The 2024 election results in Texas brought some surprises, especially in how well the GOP performed both nationally and within the state. University of Houston professor Brandon Rottinghaus joined Texas Standard to analyze the outcomes.
One of the notable results was Ted Cruz winning his third Senate term, defeating Dallas Congressman Colin Allred by a margin of about 9 percentage points. Cruz celebrated his victory at a watch party in downtown Houston, as reported by Houston Public Media’s Andrew Schneider.
In a significant development, Houston voters rejected a historic $4.4 billion school bond package, which was divided into Propositions A and B. This rejection was viewed as a reflection of the state’s takeover of Houston ISD over the past year. Around 60% of voters opposed both measures, as detailed by Houston Public Media’s Adam Zuvanich.
Beyond the top-ticket races, local and down-ballot races across Texas also had interesting outcomes. Public radio reporters from El Paso, Waco, Dallas, and Amarillo provided updates on the contests in their respective communities.
Looking ahead, the election results will have implications for the next Congress and the state Legislature. Reneé Cross from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs and Lauren McGaughy from The Texas Newsroom shared their insights on the topic.
The upcoming session of the Texas Legislature is expected to be busy, with Governor Greg Abbott preparing to push for a school voucher program. Texas Tribune politics reporter Zach Despart discussed the potential Republican priorities in the next Legislature.
In addition to the election analysis, Alexandra Hart from the Texas Newsroom presented a state roundup, and Wells Dunbar covered the Talk of Texas on Texas Standard.
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