phelan on February 2, 2024, a sum that dwarfs the $200,000 that the Casino Lobby Sands donated the following week.  But is that money stopping with Phelan, or is it being funneled to others? view article

According to an email sent to district staff, the district would allow teachers to wear jeans if they had an “I Voted” sticker.   As Election Day approaches, Sherman Independent School District is attempting to get teachers out to vote by incentivizing them with “jeans days.”   Additionally, Texas Scorecard received a tip from an anonymous source that Sherman ISD Superintendent, Dr. Tyson Bennett, allegedly spoke to teachers around the district, informing them they need to vote for candidates who will fund public schools and not private schools.   Bennett previously interviewed with a local outlet, KXII, where he expressed disapproval of Gov. Greg Abbott’s push for school choice.  view article

Billionaire Charles Butt is throwing money to candidates who are against a key issue for Abbott.  Chairman and former CEO of H-E-B Charles Butt, a staunch supporter of public schools, is continuing to champion education through a political action committee.  The Charles Butt Public Education PAC injected $1.3 million into the campaigns of nine Republican candidates in Texas, seven of whom are against Gov. Greg Abbott’s plans to create a private school voucher program in Texas, which would give families taxpayer dollars to send their children to private schools. Butt is the founder and only donor to the PAC.  view article

This could be John Cornyn’s moment. After years serving among the top — but not the very top — of Senate Republican leadership, Texas’ senior senator has a chance at the job he has long wanted: Senate Republican leader. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced his plans to retire from the post Wednesday after 17 years leading his party. Cornyn hasn’t formally announced that he’ll run for the post, but he has frequently hinted at his desire to succeed McConnell. When asked about his plans Wednesday, Cornyn said: “I think today is about Mitch McConnell, but I've made no secret of my intentions.” When asked when he thinks he would announce a run, Cornyn merely grinned. The Texas Tribune thanks its sponsors. Become one. view article

For the last two months, Gov. Greg Abbott has embarked on a statewide revenge tour, stopping at barbecue restaurants, breweries, country clubs, churches, car dealerships and museums. Through stump speeches, online attacks and millions in spending this year, the Republican governor has targeted about a dozen GOP state lawmakers who scuttled his plan last fall to provide families with taxpayer dollars for private education. view article

Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner forwarded a voter guide from the Castleberry ISD Retired Teachers Association and told district administrators to follow its recommendations.  As early voting is underway and Election Day is fast approaching, another school district superintendent has allegedly sent an email to staff telling them to “vote accordingly” in the primary election.   Leaked emails uncovered by Current Revolt show Castleberry Independent School District Superintendent Renee Smith-Faulkner instructing the district’s “administrative leadership team” to vote according to a voter guide from the Castleberry ISD Retired Teachers Association.  view article

With former President Donald Trump weighing in on Texas races, a Republican incumbent lawmaker’s anti-Trump social media posts and refusal to support him is being highlighted by his opponents. First elected to the House in 2016, State Rep. Justin Holland (R–Heath) has drawn the ire of conservatives with a series of high-profile votes in contradiction to the party’s priorities this year—including his opposition to school choice and his support for raising the age to buy certain firearms. That has earned Holland two opponents in the Republican primary election: former Trump spokesperson Katrina Pierson and businessman Dennis London. view article

Texas Republican leaders, megadonors and political groups are spending massively ahead of the March 5 primary, pouring millions of dollars into campaigns that have become a litmus test for the Texas GOP’s future amid deepened fissures over school vouchers and Attorney General Ken Paxton’s impeachment. New campaign finance reports show just how expensive the Texas GOP’s ongoing civil war has gotten, with political interest groups such as Texans For Lawsuit Reform doling out more than $6 million in the last month to a mix of incumbents and PACs; and a small group of voucher supporters, state leaders and far-right megadonors separately injecting at least another $8 million into the primaries. view article

For the last two months, Gov. Greg Abbott has embarked on a statewide revenge tour, stopping at barbecue restaurants, breweries, country clubs, churches, car dealerships and museums.  Through stump speeches, online attacks and millions in spending this year, the Republican governor has targeted about a dozen GOP state lawmakers who scuttled his plan last fall to provide families with taxpayer dollars for private education. view article

