{"id":225458,"date":"2026-04-01T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/?p=225458"},"modified":"2026-04-01T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T10:00:00","slug":"texas-congress-ai-super-pacs-artificial-intelligence-regulation-2026-midterms","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/04\/01\/texas-congress-ai-super-pacs-artificial-intelligence-regulation-2026-midterms\/","title":{"rendered":"AI-aligned super PACs are pouring millions into Texas congressional races"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_DKJpZtp0X6P?ui_cover_art=false&amp;ui_title_intro=Listen+to+this+article&amp;ui_title_icon=headphones&amp;client=wp&amp;client_version=3.0.3\" width=\"100%\" height=\"130px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div><style>.wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed { margin: 0 !important; }<\/style><div class=\"everlit-disclaimer\" style=\"margin: 0;\"><div style=\"margin-top: -0.5rem;font-size: 0.7rem;color: #4a4a4a;font-family: Open Sans, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif\">Audio recording is automated for accessibility. Humans wrote and edited the story. See our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/about\/ethics\/#ai-policy\">AI policy<\/a>, and give us <a href=\"https:\/\/airtable.com\/appFeleeKVUN0Iytx\/pagPG40gbkU0EfjIr\/form\">feedback<\/a>.<\/div><\/div>\n<p>WASHINGTON \u2014 In an ad that aired ahead of the March primary, Republican congressional candidate Chris Gober was promoted to voters as a \u201cTrump conservative\u201d and \u201cMAGA warrior\u201d who \u201cknows how to win a fight.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The ad didn\u2019t include explicit references to artificial intelligence, only referencing Gober\u2019s support for technology investment in Texas to \u201cdefeat China.\u201d But it was run by American Mission, an appendage of a deep-pocketed AI super PAC network called Leading the Future, which sprung up in 2025 with backers including Greg Brockman, co-founder of the ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and Joe Lonsdale, the Austin billionaire and co-founder of Palantir, an AI-centric software and data analysis company. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American Mission spent about $372,000 airing <a href=\"https:\/\/platform.adimpact.com\/viewer\/773c1df7-c672-4bc5-9f1a-3311ad81a428\">the pro-Gober ad<\/a> across the district, according to media tracking firm AdImpact, helping him win the nomination to succeed retiring Rep. Michael McCaul.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Gober, an Austin-based attorney who previously served as chief lawyer for Elon Musk\u2019s super PAC, is one of at least seven Texas candidates running for Congress this year who have collectively gotten more than $2.8 million in support from AI-linked super PACs, according to Federal Election Commission filings. Though these campaign finance records show the PACs are largely funded by pro-AI tech executives, the groups have otherwise shrouded their connections to the industry, going by generic-sounding names such as Jobs and Democracy PAC and Defending Our Values PAC, and running ads \u2014 like with the pro-Gober spot \u2014 that do not mention the technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The burst of AI super PAC spending, which has gone toward ads and mailers for candidates from both parties, though primarily Republicans, comes as Congress grapples with how to regulate the burgeoning technology, and as Texas sees <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/01\/20\/texas-top-data-center-market-power-grid\/\">an explosion<\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2025\/10\/30\/texas-ercot-power-grid-data-centers-puc\/\">power<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2025\/09\/25\/texas-data-center-water-use\/\">water<\/a>-guzzling data centers popping up across the state. Most of the AI-affiliated spending in Texas has supported candidates who have indicated they want to see fewer regulations for the industry, though some groups are also getting behind candidates advocating for stronger guardrails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The most prolific AI-related spender in Texas, as of mid-March, has been American Mission, which, as part of the Leading the Future network, is aiming to install candidates in Congress who favor a lighter regulatory touch. Leading the Future, which raised more than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fec.gov\/data\/committee\/C00916114\/?tab=summary\">$50 million<\/a> from its creation in August through the end of the year, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.prnewswire.com\/news-releases\/ai-industry-launches-leading-the-future-to-drive-us-ai-leadership-economic-growth-national-security-and-innovation-302537548.html\">indicated<\/a> it would support pro-AI candidates from both parties in the midterms, though in Texas it has so far spent only on behalf of Republicans. Through mid-March, American Mission had accounted for more than three quarters of AI-related PAC spending in Texas\u2019 congressional races.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The rest has come from a pair of groups, Defending Our Values PAC and Jobs and Democracy PAC, aligned with <a href=\"https:\/\/publicfirstaction.us\/issues\">Public First Action<\/a>, a bipartisan nonprofit that\u2019s backed by the AI giant Anthropic, which self-reported a $20 million donation to the group. Public First Action focuses on AI safety and transparency and favors stronger safeguards for the industry; it doesn\u2019t have to disclose its donors due to its status as a nonprofit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The prolific spending from both sides is emblematic of the political clash, set to play out across the country in this year\u2019s midterms, between outside influences with starkly different visions for how to regulate AI. