Two Democrats have put their names forward in the race for speaker of the Texas House. On Friday, state Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston filed to run for speaker, becoming the first to do so. Thompson, also known as “Ms. T,” is the second longest serving...
Texas Legislature
back to archiveSignal Investigates: Who is Sarah Davis?
There has never been a more crucial time for investigative journalism, and a closer examination of the voting records and motivations of the elected officials governing the three branches of Texas government. In this series, we’ll be taking a deep dive to bring you...
Republican ad confuses Texas Dem Joe Moody with North Carolina lawmaker
A negative ad released this week by the Republican State Leadership Committee attacking Democrats has confused two state legislators from Texas and North Carolina. The ad warns of gerrymandering efforts by radical liberals while flashing images of Rep....
State Rep. Celia Israel on imagining a Democrat-led Texas House
For the first time since losing the Texas House in 2003, Democrats appear poised to break a 17-year trifecta of Republican power in Texas government. Sprinting into 2020 after flipping twelve House seats in 2018, Democrats would only need nine more seats to win...
A 2020 priority: taking back the Texas House
National attention on Texas is focused on key congressional races and the weakness of President Trump and Sen. John Cornyn in the state. But strategists and activists are also prioritizing flipping the Texas House of Representatives in 2020. Beto O’Rourke is one of...
Texas GOP representative forgoes re-election after remarks about Asian opponents
On Monday, Republican State Rep. Rick Miller of Fort Bend made eye-popping comments accusing his primary opponents of running solely because of their ethnic background. Miller announced on Tuesday that he will no longer seek re-election. “He’s a Korean,”...
Texas GOP memo calls for negative campaign to distract from its diversity problem
A draft memo, obtained by Texas Signal and first reported by the Dallas Morning News on Monday, calls for a negative campaign targeting 12 Democratic state House candidates in 2020. The goal of the effort, the Republican document said, was to “highlight the diversity...
House speaker’s resignation reinforces ‘culture of corruption’ among Texas GOP
On Tuesday, House Speaker Dennis Bonnen announced he would no longer seek re-election, prematurely ending his time in the legislature and as House Speaker. Bonnen’s exit from the Texas House comes a week after the release of a secret recording showing an...
State Senator Lucio isn’t a ‘real Democrat,’ says primary challenger
State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr., the most conservative Democrat in the Texas Senate, is facing off against two progressives in 2020. This cycle’s challenge to Lucio is proof that South Texas, historically more conservative on some issues, may be changing. Elected in...