Andrew Schneider

USPS changes mean Texas mail ballots may need to be sent early to be counted in primary elections The changes, adopted last April and last December, could add at least a day to the time between when a mail-in ballot is sent and when it receives the postmark needed to be legally admissible.

A pair of policy changes at the U.S. Postal Service have the potential to impact whether some mail-in ballots are counted in upcoming elections, particularly in Texas.

What propositions are on the Texas March primary ballots Primary ballot propositions may not carry the force of law, but they can shape the legislative agendas the parties pursue next year. In the case of the GOP, that makes them particularly worth studying.

A list of ballot propositions will be tacked onto the end of both parties' primary ballots this March making an already lengthy ballot even longer.

High-profile endorsements help Alex Mealer, Briscoe Cain lead crowded GOP primary field in redrawn TX-9 President Donald Trump endorsed Mealer on his Truth Social platform late Monday. The move counters Gov. Greg Abbott's earlier endorsement of Cain.

Early voting starts today for the March 3 primary election. One of the most hotly contested races in the Houston region is in the redrawn 9th Congressional District.

Christian Menefee opens wide lead over Al Green in Democratic primary for new TX-18, poll finds The latest survey from the UH Hobby School also shows U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia is poised to beat back primary challenges in the new TX-29 by former state Rep. Jarvis Johnson and Robert Slater.

Newly sworn-in U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee has opened up a substantial lead over longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green in the upcoming Democratic primary for the redrawn Texas 18th Congressional District, according to a new survey.

Bonck, deZevallos and Pratt lead crowded GOP field vying to succeed Hunt in TX-38 Texas’ 38th Congressional District was drawn with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt in mind. He's vacating the Houston-area seat to run for U.S. Senate.

Texas’ 38th Congressional District, stretching across west and northwest Harris County, is a solidly Republican seat drawn with U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt in mind. Twelve GOP candidates are vying to succeed Hunt now that he’s running for the U.S. Senate.

Sen. John Cornyn battles for political life in GOP primary contest with AG Ken Paxton, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt Cornyn is seeking Texas Republicans’ nomination for a fifth term, in a contest that has seen bitter and expensive attacks on all sides. A new poll shows Paxton pulling away from Cornyn, but with no candidate leading by enough to avoid a runoff.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term, is facing one of the toughest Republican primaries of his long political career, with serious challenges from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Houston-area U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.

Houston voters will finally pick the next representative in the 18th Congressional District Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards are competing in a special election runoff Saturday to complete the term of late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner, who died last March.

The long wait to fill the vacancy in Texas’ 18th Congressional District is coming to an end Saturday. That's when voters in the Houston district will make their final choices between two Democrats, Christian Menefee and Amanda Edwards.

What to know about Arnold & Itkin, the Houston law firm linked to the Maine plane crash The business jet that crashed at Bangor International Airport on Sunday evening is registered to a company at the same address as Arnold & Itkin, a personal injury firm that has won multiple billion-dollar verdicts.

Here's what to know about Arnold & Itkin, the Houston personal injury law firm linked to the Maine plane crash.

Crockett, Talarico take on affordability, ICE and Trump during Texas primary debate The Democratic U.S. Senate candidates weighed in on everything from foreign policy and the recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela to healthcare costs and whether they'd support raising taxes on billionaires.

The Democratic U.S. Senate candidates weighed in on everything from foreign policy and the recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela to healthcare costs and whether they'd support raising taxes on billionaires.

Amanda Edwards, Christian Menefee debate in Humble ahead of TX-18 congressional runoff Edwards, a former Houston City Council member, and Menefee, previously the Harris County attorney, weighed in on issues ranging from health care to voting rights. The two Democrats refrained from attacking each other, saving their fire for President Trump and Republican state officials.

On Tuesday evening, former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards and former Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee met at The Luke Church in Humble for the sole debate of the special election runoff for Texas’ 18th Congressional District.