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Leading the Future is critical of AI regulations that it says stifle innovation, and has said it will support candidates looking to establish a national regulatory framework for AI, rather than allowing each state to set its own rules. Public First Action, meanwhile, lists priorities on its website such as preserving state-level authority over AI regulations, providing legal protections for whistleblowers who \u201cexpose dangerous activity by AI companies,\u201d and requiring companies making advanced AI to tell lawmakers and other authorities what they\u2019re doing ahead of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAI is taking this approach where they\u2019re trying to expand their reach within both parties,\u201d said Paul Jorgensen, an associate professor at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley who researches campaign finance. \u201c[PACs] are trying to get some kind of uniform pro-AI message there, and this will certainly have an effect on how members of Congress vote.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tiffany Muller, president and executive director of End Citizens United, added that AI-aligned super PACs aren\u2019t \u201cshowing up in a race by accident. They\u2019re following signals, and they are investing in these elections because they are expecting a return on that investment.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s also a Meta-backed PAC that spent more than $1.2 million on Texas\u2019 state-level primaries, including races for comptroller and the state Legislature. The tech giant owns AI data center campuses in Texas, where state and local officials have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/02\/10\/texas-hood-county-rejects-data-center-development-pause-ai\/\">clashed<\/a> over whether to regulate data center development amid concerns about the technology\u2019s impact on Texas\u2019 water crisis. The issue is set to take center stage when the Legislature convenes in 2027, with the leaders of both chambers \u2014 House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, the Senate president \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/03\/26\/texas-house-speaker-dustin-burrows-interim-charges-new-mexico-data-centers-property-taxes\/\">listing it<\/a> among <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/03\/27\/dan-patrick-texas-senate-priorities-data-centers-thc-prediction-markets\/\">their priorities<\/a> for the session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A focus on open congressional primaries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In Texas, a rash of congressional retirements combined with last year\u2019s GOP-led redistricting have given rise to numerous open congressional races. American Mission has focused particularly on these contests, helping three AI-supportive candidates capture the Republican nominations in their crowded primaries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That includes Gober, who benefited from about $747,000 in spending from American Mission through late February, the most of any Texas congressional candidate. Jessica Steinmann, a Republican who won her primary in Texas\u2019 8th Congressional District,\u00a0was another of the group\u2019s top beneficiaries, to the tune of about $511,000 in ad spending. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Gober\u2019s case, American Mission accounted for nearly half of all ad spending on the candidate\u2019s behalf during the primary, according to AdImpact, a media tracking firm that tallies political ad spending on TV, radio and digital platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many candidates backed by AI super PACs <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/07\/us\/politics\/ai-crypto-money-midterms-congress.html\">signal<\/a> their support for the technology through language on their campaign sites. But, with <a href=\"https:\/\/poll.qu.edu\/poll-release?releaseid=3955\">polls showing<\/a> a majority of voters remain skeptical of AI and do not want data centers in their communities, most ads run by these PACs make no explicit mention of artificial intelligence. An American Mission TV ad supporting Steinmann, for example, says she\u2019ll fight to \u201cpromote and advance American innovation,\u201d among other priorities such as backing law enforcement and making life more affordable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Steinmann, who\u2019s looking to replace retiring Magnolia Rep. Morgan Luttrell, dedicates sections of her website to AI and cryptocurrency. She lists priorities such as cutting regulations to ensure AI dominance over China and pro-growth policies to \u201ckeep crypto entrepreneurs here at home.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also drawing AI industry support was Jace Yarbrough, a conservative attorney who secured the Republican nomination in North Texas\u2019 newly drawn 32nd Congressional District after the primary\u2019s second-place finisher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/03\/17\/texas-32nd-congressional-district-jace-yarbrough-ryan-binkley-gop-primary\/\">bowed<\/a> out of the May 26 runoff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>American Mission has spent almost $130,000 supporting Yarbrough, who on his campaign website lists one of his priorities as beating China on AI investment and development. The newly anointed nominee, looking to represent the area stretching from Dallas into red-leaning East Texas, said he aligns with the Trump administration on increasing domestic energy production, including by making it easier for fossil fuel companies to get permits, to both increase the country\u2019s AI power capacity and promote jobs and low energy prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf we tie our own hands on energy, then that gives China the advantage,\u201d Yarbrough said. \u201cI see the AI race as critical for us to win, and I see energy and domestic energy production as the key driver for that success.