Lauren McGaughy
@lmcgaughy.bsky.social
Texas politics correspondent @nytimes.com | Past: @kutnews.bsky.social @dallasnews.com @houstonchronicle.com @nolanews.bsky.social | FOIA nerd 📧: lauren.mcgaughy@nytimes.com Signal: lmcgaughy.40 ☎︎: 512-436-3641
THIS AM: Race Too Close to Call in Democratic Primary for Michigan Senate Seat www.nytimes.com/live/2026/08...
Michigan Election Results Live Updates: El-Sayed Holds Narrow Lead Over Stevens in Senate Primary
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, a progressive, holds a narrow lead over Representative Haley Stevens, a centrist, in a race that divided Democrats. The party sees the seat as key to its hopes of winning control o...
nytimes.com
A corrido’s reach was constrained by geography, radio DJs and the recording industry. Now a new corrido can be recorded and shared across platforms like TikTok and YouTube within hours. Check out @sashavonawesome.bsky.social first byline for the NYT Texas team! www.nytimes.com/2026/08/03/u...
ICE Killed Him. A.I. Helped Turn Him Into a Folk Ballad, Fast.
A.I. is helping people write corridos within hours, accelerating a tradition of memorializing tragedy through song.
nytimes.com
Ken Paxton held a press conference today. His first question was on the story we broke last week about the three new properties he's acquired during his divorce. He declined to answer the question. Read the story here:: www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u... Link to presser: x.com/schwagerTV/s...
Paxton Expands Real Estate Portfolio Amid Senate Run and Divorce (Gift Article)
The Texas attorney general and his trusts now hold at least 15 properties worth about $9 million.
nytimes.com
U.S. Sought Phone Records of Times Journalists and Their Relatives www.nytimes.com/2026/07/20/b...
Trump Administration Sought Phone Records of Times Journalists and Their Relatives (Gift Article)
The government is aggressively seeking the confidential sources of Times reporters who wrote about the president’s new Air Force One. The Times has asked a judge to quash the subpoenas.
nytimes.com
Yesterday, I spoke to Texans who were rebuilding after a second year of floods. But this story is not about chaos and destruction. It’s about a woman who sees blessings everywhere — and the people who keep her believing. Stay for the kicker. 🎩 www.nytimes.com/2026/07/18/u...
‘The Top Hats Are Saved!’ A Texas Dance Studio Weathers Another Major Flood.
To CeCe Jean Saunders, it seemed like a once-in-a-lifetime event when her studio in Kerrville, Texas, flooded last year. Then it happened again.
nytimes.com
James Talarico's spox questioned whether Ken Paxton will follow through on debate. “Ken Paxton has a long record of saying he’ll show up for Texans then disappearing when it counts. We’ll believe him when he accepts these three debates and we see him on stage.” www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u...
Ken Paxton and James Talarico Agree to Debate in U.S. Senate Race
Ken Paxton, a Republican, has not debated in more than a decade. A showdown with James Talarico, a Democrat, could be a key moment in the hard-fought race.
nytimes.com
NEW: Ken Paxton bought three condos in a luxury resort in Utah earlier this year. On the deeds, he listed a home in Frisco as his address. Police reports we obtained refer to the home's owner as a woman, not his wife, with whom he's been photographed vacationing. www.nytimes.com/2026/07/16/u...
Ken Paxton Bought 3 Utah Condos, Adding to a $9 Million Real Estate Portfolio
The Texas attorney general and his trusts now hold at least 15 properties worth about $9 million.
nytimes.com
The Texas Rangers respond to the request for an investigation into ICE’s shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston. The agency head says they can investigate such shootings — when ICE asks and they haven’t. Also said they received no investigation request from a local prosecutor. #txlege
A Tabloid Story Gives Talarico a New Opening to Test Attacks on Paxton, @baylisswagner.bsky.social reports. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/30/u... via @nytimes.com
A Tabloid Story Gives Talarico a New Opening to Test Attacks on Paxton
nytimes.com
Asked whether she would actively campaign for or with James Talarico, Jasmine Crockett said: “I have no idea. I am more focused on down-ballot races in general.” She also won't be speaking at the Texas Dems Convention. Neither will Colin Allred. www.dallasnews.com/news/politic...
Texas Democrats seek unity at state convention without Jasmine Crockett
Texas Democrats seek unity at state convention without Jasmine Crockett as James Talarico forges ahead in Senate campaign.
dallasnews.com
UT Austin just axed the station manager of its beloved local NPR affiliate after disagreements over a festival the station recently hosted. The manager was told she could resign, to which @dhiott.bsky.social said, "you'll have to fire me," per @kutnews.bsky.social. www.kut.org/education/20...
UT Austin leadership fires KUT General Manager Debbie Hiott
An email to staff at Austin's NPR station, addressed from Anita L. Vangelisti, the interim dean of the Moody College of Communication, said the decision was effective immediately.
kut.org
Breaking News: Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire as SpaceX shares soared above $150 on its first day of trading.
