Texas Sees Democratic Shift After Special Elections

Special elections in Texas this past Saturday resulted in surprising Democratic victories, including a state Senate seat that had remained in Republican hands for decades and addressed vacancies that had left constituents without representation. READ MORE.

State Rep. James Talarico: "America is the immigrant. America is the protestor. America is the huddled masses yearning to be free."

Senator Ted Cruz: "South Texas represents the very best of Texas, and it deserves strong, principled representation in Washington, D.C. That is why I am proud to endorse Tano Tijerina for Texas's 28th Congressional District."

Rep. Wesley Hunt: "You don't get to author legislation that lets 50,00 unvetted Afghan migrants into this country and then pretend it never happened by scrubbing it from your website. John Cornyn DID THAT."

Rep. Chip Roy: "For decades, birthright citizenship has been misused in ways the Framers of the Fourteenth Amendment never intended. President Trump is taking the necessary steps to uphold the Constitution and restore the rule of law."

Texas Sees Democratic Shift After Special Elections — By Texas Politics' Ericka Piñon — Special elections in Texas this past Saturday resulted in surprising Democratic victories, including a state Senate seat that had remained in Republican hands for decades and addressed vacancies that had left constituents without representation.

John Cornyn Blasts Democrats for Partial Government Shutdown — By Texas Politics' Raeylee Barefield — U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) released a sharp statement after voting to keep the federal government open, criticizing Senate Democrats for blocking a House-passed package of remaining appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2026, leading to a partial government shutdown.

Teachers Union Moves to Block TEA Policy on Educators' Speech — By Texas Politics' Raeylee Barefield — Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) has filed a request for a preliminary injunction in its ongoing federal lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency (TEA), escalating its challenge to what it described as unconstitutional investigations of educators for protected speech.

5-Year-Old Liam Conejo Ramos and Father Released From ICE — By Texas Politics' Joseph Quesada — Five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos and his father, Adrian Alexander Conejo Arias, who were taken into custody by federal immigration agents in Minnesota on Jan. 20 and held in an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Texas, have been released following U.S. District Judge Fred Biery of San Antonio’s order against the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation.

Iran's Supreme Leader Warns Tensions Could Ignite War — By Texas Politics' Joseph Quesada — On Feb. 1, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, advised that any strike by the United States would ignite a “regional war” in the Middle East, further increasing tensions as President Donald Trump has threatened to militarily attack the Islamic nation in response to its actions amid recent nationwide protests, according to The Associated Press.

Speaker Mike Johnson Predicts Quick Resolution Ahead — By Texas Politics' Joseph Quesada — U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) shared on Feb. 1 that he believes he can garner the Republican votes to end a partial government shutdown within days, with the House debating Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms within the following two weeks.

Texas Sees Democratic Shift After Special Elections — By Texas Politics' Ericka Piñon

LONESTAR is written by Javier Manjarres and Daniel Molina