Gabby Birenbaum, Author at The Texas Tribune https://www.texastribune.org/author/gabby-birenbaum/ Independent news. Trusted by Texans. Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.texastribune.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/cropped-cropped-texas-tribune-favicon-32x32.png Gabby Birenbaum, Author at The Texas Tribune https://www.texastribune.org/author/gabby-birenbaum/ 32 32 249301168 Democratic congressional candidate Bobby Pulido toured with bandmate convicted of child sex crime https://www.texastribune.org/2026/04/02/bobby-pulido-texas-congressional-democrat-bandmate-sex-offender/ Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:05:29 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=225709 Bobby Pulido, Latin Grammy winner and Democratic nominee for the 15th Congressional District, speaks during a Texas Together Rally at Cine El Rey in McAllen on March 9, 2026.

The revelation reported first by the New York Post is the latest hit against the Democratic rising star who Republicans are casting as morally depraved because of his past social media posts.

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Cornyn, Paxton decline to withdraw from Texas Senate runoff ballot as deadline passes https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/17/texas-senate-gop-primary-runoff-deadline-remove-name-from-ballot-cornyn-paxton/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 17:55:39 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=224180 Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during a campaign stop in Tyler on Feb. 16, 2026.

The day after the March 3 primary, President Donald Trump pledged to endorse either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton “soon,” and call on the other to drop out. He has yet to make an endorsement.

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Jace Yarbrough is GOP nominee in North Texas congressional district after second-place finisher bows out https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/17/texas-32nd-congressional-district-jace-yarbrough-ryan-binkley-gop-primary/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 21:50:59 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=224236 Jace Yarbrough is the GOP nominee for the Republican-leaning 32nd Congressional District in North Texas.

After finishing a distant second in the March 3 primary, Ryan Binkley dropped out of the runoff. Yarbrough is favored to win the general election for the redrawn 32nd District.

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With Tony Gonzales out, Democrats sense an opening against new hardline GOP nominee Brandon Herrera https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/12/brandon-herrera-democrats-texas-23rd-congressional-district-tony-gonzales/ Thu, 12 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223743 Brandon Herrera speaks at the 2025 San Francisco Young Americans for Liberty Spring YALCON Series in San Francisco, California, on March 7, 2025.

Herrera’s history of brash comments, and the leftward drift of Hispanic voters, has renewed Democrats’ interest in the 23rd Congressional District, which runs from San Antonio to El Paso.

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Cornyn voices support for nixing filibuster, reversing course as he courts Trump’s endorsement https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/11/john-cornyn-filibuster-save-america-act-texas-senate-runoff-voter-id/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 14:41:55 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223637 U.S. Sen. John Cornyn appears at a Get Out the Vote rally at Serranos in Austin on Feb. 17, 2026.

Cornyn’s change of heart comes amid a grueling primary battle with Attorney General Ken Paxton, who said he'd consider dropping out if Republicans scrapped the filibuster to pass a voter ID law.

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Hardline House Freedom Caucus gains ground in Texas GOP primaries https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/10/steve-toth-brandon-herrera-house-freedom-caucus-texas-republican-primaries-2026/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223457 State Rep. Steve Toth, R-Conroe, speaks to protesters from Texans for Vaccine Choice as the Texas House convenes a third special legislative session for controversial legislative items at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Sept. 20, 2021.

If they win in November, Steve Toth and Brandon Herrera are poised to join the group known for its conservative absolutist approach and willingness to defy GOP leaders.

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Rep. Dan Crenshaw says culture of misinformation fueled his primary loss: “The truth didn’t matter” https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/06/dan-crenshaw-primary-loss-steve-toth-texas-2nd-congressional-district/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:25:00 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223351 U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw speaks at The Texas Tribune Festival in Austin on Sept. 6, 2024.

The fourth-term congressman, who lost decisively to state Rep. Steve Toth, said baseless attacks about his alleged insider trading and gun stances fueled the upset.

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Rep. Tony Gonzales drops reelection bid amid pressure over affair scandal https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/05/tony-gonzales-drops-out-republican-primary-texas-23rd-district-congress/ Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:23:01 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223282 U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, in his office at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., on April 28, 2023.

The San Antonio Republican was pushed into a runoff in the primary for his border district. Speaker Mike Johnson and other GOP members had called on him to exit the race.

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Green, Menefee are headed for runoff in Houston clash of Democratic incumbents https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/04/texas-christian-menefee-al-green-congress-district-18-democratic-primary/ Wed, 04 Mar 2026 13:00:41 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=222283 From left: U.S. Reps. Al Green, D-Houston, and Christian Menefee, D-Houston.

Newly drawn political maps put the incumbents into the same congressional district.

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Paxton says he’d consider dropping out of Senate runoff if Republicans pass voter ID bill https://www.texastribune.org/2026/03/05/ken-paxton-drop-out-senate-gop-runoff-trump-voter-id-bill/ Thu, 05 Mar 2026 18:12:53 +0000 https://www.texastribune.org/?p=223166 Ken Paxton speaks at his election night watch party in Dallas on March 3, 2026.

President Donald Trump, who was neutral in the first round, said he would endorse “soon” in the runoff between Paxton and GOP incumbent John Cornyn and would expect the candidate he did not endorse to drop out.

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