Six years after he became governor, we still don’t know what Greg Abbott wants to accomplish—except, as this year made clear, to hold on to office, no matter how many Texans get hurt.
By Texas Monthly
Let’s face it: this was no one’s favorite year. Here are a few dozen reasons why.
By Texas Monthly
Because it grew so overconfident about its ability to win Texas that it didn’t bother to figure out how to win Texas, the state’s Democratic party is our Bum Steer of the Year!
By Texas Monthly
A little girl responds to unspeakable loss, the governor de-escalates, black trail-riders take Discovery Green, Ted Cruz’s craven response to military force, and a guy with a sword in Deep Ellum.
By Texas Monthly
From Mattress Mack to that Austin guy who pushed a park ranger into the lake, the pandemic is bringing out the best and worst in people.
By Dan Solomon
Plus, feeling grateful for our gimlet-eyed deputy editor, Jeff Salamon.
By Dan Goodgame
For breaking new ground in being bad at being bad, Texas Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen has earned one half of our annual booby prize!
By Texas Monthly
For abandoning the state that had lifted him up from obscurity, Beto O’Rourke is the winner of one half of our annual booby prize!
By Texas Monthly
Beto O'Rourke, Dennis Bonnen, and the Houston Astros make our annual dishonor roll, along with assorted lesser-known idiots and evildoers.
By Texas Monthly
An open letter to a team that made us all proud—and then started whiffing.
By David Courtney
The disgraced former congressman is our third runner-up for his eagerness to enrich himself—or at least pay his kennel bills—in a transparently illegal manner.
By Texas Monthly
The former Dallas County sheriff, our second runner-up, ran the worst gubernatorial campaign in Texas since the last time a Democrat went up against Greg Abbott.
By Texas Monthly
The former congressman’s troublesome professional ethics, alleged caddish behavior, and questionable taste in adult-size onesie pajamas made him our first runner-up.
By Texas Monthly
Our Bum Steer of the Year, the radio host dragged our democracy into the same sewer he crawled out of so many years ago.
By Texas Monthly
Welcome back to our annual roundup of Texas's most ridiculous and idiotic endeavors, featuring political personalities, flashy figures, and plenty of nameless ne'er-do-wells.
By Texas Monthly
Cruz 2.0, West Texas umbrellas, and our Bum Steer of the Year.
By Monte Williams
Episode one: Behind the scenes of the 2018 Bum Steer Awards.
By Tim Taliaferro
Selecting the Bum Steers can be a bit of a drag. That's why this year we're supplementing our list with something a bit more upbeat.
By Texas Monthly
The Austin-based office captured third place for the botched investigation of state representative Dawnna Dukes.
By Texas Monthly
The outgoing congressman takes eighth place for his refusal to face the truth about climate change.
By Texas Monthly
The East Texas congressman takes seventh place for his wack-job debut as an infographic creator.
By Texas Monthly
Our lieutenant governor, for his eagerness to squander his power, waste our time, and drag Texas politics into the bathroom, is our Bum Steer of the Year.
By Texas Monthly
The Mistress of the Elements occupies second place—for being really, really mean to Texas.
By David Courtney
The eight infamous Steers celebrated elsewhere in this package had a lot of company this year in our hall of shame. Here are another fifty or so Texans deserving of some ignominy.
By Texas Monthly
Landing in fourth place, the state government’s also-ran loyal opposition, for going missing in action, year after year.
By Texas Monthly
In fifth place: the excitable radio host, for saying so many crazy things that his unsuccessful and very public child custody battle wasn’t the most embarrassing thing that happened to him this year.
By Texas Monthly
Help us choose 2017’s Bum Steer. Vote in round two of our poll.
By Texas Monthly
Help us choose 2017's Bum Steer.
By Texas Monthly
It took nine years for him to meat his match.
By Dan Solomon
A twist on the Aggie War Hymn.
By Rich Malley
A case of mistaken identity in Groesbeck.
By Rich Malley
The Blackland Prairie becomes an unfortunate dumping ground.
By Rich Malley
A bit of magic in the U.S. House of Representatives.
By Rich Malley
A case of carrots and the customs checkpoint in Pharr.
By Rich Malley
Readers respond to our annual Bum Steer Awards.
By Texas Monthly
A class project in Keller goes bust.
By Rich Malley
A tweet gone foul.
By Rich Malley
How College Station became the "most exciting" city in Texas.
By Rich Malley
A curious case of courthouse nuptials.
By Rich Malley
Bugging out.
By Rich Malley
Time to double-check the locks on your barns.
By Dan Solomon
We can see how that looks bad.
By Dan Solomon
A headline in the February 19 edition of the Waller County Times Tribune announced, “Hitch up your bitches and jingle those spurs, its trail ride season.”
By Rich Malley
Congratulations to new ag commission Sid Miller.
By Rich Malley
Readers respond to the January 2015 issue.
By annette waller
After DWI charges against Justice Nora Longoria, of the Thirteenth Court of Appeals, were dismissed, outraged Hidalgo County Republicans pointed out that Longoria and the district attorney and district court judge who decided to let her off are all Democrats—and a police dash-cam video that showed her bombing her field sobriety test went viral.
By Rich Malley
Step one: study Wendy Davis’s example.
By Erica Grieder
The pleasure of picking a Bum Steer.
By Brian D. Sweany
From arrogant announcers to zany zygotes—and everything in between—it was a banner year for the Bum Steers.
By annette waller