In March 2023, we became two of the first women to sue Texas over its abortion bans. While pregnant with twins, we’d each learned that one of our twins had severe complications that were threatening the lives of the other — and our own. Yet, we were denied potentially live-saving abortions. So we asked the […]
Category: Politics
Posted inOpinion
Texas County Pursues Death Penalty ‘Almost Exclusively’ Against People of Color, Report Shows. We Have an Opportunity to Change That.
My brother was wrongfully convicted. My wife is a police officer. My sister is the former city attorney for Austin, Texas. I have worked to free innocent people who were wrongfully convicted in Tarrant County and in the state more broadly. I was not shocked — but still incredibly disappointed — when I heard about […]
Posted inPolitics
Trump Finally Endorses Paxton, Cornyn Reduced to ‘Good Man’ Status
Donald Trump has officially endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, bucking his party’s mainstream donors and siding with the MAGA favorite in the May 26 Republican runoff. In a statement roughly the length of a Russian novel, Trump praised Paxton as an “America First Patriot,” a “MAGA Warrior,” and most importantly, “extremely […]
Posted inNews
It’s Not Just Tony Gonzales. Four More Texans Are in a New Report on Widespread Sexual Misconduct in Congress.
Five Congressmen from Texas are included in a new report released this week on sexual harassment in Congress, which has been rocked with recent sexual misconduct allegations against former U.S. Reps. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio and Eric Swalwell of California. The report by the National Women’s Defense League, a nonpartisan sexual harassment prevention organization, […]
Posted inOpinion
There Was Yet Another ‘Ugly Fight’ in Houston Over Immigration Enforcement. But the City Already Knows What’s Right.
Editor’s note: The views and opinions presented by guest contributors to The Barbed Wire do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the company, the newsroom, its staff, advisers, or advertisers. Emmanuel Gonzalez, a 15-year-old who has a serious intellectual disability, walked away from his mom’s fruit stand in Houston in October. His mother […]
Posted inPolitics
More Than 1,000 Voters Were Turned Away Tuesday. ‘Total Chaos’ in Dallas Raises Alarms of Worsening Voter Suppression.
As if election nights weren’t stressful enough, more than 1,000 voters were reportedly turned away from polling locations in Dallas on Tuesday. That count — from Kardal Coleman, the chair of the Dallas County Democratic Party, via the New York Times — was only through the afternoon. By the evening it had devolved to “mass […]
Posted inPolitics
U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales Advances to Runoff After Reported Sexual Messages with Staffer Released
This piece was originally published by The 19th* News and written by Jasmine Mithani, the technology reporter at The 19th whose coverage revolves around themes of information access, privacy and politics. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas has advanced to a runoff in the Republican primary for the House seat he’s held since 2020, according to […]
Posted inPolitics
Talarico Defeats Crockett in Democratic Senate Primary in Texas
This piece was originally published in The 19th* News and written by Grace Panetta, a politics reporter at The 19th covering the candidates, issues and voters that power our elections. Rep. Jasmine Crockett lost the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas to state Rep. James Talarico, Decision Desk HQ projects. Talarico, a state lawmaker […]
Posted inPolitics
The Texas GOP’s Senate Cage Match Goes to Overtime
Get ready for John Cornyn vs. Ken Paxton: The Sequel Nobody Asked For. After nearly $95 million in attack ads, divorce drama and enough Republican infighting to require protective year, Texas voters have generously decided we all get to do this again in May. Yes, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are […]
Posted inNews
Texas’ Senate Primary Race Is the Most Expensive on Record, Ad Tracking Report Says
Money’s always a hot topic in Texas elections — and this year it’s blazing. A staggering $128 million has been spent so far in Texas’ Senate primary, making the race the most expensive on record, according to AdImpact, a political advertisement tracking platform. Republican ad spending is responsible for the lion’s share of that amount […]