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, […]
Category: Politics
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 […]
Posted inBig & Bright
‘Very Real Barriers.’ Trans Voters in Texas Are Worried About Casting Their Ballots.
In theory, being transgender shouldn’t matter when it comes to voting. But when it comes to transgender rights in Texas, things often don’t go the way they should. “The way that it’s supposed to work is that no one is supposed to be denied the opportunity to vote based on their appearance,” Ash Hall told […]
Posted inImmigration
2-Month-Old Baby Juan Nicolás & His Mother Were ‘Abandoned Across the Border’ Hours After He Was Hospitalized With Bronchitis, Castro Says
A recently hospitalized 2-month-old baby has been deported with his mother, father, and 16-month-old sister, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro said Tuesday. Juan Nicolás was rushed to the hospital on Monday night after spending nearly a month in federal custody at Dilley Family Detention Center, Univision’s Lidia Terrazas first reported. In a Sunday evening social media […]
Posted inNews
Ken Paxton Is No Stranger to Controversy. Here’s a Timeline of Nearly 20 Years of Scandals & Headlines.
Early voting in Texas begins on Tuesday, and one of the most competitive races in recent Texas Republican history is about to take shape. Ken Paxton, the current attorney general and MAGA Republican, is in full-swing campaign mode for a national role, gunning for the U.S. Senate in 2026 against incumbent John Cornyn and U.S. […]