Former President Donald Trump vowed to support Christians during a Thursday speech. USA TODAY Education Reporter Alia Wong discusses the divide over whether to include LGBTQ+ discussions in school. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is suing a Catholic migrant aid organization for alleged human smuggling. USA TODAY Personal Finance Reporter Daniel de Visé looks at a looming retirement crisis for younger Boomers. What happens during a mass cell service outage? We got a glimpse Thursday. view article

President Joe Biden will meet with law enforcement in Brownsville on Thursday while former President Donald Trump travels to Eagle Pass.  Biden will meet with U.S. Border Patrol and local law enforcement in Brownsville, while Trump will be about 300 miles away in Eagle Pass. A White House official confirmed Biden’s travel plans Monday, after CNN reported Trump’s border visit last week. The New York Times was the first to report Biden’s travel.  The border has increasingly become a thorn in Democrats’ side, particularly as Biden gears up for reelection and the party aims to retake the U.S. House. Border security has consistently polled as a top priority among Texans, and Republican-led policies led by Gov. Greg Abbott to place barriers like concertina wire and buoys in the Rio Grande have proven popular among voters. view article

The district’s homepage thanked local State Rep. Reggie Smith for continually opposing school choice during the recent special sessions. view article

U.S. Rep. Nathaniel Moran, R-Tyler, visited Pine Tree ISD on Monday and meet with students from Pine Tree High School and Pine Tree Junior High School in the central administration office. Moran, a former Smith County judge, is serving his second term in Congress. view article

Aaliyah Barlow needed to raise $20,000 by the end of the month. As president of the University of Texas at Austin’s Black Student Alliance, a student group, the junior is in charge of securing funding for three dozen of her peers to attend an annual conference for Black student leaders within the Big 12 Athletic Conference. For months, she's been asking different colleges and departments within the university to sponsor their travel, as they've always done before. But this year, it’s been crickets. view article

Monday’s competing state House District 58 political rallies attracted Gov. Greg Abbott, numerous county officials and about 50 Democrats to Cleburne as the incumbent and his two challengers weighed in on the school choice/vouchers controversy. In that race, state Rep. DeWayne Burns, R-Cleburne, seeks reelection challenged by Glen Rose resident Helen Kerwin and Grandview resident Lyndon Laird. No Democrats filed to compete in the race, but the winner of the March 5 Republican Primary will face Libertarian candidate Richard Windman in November’s general election. Kerwin’s rally included Abbott and took place at La Moderna Field. About 200 attended. Burns’ rally occurred later that same night at the Cleburne Conference Center with about 500 in attendance including numerous city and county officials. view article

In 2023, Abbott spent a lot of time touring schools across Texas to sell voters on school vouchers, and he even called on religious leaders to talk about the proposal. When the time came, the House blocked the school choice legislation. Abbott is still actively campaigning against Republicans who voted against vouchers by endorsing their primary opponents. But contrary to what Greg Abbott would have you believe, school vouchers are not a top issue for Texans or Republicans in the primary. According to a report by the Austin American-Statesman, Republicans are more likely to vote on issues such as border security, immigration, inflation and political corruption. view article

The Bastrop ISD school board voted to maintain the current guidelines for volunteer chaplains in the school district at the Feb. 20 school board meeting.   Under the policy, chaplains are allowed in BISD schools as visitors and volunteers or can be considered for employment if qualified. The board did not adopt any further policy regarding chaplains under Senate Bill 763, which states Texas schools can choose to employ or accept volunteer chaplains without the need for certification. view article

The Bastrop ISD school board voted to maintain the current guidelines for volunteer chaplains in the school district at the Feb. 20 school board meeting.   Under the policy, chaplains are allowed in BISD schools as visitors and volunteers or can be considered for employment if qualified. The board did not adopt any further policy regarding chaplains under Senate Bill 763, which states Texas schools can choose to employ or accept volunteer chaplains without the need for certification. view article