More than 160 Texas faith leaders urge school boards to oppose setting aside time for prayer, Bible readings The letter, circulated by a coalition of religious freedom organizations, comes less than two months before a deadline for public school boards and charter school governing bodies to vote on whether to adopt such policies, as mandated by Senate Bill 11, passed last year.

More than 160 Texas faith leaders urge school boards to oppose setting aside time for prayer, Bible readings.

Jon Lindsay, the longest-serving Harris County judge, dies at 90 Lindsay, a Republican, followed his 20 years in county office with a decade in the Texas Senate.

Former Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay, who held the position for a record 20 years, died on Wednesday morning. He was 90 years old.

Crockett, Talarico duel for chance to break Democratic losing streak in Texas race for U.S. Senate | Houston Public Media U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and Austin state Rep. James Talarico are the two leading candidates in the Democratic primary for the Senate seat held by Republican incumbent John Cornyn.

Two major Democratic candidates remain in the fight for their party's nomination for the U.S. Senate, making it likely the party will choose its candidate on March 3, rather than having to go to a May runoff election. Both candidates visited Houston in mid-December. #TXpolitics

Appeals court rules in favor of upstream homeowners in Hurricane Harvey flooding case The ruling Monday by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which held that the federal government is liable for flood damage caused by Harvey in 2017, applies directly to six test cases but opens the door to thousands of more claims for compensation.

A ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, which held the federal government is liable for flood damage caused by Hurricane Harvey, applies directly to six test cases but opens the door to more claims for compensation.

U.S. Senate hopefuls Crockett and Talarico swing through Houston in dueling campaigns for Democratic primary U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and state Rep. James Talarico of Austin are the leading Democratic candidates, while incumbent Sen. John Cornyn is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt in the Republican primary.

The two leading Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate seat held by Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn -- U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas and Austin state Rep. James Talarico -- made campaign swings through Houston this week.

As Texas Democrats try to end statewide drought, new poll finds voters are undecided on primary picks Among likely voters who had made up their minds, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin held a sizable lead over all her Democratic rivals in their bid to challenge GOP Gov. Greg Abbott, according to a new Texas Southern University survey.

A new poll of likely Democratic voters shows Austin state Rep. Gina Hinojosa with a commanding lead over her rivals in the gubernatorial primary election in March. But most Democratic voters have yet to decide on a candidate.

Federal THC ban presents steep challenges to Texas hemp industry More than 6,000 Texas smoke shops and related businesses could be forced to shut down if the ban goes into effect next November as scheduled. The industry is organizing a lobbying effort to get Congress to rewrite the law from a blanket prohibition to a regulatory approach.

More than 6,000 Texas smoke shops and related businesses could be forced to shut down if a nationwide THC ban goes into effect next November as scheduled. The industry is organizing a lobbying effort to get Congress to reconsider.

Texas, once the national leader in capital punishment, ranks far behind Florida in 2025 executions Texas also saw counties set the fewest new execution dates in at least three decades, according to an annual report by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Harris County was an outlier in that trend.

Texas continued a long-term downward trend in capital punishment in 2025, coming in a distant second-place tie behind Florida in the number of executions carried out by state. Harris County saw a spike in the number of new death sentences issued.

Houston-area Afghans worried as Trump administration cracks down on their immigration to U.S. In the wake of a Thanksgiving week attack that left one National Guard member dead, the administration has gone from halting the processing of immigration requests to seizing and arresting some Afghan immigrants in their homes.

President Trump has frozen the processing of immigration requests for all Afghans. Many Afghan immigrants who came to the U.S. through the appropriate legal channels, including those in Houston, are growing increasingly worried.

Texas’ new congressional map will be used in 2026. But what happens afterward? An approaching primary election was a factor in Thursday’s Supreme Court decision to set aside a lower court’s ruling that had blocked the Republican-backed map from taking effect. A key question moving forward is whether the lines were redrawn based on race or partisan politics.

A Supreme Court decision allows Texas’ mid-decade congressional redistricting map to be used for the 2026 midterm elections. But it does not necessarily ensure the controversial Republican-backed map will remain in effect afterwards.

Texas Republicans claim victory in Supreme Court ruling allowing congressional map to go into effect The state's top Republicans swiftly praised the Supreme Court's decision to allow Texas to use its controversial congressional map for the 2026 midterms. The map was designed to give Republicans as many as five new seats in the U.S. House.

Texas' top Republicans and Democrats were swift to issue praise and condemnation after Thursday's U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing the state to use its controversial new congressional map in the 2026 midterm elections.

Afghan nationals face setbacks to finding a permanent U.S. home in wake of D.C. shooting The Trump administration recently declared that it would indefinitely halt the processing of immigration requests by Afghan nationals, pending the introduction of new security and vetting procedures, following a shooting attack on two National Guard members in the Washington, D.C. area, allegedly by an Afghan national who had previously worked for the CIA.

The Trump administration is halting its review of immigration requests for Afghan nationals, creating uncertainty for many immigrants settled in Texas.

Edwards, Menefee make their cases to Houston’s 18th Congressional District voters ahead of runoff Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are vying to fill the seat left vacant since the death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in March. The runoff is scheduled for Jan. 31.

Former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards and acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee are vying to fill the seat left vacant since the death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner in March. The runoff is scheduled for Jan. 31.

Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign against Muslim group faces challenges under Texas and federal law Abbott declared the Council on American-Islamic Relations a foreign terrorist organization and a transnational criminal organization, invoking a 2023 Texas statute. CAIR is suing the governor, alleging violations of due process and freedom of speech.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has launched a campaign against CAIR, declaring the Muslim civil rights organization a foreign terrorist organization. What’s unclear is whether that will hold up under a legal challenge.

U.S. circuit judge blasts ruling against Texas redistricting map, seeks Supreme Court review Judge Jerry E. Smith accused his two colleagues who issued the injunction of acting in bad faith, issuing a decision rife with errors, falsehoods, and judicial activism.

A federal judge has issued a blistering dissent after two other judges on the same panel blocked Texas’ congressional redistricting map from taking effect next year.

Texas governor sets Jan. 31 runoff date for Houston’s 18th Congressional District special election Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards are competing for the congressional seat, which has been vacant since the March death of U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has scheduled the runoff date for the special election to complete the congressional term of late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner. It will be Saturday, Jan. 31, with early voting running from Jan. 21-27.

Longtime Houston Rep. Al Green switching to 18th Congressional District in run for reelection Green, who represents TX-9, entered the TX-18 contest just three days after acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards advanced to the runoff in a special election to fill out the term of the late U.S. Rep. Sylvester Turner.

U.S. Rep. Al Green (D-Houston) ended months of speculation Friday night by declaring himself a candidate for Texas’ 18th Congressional District in 2026.

Former astronaut Terry Virts switches from Senate race to Democratic primary for congressional seat Virts withdrew from his longshot bid for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican John Cornyn. Instead, he's running for Texas' 9th Congressional District.

A former U.S. Senate candidate said he now wants to run as a Democrat for the Houston area’s redrawn 9th Congressional District.

Healthcare for Houston veterans suffers shortfalls during government shutdown, advocate says The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 97% of its workforce remains on the job. But in the Houston area, which has the nation’s second-largest veterans population, they are reporting canceled appointments and difficulties getting rides to the emergency room.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates 97% of its workforce remains on the job. But in the Houston area, which has the nation’s second-largest veterans population, they are reporting canceled appointments and difficulties getting rides.

The top candidates for Texas’ 18th Congressional District are neck and neck in fundraising The latest campaign finance reports published by the Federal Election Commission show acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee having raised more than $1.5 million, former Houston City Council Member Amanda Edwards having raised more than $1.2 million and former congressional staffer Isaiah Martin having raised just over $1 million.

Acting Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee and former Houston City Council member Amanda Edwards lead the field in cash on hand as the clock ticks down toward the Nov. 4 special election in Texas’ 18th Congressional District.