“A sham”: Texas Republicans defend Trump after guilty verdict
Republicans across the party’s political spectrum denounced Trump’s guilty verdict on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records. Full Story
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![Former U.S. President Donald Trump sits at the defense table as the jury in his criminal trial is scheduled to continue deliberations at New York State Supreme Court in New York, New York on May 30, 2024. Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to payments made to adult film star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 presidential campaign.]()
Credit: Justin Lane/Pool via REUTERS -
At Texas GOP convention, Republicans call for spiritual warfare
At the three-day convention, delegates moved the needle further to the right, preaching Christian nationalism and approving rules that would give them unprecedented control of elections. Full Story
![Scenes from the Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio, Texas on May 24, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Proposed Texas GOP platform calls for the Bible in schools, electoral changes that would lock Democrats out of statewide office
The platform was voted on Saturday, with tallies expected next week. Other planks call abortion homicide and gender-transition care “child abuse.” Full Story
![Conventioneers listen to speeches during the Texas GOP Convention Friday, May 24, 2024 in San Antonio.]()
Credit: Eli Hartman/The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP convention kicks off with party leaders attacking Speaker Dade Phelan
Phelan’s foe Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick urged Republicans to stop giving Democrats a say in the speaker election. Full Story
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick speaks at the 2024 Texas GOP Convention in San Antonio on May 23, 2024.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas’ Republican old guard mobilizes to protect Dade Phelan from the far right
Phelan’s primary has emerged as a last stand for the Republican Party’s business-minded establishment against an insurgency primarily motivated by social and cultural issues. Full Story
![Dade Phelan addresses the floor after being elected for his second term as Speaker of the House on the opening day of the 88th legislature on Jan 10, 2023.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak announces run to lead state Republican Party
The political consultant joins a crowded field to replace outgoing Chair Matt Rinaldi when party delegates meet next week. Full Story
![Matt Mackowiak in Austin on Sept. 20, 2018.]()
Credit: John Jordan/The Texas Tribune -
Far-right activist Jonathan Stickland starts new group, months after white supremacist scandal
The former lawmaker registered “RaTmasTeR Holdings” along with Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi. The name is a nod to Stickland’s alias as an infamous internet troll. Full Story
![State Rep. Jonathan Stickland, R-Bedford, on the House floor on May 21, 2019.]()
Credit: Juan Figueroa/The Texas Tribune -
Race to succeed Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi has become referendum on his tenure
Some Republicans and candidates are calling for a serious change, warning that the party could be vulnerable in future elections because of the ongoing disunity that has defined Rinaldi’s two terms. Full Story
![Texas Republican Party Chair candidates Dana Myers, left, and Abraham George.]()
Credit: Campaign websites -
They counted primary ballots by hand. Now a Texas county Republican party says they found errors.
After declaring a successful hand count of ballots, Gillespie County Republicans had to fix a series of errors in the results reported from almost every precinct. Full Story
![Gillespie elections staffer Alan Littman, left, and election worker, Joy Smith, review precinct totals at the county’s election office to aggregate election results before submitting them to the Texas Secretary of State’s office on March 14, 2024.]()
Credit: Natalia Contreras / Votebeat -
Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi won’t seek reelection
Rinaldi’s three-year tenure as chair of the GOP saw vicious infighting and historic gains for the state’s far right. Full Story
![Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi at a press conference on Aug. 30, 2021, amid talk about punishing House Democrats for breaking quorum.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP leaders reverse course, ban antisemites from party
The party’s executive committee also formally censured House Speaker Dade Phelan on Saturday. Full Story
![Republican Party emblems and signs at the Republican Party of Texas office in downtown Austin.]()
Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP increasingly considers push to close its primaries
Presidential candidate Nikki Haley has talked openly about targeting states like Texas that have open primaries to get a boost over Trump. Full Story
![Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks during a campaign event ahead of the South Carolina Republican presidential primary election, in Conway, South Carolina on Jan. 28, 2024.]()
Credit: Randall Hill/REUTERS -
Texas GOP vice chair challenges Matt Rinaldi for party leadership
Dana Myers has been critical of the party’s ties to Defend Texas Liberty PAC, a hard-right group that’s been tied to white supremacists. Full Story
![Former State Rep. Matt Rinaldi spoke to Tarrant county Tea Party supporters in Grapevine for an event called Spread the Red on Oct. 17, 2018.]()
Credit: Leslie Boorhem-Stephenson for The Texas Tribune -
Republican senator who voted to acquit Paxton wants Senate to consider reopening impeachment proceedings
The bombshell request by retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, comes after Paxton decided to stop fighting a whistleblower lawsuit whose claims factored into his impeachment trial. Full Story
![State Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, sits on the floor during the afternoon session of Day 1 of the Ken Paxton impeachment trial in the Texas Senate.]()
Credit: Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune -
Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi backed a group with white supremacist ties — while working for its billionaire funder
Farris Wilks is a key funder of Defend Texas Liberty, the state party’s largest donor, which is under fire for its ties to white supremacists Full Story
![Former state representative Matt Rinaldi spoke to demonstrators at the Governor’s Mansion in protest of Gov. Abbott’s executive orders to close businesses and mandate masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.]()
Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune -
In debate, GOP candidates for Texas House special election mirror statewide intraparty tensions
The two feuding Republicans were the top two finishers in a November special election to succeed expelled state Rep. Bryan Slaton, R-Royse City, in House District 2. Full Story
![Republicans Jill Dutton and Brent Money are running in a special election for state House District 2 seat, empty since former state Rep. Brian Slaton, R-Royse City, was expelled from the House.]()
Credit: Campaign websites -
Texas Senate candidate backed by Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick faces mounting eligibility challenges
Brent Hagenbuch is working to fend off doubts about his residency in the four-way Republican primary to replace retiring state Sen. Drew Springer, R-Muenster. A last-minute court filing claims he resides in a corporate apartment in the district. Full Story
![Candidate for state Senate Brent Hagenbuch.]()
Credit: Brent Hagenbuch For Texas Senate Campaign -
Texas GOP chair stays silent on allies’ connections to antisemitic extremists
Matt Rinaldi has been defiant amid calls for him to cut ties with political ally Jonathan Stickland after meeting with white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Rinaldi is also accused of embracing antisemitic leaders of a new young Republicans organization. Full Story
![Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi at a press conference on Aug. 30, 2021, amid talk about punishing House Democrats for breaking quorum.]()
Credit: Michael Gonzalez/The Texas Tribune -
Nick Fuentes is just the latest white supremacist embraced by Defend Texas Liberty
While Fuentes’ unapologetic hate mongering has made him one of the nation’s best-known white supremacists, he was merely the latest in a long line of people who have been embraced by Defend Texas Liberty and its close allies. Full Story
![Nick Fuentes (middle) is seen exiting the offices of Pale Horse strategies with Chris Russo, founder and president of Texans for Strong Borders (right) in Fort Worth on Oct. 6, 2023.]()
Credit: Azul Sordo for the Texas Tribune -
Dan Patrick to use $3 million from Defend Texas Liberty to buy Israeli bonds
More than two weeks after the influential PAC’s leader met with a Hitler admirer, Lt. Gov. Patrick said the GOP must ”root out” antisemitism. Patrick had initially said he’d keep the PAC’s money. Full Story
![Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick discusses property tax cuts for homeowners during a media briefing at the state Capitol on June 6, in Austin.]()
Credit: Joe Timmerman/The Texas Tribune
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