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another GOP candidate supported by American Mission, businessman Tom Sell, received 40% of the vote in March \u2014 more than double that of any other primary opponent, yet not enough for an outright win in the Lubbock-based seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Jodey Arrington. The group did not get involved in the first round, then wasted no time spending some $579,000 on pro-Sell ads and texts in the opening weeks of the runoff. If he prevails in the May election, Sell would be heavily favored to win the November general election in the solidly Republican district. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The pro-regulation PACs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>\nOn Democrat Colin Allred\u2019s campaign site, a Claude-powered <a href=\"https:\/\/marley.colinallred.com\/\">chatbot<\/a> in the form of Allred\u2019s 6-month-old puppy allows users to ask questions about his run for Congress.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the suggested prompts is, \u201cTell me about Colin\u2019s plans for AI.\u201d That option returns a list of the former Dallas congressman\u2019s priorities, including a federal framework for AI that doesn\u2019t preempt state regulations, investing in renewable energy to power data centers and using strategic export controls on semiconductors to win the AI race with China. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jobs and Democracy, the PAC aligned with nonprofit Public First Action that\u2019s focused on AI safety and regulation, has spent close to $150,000 in support of Allred, who is in a May runoff against his successor in Congress, Rep. Julie Johnson. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allred said the chatbot, which is available in multiple languages, breaks down barriers and allowed voters to quickly get information about how to vote on election day amid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/03\/03\/jasmine-crockett-dallas-williamson-county-voting-changes\/\">confusion at the polls<\/a> in Dallas County. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have to have representatives who understand the technology, who aren\u2019t afraid of it, who want to embrace its good sides, but also then put some rules that are relevant in place,\u201d he said in an interview. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Allred also said it\u2019s important to manage the energy required for data centers with costs passed on to working people, which will have to happen through a combination of local, state and federal responsibilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In March, Johnson spoke about AI on the House floor, saying it \u201cholds enormous promise for our future\u201d while calling on Congress to establish a regulatory framework for the technology. In a statement expanding on those comments, Johnson said Congress needs to prepare the workforce and equip people with the skills for an AI-driven economy. She also criticized Allred\u2019s chatbot and said it raises concerns about how he would approach artificial intelligence in Congress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, my opponent\u2019s AI chatbot has been spreading misinformation about his own record, his endorsements, and his campaign in an effort to mislead voters ahead of the May 26th election,\u201d Johnson said in her statement. \u201cThat\u2019s not how AI should be used. And if this is how he chooses to deploy AI during a campaign, it raises serious concerns about how he would approach it in Congress.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Two other Texas candidates for the U.S. House \u2014 Republicans Carlos De La Cruz and Alex Mealer \u2014 are backed by Defending Our Values, which is also aligned with the pro-AI regulation Public First Action. Carlos De La Cruz, the brother of Edinburg GOP Rep. Monica De La Cruz, is in a runoff for Texas\u2019 35th Congressional District, which is based in the San Antonio area. Defending Our Values spent almost $480,000 in support of his campaign ahead of the March primary. His campaign website, meanwhile, notes his support for AI and crypto development, including strengthening export controls on semiconductors, strengthening data protection and security at AI labs and investing in energy infrastructure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mealer, running for Texas\u2019 9th Congressional District in east Harris County, was backed by the same PAC with about $234,000 spent in support of her campaign. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She said in a statement that she supports U.S. dominance in AI over China, which means clear, uniform regulations across the country. that provide safeguards while allowing for innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI am also committed to ensuring that AI benefits all Americans, from small businesses to blue-collar workers to recent college graduates,\u201d Mealer\u2019s statement read. \u201cThis is exactly what President Trump has set out to accomplish through his AI legislative framework and I look forward to working with this administration to help codify this guidance into law.