Texas Gerrymandering Case Goes Before U.S. Supreme Court: What You Need to Know
The nation’s high court will consider whether Texas legislative and congressional districts discriminate against minorities.
R. G. Ratcliffe began working for Texas Monthly as a freelance writer in 2011 and joined the staff as a senior editor for politics in 2017. After retiring in 2019, he became one of the magazine’s writers-at-large. Drawing on 22 years of experience as a political and investigative reporter for the Houston Chronicle, Ratcliffe was on the Texas Monthly team that produced the Best and Worst Legislators list from 2015 to 2021. Ratcliffe covered seven presidential campaigns, as well as the classic gubernatorial races when Democrat Ann Richards defeated Republican cowboy businessman Clayton Williams, in 1990, and when she was defeated, four years later, in an election that put Republican George W. Bush on the path to the presidency. Ratcliffe was featured in the HBO documentary about Bush’s 2000 presidential campaign, Journeys With George. He also was a key source in the Bill Moyers documentary Capitol Crimes, about the political corruption of lobbyist Jack Abramoff and Republican House majority leader Tom DeLay. A native of Dallas, Ratcliffe earned bachelor’s degrees in journalism and in American history from the University of Missouri.
The nation’s high court will consider whether Texas legislative and congressional districts discriminate against minorities.
More than half of those in a new survey lack an opinion of Beto O’Rourke, but he’s still tied with Cruz.
Presidents past and present, as well as leaders from across the political spectrum, mourn the death of the former first lady.
She was only the second woman in U.S. history to have been married to one president and the mother of a second president.
Oilman Tim Dunn is investing in a super PAC trying to defeat the Democratic senate nominee after helping him win a seat in Congress in 2012.
Former congressman Steve Stockman was convicted of 23 counts of fraud in federal trial.
State Senator Sylvia Garcia steps down after winning the Democratic nomination for her Houston congressional seat.
The Democratic Senate nominee raked in $6.7 million and paid more than $2.6 million to former Sanders fundraisers.
The cornerstone document of our republic is under assault from the right and the left.
Paxton incorrectly whipped up fear on Sean Hannity’s national television show.
The London-based political profiling company is accused of harvesting 50 million Facebook profiles without users’ permission.
Just like the Texas debate over White and Valdez, national Democrats argue centrism versus liberal progressive policies.
A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Texas cities are unlikely to win constitutional challenge to the law.
President Trump announced on Twitter that he's replacing the former Exxon chief with CIA director Mike Pompeo.
Bitter argument leads former Texas first lady Linda Gale White to defend her son’s record.
Texas Democrats had their best off-year primary turnout since 2002 and still had fewer voters than the Republicans.
Are Texas Democrats headed for a comeback, or is it business as usual for Republicans?
A company with a reputation for downsizing newspapers takes over Texas's capital city publication.
With more than 1.5 million firearm owners in Texas, don’t count on political support for limiting military-style weapons.
From Laura Moser in Houston to a kung fu practitioner in Fort Worth, Bernie Sanders supporters are infiltrating the Texas Democratic Party. And Nancy Pelosi is not happy.
Voting in Texas still appears to be a habit of an older generation.
An analysis of the first four days of early voting in the March 6 primaries indicates that the fabled rebellion against the Republican social conservative leadership may not be materializing.
A bruising primary season is now splitting incrementalists from absolutists.
This test of will and political strength has become symbolic of the larger struggle in the Texas Republican Party this year.
The jury convicted state Senator Carlos Uresti and co-defendant Gary Cain on federal fraud charges. Uresti immediately said he would appeal and declined to step down from office.
As if anyone needed further proof, MQS’s bogus mailer shows that he is no better than Russian trolls.
The closer we get to the March 6 primary election, the more we should expect to see the conflict between centrist Republicans and far-right conservatives grow more intense.
These eleven referenda could determine whether the bathroom bill or private school vouchers return for further debate.
Senator Ted Cruz told the Senate that Republicans did not campaign to grant amnesty to undocumented immigrants.
”They’ve already disgraced it once. I’m not going to let them do it a second time.”
Abbott and Patrick are bringing the power of incumbency to bear against a Rebellion of educators, business leaders and moderate Republicans.
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced a commemoration of the Battle of the Alamo that includes the historically questionable John Wayne movie.
After the Houston GLBT Political Caucus and two major newspapers endorse centrist Andrew White, some question support for Lupe Valdez.
Yes, a record number of women are running in Texas, but when the ballots are all counted, women will still be under-represented in government.
Cruz's disapproval ratings may put him at risk.
George P. struggles in his reelection campaign, and George W. finds his approval rating soaring as Americans compare him to President Trump.
The governor enters his reelection campaign with plenty of questions about long-term vision and legacy.
Senator Cruz set the stage for a 2013 federal shutdown with a dramatic reading of Green Eggs and Ham. Now, he’s quiet.
Abbott opened his 2018 campaign by attacking school districts, local governments, and a Republican incumbent.
Educators and business groups are lining up to defeat some of the Republican senators who give the Lieutenant Governor his power.
The two campaigns have launched—kind of. Both are long shots to have any real effect on the state.
The former First Lady of Texas was more than just a hostess. She was a political partner for Governor Bill Clements.
Texas mayors call ICE Director Thomas Homan’s desire to prosecute elected officials ”hogwash” and un-American.
Seventy people filed as independent candidates for the November ballot, but state law likely will prevent them from being there.
As his first term in the U.S. Senate comes to a close, Cruz is already gearing up for the next big election.
The attorney general issued the opinion to provide legal options for improving church security in Texas.
Millions of Texans will feel the impact of changes to individual tax breaks, health care penalties, and property tax deductions.
Cruz could secure more money in tax cuts for private schools and homeschools than Greg Abbott or Dan Patrick have gotten from the state.
The Congressman will appear on the re-election ballot unless the Republican Party declares him ineligible to serve.
Just substitute Roy Moore for ’bathroom bill.’