Texas Monthly has been following the key races in the state all year; bookmark this page for the latest coverage, from Eric Benson’s ‘Underdog’ podcast to in-depth analysis by R.G. Ratcliffe and Carlos Sanchez as well as informative updates from Texas Monthly’s best writers.
2018 Texas Elections

‘Underdog: Beto vs. Cruz’ on the Caravan and the Blue Wave
On the eve of the election, Eric Benson examines the effects of early voting and the possibility of a number of Democratic victories come Tuesday.

Texas Republicans Appear to be Losing the Youth Vote to Democrats
The GOP enjoyed the strong support of young Texans in the 2000s, but that appears to be changing.
A Novelist and Hollywood Screenwriter Grapples With Her Texan Identity
Attica Locke looks back on her 2012 essay weighing her Houston pride against the fact that “there are things about the state that just don’t work for me.”

Dan Solomon writes about politics, music, food, sports, criminal justice, health care, film, and business.
But What About the Trees? The Rundown on Texas’s Icy “Oakpocalypse”
A forester assures us most of our Texas trees will likely come out of this fine. Until then, “Cra-a-ck.”
Filipino American Jason Robertson Is the Breakout Star of the NHL Season
The Dallas Stars left winger is on pace to set new franchise scoring records—and he’s inspiring a generation of new hockey fans along the way.
We Asked ChatGPT to Define a Taco. Here’s What It Said.
The AI-powered chatbot has been making headlines recently, so we hit it with our hardest taco-related questions to test its mettle.

José R. Ralat is Texas Monthly’s taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food.
The Case for Busing Migrants
Governor Greg Abbott’s scheme to transport asylum seekers to Democrat-run cities has been called a cynical PR stunt. It is—but if tweaked, it could be a good idea.
Three New, True Stories From the Texas-Mexico Border
The El Paso–born wrestler Cassandro, Edinburg High School mariachis, and a Matamoros teacher all shone at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
How ‘Poker Face’ Re-created an East Texas BBQ Joint for TV
The third episode of the Peacock series starring Natasha Lyonne heavily features Texas barbecue, and gets a surprising amount of detail right.

Daniel Vaughn is the country’s first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have.
Rodeo Fans Should Grow Up Learning About This Legendary Black Rider
A writer looks back on his 2018 cover story on Myrtis Dightman Sr., “the Jackie Robinson of Rodeo,” who broke the sport’s color line.

Christian Wallace writes about West Texas, oil and gas, music, cowboys, history, and history-making Texans.
A Culture Writer and Lifelong Selena Fan’s Ultimate Love Letter to the Icon
Cat Cardenas’s 2021 essay made a poignant case about the mistakes Selena never got to make—and how they would have deepened our love for her.

Katy Vine has been a staff writer since 2002.