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The latest 2020 elections news from The Texas Tribune.

First part of Texas’ 2020 election audit reveals few issues, echoes findings from review processes already in place

By Alexa Ura and Allyson Waller Dec. 31, 2021

An initial review of four counties’ election results — launched after pressure from former President Donald Trump and touted by GOP leaders — showed few discrepancies between electronic and hand counts of ballots in a sample of voting precincts. Full Story

Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Gov. Greg Abbott sticks with hands-off approach to COVID-19 as omicron spreads

By Patrick Svitek Dec. 23, 2021

Abbott’s office says vaccines are the best defense to the pandemic, however, the governor has rarely spoken about vaccines in recent months other than to push back against mandates. He did not respond to a question about whether he got the booster. Full Story

Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/Pool via Austin American-Statesman
Unhappy holidays: Texas endures another COVID Christmas

By Cassandra Pollock, Brian Lopez and Uriel J. García Dec. 22, 2021

After nearly two years of navigating life during a pandemic, many Texans are now scrambling for COVID tests, delaying plans and worrying about relatives who have been exposed to the virus. Full Story

Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune
Former President Donald Trump downplays Jan. 6 insurrection, doubles down on false election claims on Texas trip

By Joshua Fechter Dec. 19, 2021

“This wasn’t an insurrection,” the former president said of the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol that left five dead. Full Story

Credit: REUTERS/Jim Bourg
“Every constitutional right is now at risk": Legal experts warn Supreme Court action on Texas abortion law could lead to copycats

By James Barragán and Cassandra Pollock Updated: Dec. 12, 2021

Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority was straying from the court’s precedent to step in when state laws chill the exercise of constitutional rights while allowing other states to follow suit. Full Story

Credit: Eric Lee for The Texas Tribune
A growing number of Texas Republicans want a fourth special session to pass COVID-19 vaccine mandate ban

By Cassandra Pollock Nov. 30, 2021

It remains unclear whether Gov. Greg Abbott — the only official with the power to convene special sessions — will order state lawmakers back to Austin, or what issues he would include on the agenda. Full Story

Credit: Sophie Park/The Texas Tribune
Freshman state Rep. Jasmine Crockett is running for Dallas congressional seat, with Eddie Bernice Johnson’s backing

By Patrick Svitek Nov. 24, 2021

Crockett is running for the seat vacated by Johnson, who announced Saturday that she would not seek reelection in the 30th Congressional District after serving nearly three decades in Congress. The seat is solidly Democratic. Full Story

Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
Gov. Greg Abbott, GOP leaders allocate $4 million to fund county-level election audits

By Cassandra Pollock Nov. 19, 2021

A new state law requires the secretary of state's office to audit results in four randomly selected counties every two years. Full Story

Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune
Jay Kleberg, King Ranch scion and conservationist, to run for land commissioner as a Democrat

By Cassandra Pollock and Patrick Svitek Nov. 18, 2021

At least three other Democrats and four Republicans are vying for the office that GOP incumbent George P. Bush is leaving to run for attorney general. Full Story

Credit: Social Media
Texas voters split on whether voting laws should be more strict, UT/TT Poll finds

By Cassandra Pollock Nov. 5, 2021

The October poll found that the percentage of Democrats who said voting rules should be less strict increased significantly, with 64% of voters taking that position compared to the 51% in August. Full Story

Credit: Michael Stravato for The Texas Tribune
911 transcripts filed in updated “Trump Train” lawsuit reveal San Marcos police refused to send escort to Biden bus

By Kate McGee Oct. 29, 2021

The highway confrontation between a Biden bus and Trump supporters made national news in the final days of the heated 2020 presidential campaign. The incident involved at least one minor collision and led to Texas Democrats canceling three scheduled campaign events. Full Story

Credit: Ronald W. Erdrich/Abilene Reporter-News via Reuters Co
Analysis: Are lawmakers trying to make Texans more confident in elections, or less?

By Ross Ramsey Oct. 25, 2021

After conservative complaints about the national results in the 2020 election, Texas Republicans have tried to anticipate everything that might play against them in 2022, right down to who’ll be at the helm. Full Story

Credit: Clint Datchuk for The Texas Tribune
Houston state Rep. Dan Huberty, who spearheaded Texas’ 2019 public education overhaul in Legislature, to retire

By Cassandra Pollock Oct. 19, 2021

Earlier this year, Huberty was arrested in Montgomery County after he crashed his car into another vehicle and failed a sobriety test. The lawmaker was driving home from the Capitol in late April. Full Story

Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
Texas legislators pass most — but not all — of Gov. Greg Abbott’s priority measures in final flurry of lawmaking

By Cassandra Pollock and James Barragán Updated: Oct. 19, 2021

Lawmakers approved new political maps and decided how to spend COVID-19 relief money. But they didn’t pass bills about vaccine mandates or the criminal penalty for illegal voting. Full Story

Credit: Evan L'Roy for The Texas Tribune
Texas House passes proposed new map for chamber’s 150 districts, aiming to protect Republicans’ majority for the next decade

By Cassandra Pollock Updated: Oct. 13, 2021

Members considered more than 50 amendments to the proposed map during debate that began Tuesday and ended early Wednesday. Some of the biggest changes focused on Dallas and Harris counties. Full Story

Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
Trump won Hood County in a landslide. His supporters still hounded the elections administrator until she resigned.

By Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Oct. 12, 2021

Michele Carew, an elections administrator with 14 years of experience, has resigned after a monthslong campaign by Trump loyalists to oust her. “I’m leaving on my own accord,” she said. Full Story

Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune/ProPublica
Texas House committee advances proposed map for lower chamber

By Cassandra Pollock Oct. 5, 2021

The draft, which will need a stamp of approval from the full chamber before it can head to the Senate for consideration, is likely to continue to change before the Legislature sends it to Gov. Greg Abbott’s desk for a signature. Full Story

Credit: Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune
“God’s will is being thwarted.” Even in solid Republican counties, hard-liners seek more partisan control of elections.

By Jeremy Schwartz, The Texas Tribune and ProPublica Oct. 1, 2021

The political battle in one Texas county where Trump got 81% of the vote offers a rare view into the virulent distrust and unyielding pressure facing elections administrators. Full Story
Texas House proposes map that increases Republican strength and decreases Black and Hispanic majority districts

By Cassandra Pollock, Carla Astudillo and Patrick Svitek Updated: Sept. 30, 2021

The Texas Legislature is in the midst of its third special session, which is dedicated to redrawing political maps based on the latest census data that showed people of color fueled 95% of Texas’ population growth over the past decade. Full Story

Credit: Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune
Beto O’Rourke on Matthew McConaughey: “I don’t know how he feels about any of the issues”

By Patrick Svitek Updated: Sept. 24, 2021

In a Texas Tribune Festival interview, the former member of Congress discussed the fight for voting rights, his takeaways from his last two runs for office and speculation about his becoming a candidate for governor. Full Story

Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune