Patrick Svitek is the primary political correspondent for The Texas Tribune. Patrick covers elections, state leaders, the Legislature and political trends across the state. He previously worked for the Houston Chronicle's Austin bureau. He graduated in 2014 from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana and is based in San Antonio.
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
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, led the effort to set a maximum 120-day timeline for the president to decide whether to approve a permit for new international bridge projects. The previous process could have taken years. Full Story
The governor projected confidence throughout 2023 that vouchers would pass. But his insistence on universal eligibility ensured his failure to convince 21 House Republican holdouts. Full Story
Paxton has been seeking revenge on fellow Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this year. Similarly, Abbott is looking to unseat GOP House members who voted against school vouchers. Full Story
The four whistleblowers asked the court last month to force the attorney general and his aides to sit for deposition, which would require them to answer questions under oath related to the allegations of bribery and corruption. Full Story
Kelcy Warren, a Dallas pipeline billionaire, sued O’Rourke in early 2022, saying the Democrat defamed him with critical comments about his company’s windfall profits after the Texas energy-grid collapse in February 2021. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/78c9e8c2634854175f95f96e67e66dd2/Kelcy Warren TT)
The bulk of the costs came from bills from Rusty Hardin’s law firm, according to records released this week. Full Story
Paxton promised to go after the Republican judges over their 2021 ruling that struck down the attorney general’s ability to unilaterally prosecute voter fraud. Full Story
With both Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton out for revenge, Republican members of the Texas House are the top target on the ballot. Full Story
State Sen. John Whitmire, a fellow Houston Democrat, defeated Jackson Lee in a landslide Saturday. Full Story
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/198e478c9e530d7621ee80d434cd417d/Brent%20Hagenbuch%20Campaign%20TT.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/eccc953136e8895cf4c0a54170d634d6/Cruz%20Oklahoma%20Stump%20REUTERS.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/864cf92c2a31ff2cf2f6e8fbd3b569f5/Abbott%20TPPF%20Capitol%20REUTERS.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/56f8506721cbfe1e53589661e2252c68/0527%20Paxton%20Impeach%20Lege%20BD%20TT%2030.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/fced947d6550b47c979b88e9ee07c6d9/0915%20Paxton%20Trial%20Day%209%20SO%20SAEN%20TT%2001.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/78c9e8c2634854175f95f96e67e66dd2/Kelcy%20Warren%20TT)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/3be581d600fe0382930313307cc6df95/0906%20Impeach%20Trial%20Day%202%20EH%20TT%2035.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/27c3f2947b46f7dbe6ec59ecd23f011b/triptych%20judges.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/36ffe2514ee87dd0492dce31904408d4/House%20Floor%20Oct%2012%20MGO%20TT%2002.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/63c70fcc0a5ee71fffe1589cba8ddabe/0420%20EPA%20Fifth%20Ward%20MF%2016.JPG)