Elon Musk Becomes the World’s First Trillionaire
With SpaceX shares soaring on their first day of trading, the world’s richest person crossed another milestone — one with 13 digits.
nyti.ms
To Defeat Democrats, Texas Governor Embraces the Hard Right www.nytimes.com/2026/06/12/u... via @NYTimes
To Defeat Democrats, Texas Governor Embraces the Hard Right
nytimes.com
NEW: UT Austin is removing its statue of Cesar Chavez months after The @nytimes.com revealed accusations of sexual abuse against the labor leader. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/04/u... #UT #txlege #txed #highered
The University of Texas at Austin Is Removing Its Cesar Chavez Statue
nytimes.com
ICYMI: The top election official in Texas just announced her retirement, which will take effect less than four months before the state’s most closely watched election in a decade. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/02/u... #TXLEGE
Top Texas Election Official to Resign, Months Before General Contest
nytimes.com
BREAKING: President Said to Be Backing Off Plans for $1.8 Billion Fund After Backlash. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/06...
Update from Maggie Haberman
nytimes.com
Ken Paxton's last three fundraising texts reference James Talarico's standing in the polls and the Democrat's ability to bring in big cash donors. #txsen
Are Texans Ready for James Talarico’s Kind of Christianity? The @nytimes.com takes a close look at the faith tradition guiding the Democratic pick for U.S. Senate in Texas. www.nytimes.com/2026/06/01/u...
Are Texans Ready for Talarico’s Kind of Christianity?
nytimes.com
Exclusive: Today, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department announced the acquisition of a whopping 54,000 acres of land 125 miles west of San Antonio, which will become Silver Lake State Park and Texas’s second-largest state park to date. 🎉
Texas's Second-Largest State Park Is Officially Coming
Parks and Wildlife finalized the deal for the 54,000-acre Silver Lake Ranch.
texasmonthly.com
NEW: The @AP has called the race for Texas Railroad Commission, the states oil and gas regulatory body, for insurgent candidate Bo French. With his win, Texas Republicans have advanced a slate of anti-incumbent, hard line candidates. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/27/u...
Anti-Muslim Candidate Wins G.O.P. Runoff for Texas Oil Job
nytimes.com
A good day to read or re-read what @lmcgaughy.bsky.social and I wrote about Ken Paxton.
He’s Been Impeached and Indicted. He Has a Chance in Texas’ Senate Race.
nytimes.com
Happy Election Day, Texas! 🤠🇺🇸 We’ll have a live blog of voting across the state today. Everyone has their eye on the U.S. Senate runoff but there’s lots of other important matchups. Catch all the updates here. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05... #txlege
Election Live Updates: Texas Republicans Battle for Senate Nomination in Runoff
nytimes.com
Another $1M just dropped for Chip Roy in his bid for Texas Attorney General. It appears Alex Fairly, the same West Texas donor who gave him $2.75M a few days ago, is not done yet. More on Fairly's 11th-hour contribs here: www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u... #txlege
A Single Donation Could Upend the G.O.P. Primary for Texas Attorney General
nytimes.com
“None of us control what the president does,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who’d urged the president yo back John Cornyn, said. “He made his decision. That doesn’t change the way I feel.” www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...
Republican Senators Are Livid at Trump’s Endorsement of Paxton
nytimes.com
ICYMI: Who Is Ken Paxton, Trump’s Pick in the Texas Senate Race? This story brought together 12 years of my reporting here in Texas with @michaelkruse.bsky.social’s on the ground insight and wonderful writing. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u... via @nytimes.com
Who Is Ken Paxton, Trump’s Pick in the Texas Senate Race?
nytimes.com
BREAKING: President Trump says he will endorse in the GOP primary for U.S. Senate race in Texas today around 12:30 EST today. www.nytimes.com/live/2026/05...
Update from Tyler Pager
nytimes.com
While you were sleeping: The GOP candidates duking it out to replace Ken Paxton as Texas AG reported new fundraising numbers. One just got a late infusion of cash that could buoy him in the last week of the race. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u... #txlege
Last-Minute Donation Could Upend G.O.P. Primary for Texas Attorney General
nytimes.com
NEW: In his bid for Texas Attorney General, U.S. Rep. Chip Roy has been chasing Sen. Mayes Middleton, his self-funded opponent. Tonight, Roy reported raising nearly $8M — $2.75M from one donor. Middleton raised $5.7M, most from himself. The race to the runoff is on. www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...
Last-Minute Donation Could Upend G.O.P. Primary for Texas Attorney General
nytimes.com
Teamed up with @lmcgaughy.bsky.social to write about Ken Paxton.
Indictment and Impeachment Only Made Him Stronger. Remind You of Anyone?
nytimes.com