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Future AI policy battles <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Hundreds of bills related to AI have been introduced in the 119th Congress on contentious issues such as regulating AI-generated content online, data privacy and discriminatory AI systems. But GOP leadership in Washington has not shown interest in regulating the technology at the federal level, and the bills have all languished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last year, Sen. Ted Cruz pushed to limit state-level AI laws through the Senate\u2019s budget reconciliation package, but the provision ultimately was struck from the bill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Proponents of state-level regulation argue it allows lawmakers to more quickly set up guardrails that meet the unique needs of each state, rather than relying on a gridlocked Congress to set the one-size-fits-all national standard. Those looking to bar state AI regulations say a patchwork of regulatory policies hinders innovation and causes confusion for AI companies operating across state lines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The White House unveiled its national AI <a href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/articles\/2026\/03\/president-donald-j-trump-unveils-national-ai-legislative-framework\/\">framework<\/a> and shared it with congressional leadership on Friday. It urges Congress to override state AI laws that \u201cimpose undue burdens to ensure a minimally burdensome national standard.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Jorgensen, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley professor, said AI super PAC money would \u201cabsolutely\u201d influence the decisions Congress makes about AI policy. He said he\u2019s authored numerous papers showing that political money has the potential to influence people in Congress across the political aisle. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ian Vandewalker, an expert in money in politics with New York University\u2019s Brennan Center for Justice, said if PACs back anti-regulation candidates, and those candidates win, they will presumably support policies in Congress that create a more favorable regulatory landscape for AI companies. He added that candidates typically take note of who is spending on their behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe mere fact that the industry spent a bunch of money on the election, and will presumably spend a bunch of money on any future election, means that policymakers across the board will probably listen to what they have to say at a minimum, and may be afraid of making them angry by going against them,\u201d Vandewalker said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Brian Roberts, a government professor at the University of Texas at Austin, said the AI-affiliated PACs are spending money on candidates who already align with them on AI policy, rather than trying to persuade less sympathetic candidates to change their position. He added that PAC spending doesn\u2019t determine congressional hierarchy, so freshman members may not have much influence on which policies the next Congress adopts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe strategy is to elect kindred spirits,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019re electing members of Congress who you can count on to vote in a consistent way. The policy implications really depend on which party has majority status after the midterms in the House and what committees these members end up on.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Disclosure: University of Texas \u2013 Rio Grande Valley and University of Texas at Austin have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune\u2019s journalism. Find a complete\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/support-us\/corporate-sponsors\/\">list of them here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<p><!-- \/wp:post-content --><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Groups funded by artificial intelligence industry leaders have spent more than $2.8 million in the state, mostly on U.S. House GOP candidates who favor a light regulatory touch.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1582,"featured_media":224665,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"single-feature.php","format":"standard","meta":{"everlit_article_id":"artl_DKJpZtp0X6P","everlit_hide_embed":false,"everlit_embed_size":"large","everlit_generation_settings":{"embed_ui_cover_art":false,"embed_ui_title_intro":"Listen to this 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This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>AI super PAC money floods Texas congressional races<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Groups funded by artificial intelligence industry leaders have spent more than $2.8 million in the state, mostly on U.S. House GOP candidates who favor a light regulatory touch.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/04\/01\/texas-congress-ai-super-pacs-artificial-intelligence-regulation-2026-midterms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"AI super PAC money floods Texas congressional races\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Groups funded by artificial intelligence industry leaders have spent more than $2.8 million in the state, mostly on U.S. House GOP candidates who favor a light regulatory touch.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2026\/04\/01\/texas-congress-ai-super-pacs-artificial-intelligence-regulation-2026-midterms\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Texas Tribune\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-01T10:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/DC-Union-Capitol-File-SH-06.jpg?quality=89&w=1200&h=630&ssl=1\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1706\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Olivia Borgula\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@oliviaborgula\" \/>\n<meta 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It couldn't come at a better time for Democrats hoping to have a hand in redistricting the state's congressional delegation in 2021.