Mike Collier Announces Independent run for Lieutenant Governor

After two previous losses to incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R), Mike Collier is once again running for the office, but this time as an Independent. READ MORE.

State Rep. Gene Wu: "I'm enjoying seeing all the Republican campaign billboards confessing how closely tied they are to Trump and how much they adore what he's been doing, in preparation for the GOP primary. They just keep tying that albatross tighter and tighter around their necks."

Senator Ted Cruz: "In the 13 years I've been in the U.S. Senate, I've spent a lot of time fighting for persecuted Christians."

Rep. Sylvia Garcia: "Texas's hemp industry is staring down a crisis because of Trump and Congressional Republicans' hemp ban. A thriving sector that supports 8,500 businesses and over 50,000 jobs is now at risk of being wiped out. They are killing a Texas industry instead of protecting Texas jobs."

Rep. Keith Self: "I fully back a thorough audit of SNAP. Data from 29 states shows rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in this program, which ballooned under Joe Biden. An audit is critical to clean up the mess and protect taxpayer dollars."

Mike Collier Announces Independent run for Lieutenant Governor — By Texas Politics' Daniel Molina — After two previous losses to incumbent Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R), Mike Collier is once again running for the office, but this time as an Independent.

NRG Energy's $939M Natural Gas Plant Earns JETI Designation, Boosting Texas Grid Reliability — By Texas Politics' Raeylee Barefield — Governor Greg Abbott announced that NRG Energy's new 721-megawatt (MW) natural gas facility in Chambers County has been officially designated as a qualified project under Texas' Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation (JETI) program, marking one of the state's largest recent energy investments.

How Texas Representatives Voted to Reopen the Government — By Texas Politics' Nasya Thomas — The longest government shutdown in U.S. history has ended after the House approved the funding bill that was passed by the Senate. President Trump signed the bill only hours after it was approved.

Beth Van Duyne's END Act Language Included in House Agriculture Funding Bill — By Texas Politics' Raeylee Barefield — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026, which includes key language from Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne's (R) Ensuring the Necessary Destruction of Illicit Chinese Tobacco (END) Act.

Ted Cruz Embraces Trump During Lincoln Day Dinner Speech — By Texas Politics' Nasya Thomas — This week, Senator Ted Cruz took a trip to sunny South Florida to be the keynote speaker at the Miami-Dade Lincoln Day Dinner, embracing the work that President Trump has done in office and laughing at his Democratic colleagues' "twitching" at Trump's presidency.

Mike Collier Announces Independent run for Lieutenant Governor — By Texas Politics' Daniel Molina

Texas lawmakers discuss freedom of speech — By Spectrum News Staff for Spectrum News

LONESTAR is written by Javier Manjarres and Daniel Molina