Former President Donald Trump endorsed four candidates trying to oust Republican Texas lawmakers who voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton and who oppose private school vouchers. Trump, the front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination, said on Truth Social that he is backing Republican candidates who will “Champion School Choice,” secure elections and lower taxes. The endorsements include Helen Kerwin, Alan Schoolcraft, Mike Olcott and Liz Case. view article

KATY, Texas — The Katy ISD Board of Trustees met to discuss allowing chaplains to counsel students with an official vote set for Monday.  The new state law passed last year requires all Texas school districts to vote on the measure by March 1.  Katy ISD’s board has an option to continue allowing chaplains to volunteer on campuses or they could approve a plan allowing chaplains of any faith to counsel students. view article

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) -Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced Saturday that the state has 17,948,242 million registered voters in preparation for the March 5 primaries. The registration deadline for the primary election was February 5.  ”Nearly 18 million Texans are registered to vote, and my office and election officials across the state are working to ensure all Texas voters are ready to cast a ballot,” Secretary Nelson stated.  Early voting for the primaries starts on Tuesday, February 20, and continues until March 1.  ”Early voting is a convenient way to cast your ballot and avoid the rush of Election Day,” Secretary Nelson emphasized. “Now is a good time to plan when you will vote and decide what form of photo ID you will bring to the polls.” view article

District 71 is one of three-dozen Texas House races where statewide Republicans are trying to oust incumbents from their own party. Lambert says he knows his constituents better than they do. view article

Just eight weeks ago, Texans were celebrating Christmas. The 2024 election was far away from most people's thoughts. Now, here it is. There are two weeks of early voting and then election day on March 5. And believe it or not - there's actually more drama than usual this primary. Usually incumbent officeholders are near shoe-ins for reelection. This year is different for some, especially a handful of rural Republican races, because large campaign donations are flowing in against them. view article

Despite having a historic budget surplus, and 246 days in session — the longest legislative session in history — lawmakers only passed 10% of education bills, thanks to Gov. Greg Abbott’s obsession with vouchers. Keller ISD Superintendent Tracy Johnson told Community Impact that with the unprecedented surplus the state could still fix the school financing problem today with a fifth special legislative session. “Our state doesn’t care about our kids,” Johnson said. “The cavalry isn’t coming. Keller ISD has to fix our problem. If we don’t get this fixed right now this year, we run the risk of not having a Keller ISD.” Keller ISD is grappling with a daunting $28 million budget deficit, underscoring a broader trend as numerous school districts contend with financial challenges. The fiscal strain experienced by KISD reflects a larger issue affecting education funding across various districts. The Wise County Messenger said it best, for the past months, a common headline has been: [Insert school district name here] adopts a deficit budget. Other ISD’s that are facing a deficit include: view article

Attorney General Ken Paxton is seeking revenge against House Republicans who voted to impeach him, but Gov. Greg Abbott is backing at least 17 Republicans targeted by Paxton. According to the Dallas Morning News, Paxton has endorsed the primary opponents of 20 GOP House incumbents in what has been described as a revenge tour. But Abbott is endorsing at least 17 incumbents who voted to impeach Paxton. Abbott is trying to keep Republicans who support his school choice plan. “A win for Abbott is to show strong support from people who support him on very specific issues like school choice,” said Dallas-based conservative radio talk show host Mark Davis. “The Paxton definition of success is to exact a political death toll for the people who came after him.” view article

According to a new poll released by the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin, 74 percent of Republican voters in Texas agree that the sheer number of illegal aliens crossing the southern border is a crisis. The poll’s results show that “three quarters of Republicans (74%) consider the number of migrants attempting to cross the border ‘a crisis’ and another 11% consider it ‘a very serious problem.” Additionally, the poll also shows that 20 percent of Democrat voters believe that illegal immigration into Texas constitutes a crisis and 37 percent believe that, while it is a serious problem, it is not a crisis. The poll also analyzed whether or not Texas voters overall believed strict actions should be taken to secure the border. view article