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Congress&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Congress","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/topics\/congress\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"From left: U.S. Reps. Pete Olson, Mike Conaway and Will Hurd","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Olson20Conaway20Hurd-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Olson20Conaway20Hurd-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Olson20Conaway20Hurd-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Olson20Conaway20Hurd-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Olson20Conaway20Hurd-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100952,"url":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2020\/11\/04\/texas-congressional-districts-election-results-democrats-republicans-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":225458,"position":3},"title":"Texas Republicans fighting off Democrats in battleground congressional races","author":"Abby Livingston","date":"Nov. 4, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Several Republican wins in U.S. House races came near the end of an election cycle in which Texas was the centerpiece of a Democratic offensive.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Congress&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Congress","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/topics\/congress\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Texas Democrats are hoping to flip several congressional seats held by Republicans on Election Day. The GOP, meanwhile, is aiming to take back seats it lost in 2018.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/US20House20Floor20REUTERS20TT-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/US20House20Floor20REUTERS20TT-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/US20House20Floor20REUTERS20TT-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/US20House20Floor20REUTERS20TT-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/11\/US20House20Floor20REUTERS20TT-1-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C795&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9719,"url":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2017\/05\/11\/republicans-congress-mostly-quiet-amid-russian-investigation-chaos\/","url_meta":{"origin":225458,"position":4},"title":"Survey of Texas delegation finds few Republicans weighing in on Russia","author":"Abby Livingston","date":"May 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The Tribune asked all 38 members of the Texas congressional delegation whether Congress is appropriately overseeing investigations into relationships between Russia and members of the Trump team.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Congress&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Congress","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/topics\/congress\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Former FBI Director James Comey (l.) was fired by President Trump on May 9, 2017.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Comey_Trump-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Comey_Trump-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Comey_Trump-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Comey_Trump-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Comey_Trump-2.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":100807,"url":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2020\/10\/30\/texas-election-redistricting\/","url_meta":{"origin":225458,"position":5},"title":"Analysis: A Texas election with a decade of politics at stake","author":"Ross Ramsey","date":"Oct. 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A nine-seat change in the Texas House could affect the balance of power in the Texas Capitol, but also in Congress. Texas lawmakers will draw political maps next year that could remain in place until the 2030 census.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Congress&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Congress","link":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/topics\/congress\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"If the Democrats win the Texas House, Republicans will have to negotiate \u2014 especially on congressional maps.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/09_HB2_House_Floor_MG-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/09_HB2_House_Floor_MG-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/09_HB2_House_Floor_MG-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/09_HB2_House_Floor_MG-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/09_HB2_House_Floor_MG-2-scaled.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&quality=89&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"author_name":"Olivia Borgula","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225458","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1582"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=225458"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":225461,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/225458\/revisions\/225461"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=225458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=225458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=225458"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=225458"},{"taxonomy":"tt_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tt_series?post=225458"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=225458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}