Why is D.C. an issue in governor's race?

"I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens and its interference with the affairs of our state," Perry said at an April news conference that spawned national media coverage and accolades from conservative icons.

Hoppe and Slater explore the roots of the anti-Washington tone prevalent in the GOP primary contest. Read on here.

U.S. announces Texas roundup of 300 immigrants with criminal records

DMN's Dianne Solis reports on Federal sweep in Texas:

Nearly 300 illegal immigrants with criminal convictions were arrested this week in Texas, federal immigration officials and prosecutors said today.

Documents show relatively few donors loaded Gov. Rick Perry's campaign 'Money Cannon'

Hoppe reports: 123 donors made up Perry campaign's "Money Cannon" -- and 43 donors contributed the first million.

The DC Bureau's Todd Gillman (in Austin for a minute) reports on KBH's "fifth iteration"

In Trail Blazers: Hutchison to stay in Senate up to seven or eight more months; shift from vow to resign after the primary, win or lose? 
Read on here.

Perry appointee to Texas Commission on the Arts Lee William "Bill" McNutt III banned man on campus

DMN Investigates Blog reports: Another Rick Perry appointee charged with misbehaving around youth; latest case at SMU

Lt. Gov. hopeful picks up big bucks from labor unions

Stutz reports on Chavez-Thompson's, other Lt. Governor candidates' campaign finance filings.

Hoppe surveys the political ad landscape

Read Hoppe's Trail Blazers post on Perry's "Earmark Queen" ad here,  Medina's rodent ad here.

Just to cover all 3 GOP Candidates, let's lead with a recent (2/23/2010) KBH ad:

Debra Medina's TV ad:

Perry's Abba ad:

Obama picks Beaumont judge to be U.S. attorney for Collin, Denton, East Texas

Gillman reports on the "political tug-of-war" that keeps many Federal offices in Texas vacant.

Campaigning in the Valley, Democrat Bill White blasts Rick Perry's record

EDINBURG, Texas – Bill White dashed through seven cities in the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday, trying to lock down votes for Tuesday's Democratic primary but already looking ahead to a fall contest against incumbent Gov. Rick Perry.

Garrett reports from the Valley.

On this day in history,

Jones buys Cowboys, fires Landry

Feb. 25, 1989

By GARY MYERS / The Dallas Morning News

Editors' note: The following appeared in the final Feb. 26, 1989 edition of The Dallas Morning News.

• • •


Tex Schramm's eyes filled with tears. Then his voice cracked and he cried. It was almost too much to comprehend: Tom Landry is no longer the only coach the Cowboys have ever had. Landry was fired Saturday by the Cowboys' new owner, Jerry Jones, who named University of Miami coach Jimmy Johnson to succeed him.

http://www.dallasnews.com/s/dws/spt/misc/history/stories/february/022589cow.html

Meanwhile, on the Ag Commish front,

Jessica Meyers offers up two fine stories on the Democratic candidates for Agricultural commissioner.

First up, Hank Gilbert: where's the beef? Texas, Gilbert says. 

Then Friedman talks about a new direction for the agency.

Perry, Hutchison spar before crowd in Houston

HOUSTON – With time running short, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison shared a stage with Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday night and made the case that Republicans should think twice before putting him on the ticket again.

Also speaking at the Lincoln-Reagan Day Dinner was Debra Medina, who called her rivals "two big-government incumbents."

Gillman reports. 

Bill White quietly building a big-money machine for governor

Slater reviews White's efforts on the Dem side.

Hutchison, Perry spend more than $14 million in advertising

AUSTIN – Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry poured more than $14 million into television and radio advertising in the last month as they escalated spending in their GOP primary showdown.

Perry spent $8 million and Hutchison $6.5 million on advertising to boost their campaigns, according to their latest campaign finance filings with the state.

Read the rest of Slater's story here.

Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist endorses Rick Perry for Texas governor

Gromer Jeffers writes about Perry's latest endorsement.

Perry has a clear record of decisive action to secure our borders, stop illegal drug and human trafficking trade and is very clearly the right choice for voters in Texas to fight illegal immigration. -- Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist 

Big, late $ from trial lawyer-backed group

Garrett reports on the dust-up in the Valley: "It ain't beanbag," he writes.

"A pitched battle for the Texas House seat vacated by Kino Flores in the Rio Grande Valley has jarred loose more than spare change:

On Monday, the trial lawyer-funded Texans for Insurance Reform made a $52,500 media buy for Pharr office manager Sandra Rodriguez in the House District 36 Democratic primary."

Perry-Hutchison-Medina "virtual" debate, courtesy of the Tea Party

Common Sense Texans, the umbrella organization for dozens of Tea Party and 9/12 groups around the state, managed to persuade the big three Republican candidates, along with Democrat Bill White, to sit in front of a camera and answer 10 questions submitted by Tea Party activists. Gillman reports.

Rep. Michael Burgess named top Republican on House subcommittee

Lewisville rep Michael Burgess was named ranking Republican late Tuesday on the House Energy and Commerce Committee's oversight and investigations subcommittee. Our Washington Bureau's Dave Michaels reports.

Poll: More than half of Hispanics identify as conservative

Another poll, conducted by The Board of Hispanic Caucus Chairs, supervised by Cristina Garcia, a California-based researcher, finds a complex and evolving electorate. Garrett reports. 

New poll: Perry rising but still can't break 50 percent

Wayne Slater reports on latest Rasmussen poll showing Perry advancing, KBH fading, and Medina holding steady. 

Learn all about the candidates for governor, and go behind the scenes on the campaign trail

Our man in Dallas, editor Ryan Rusak, pulls together some of our (and others') recent coverage of the Texas gubernatirial race.

"Not to brag or anything, but we've got a whole mess of great new stuff on the race for governor that you'll want to read."

Read on here.

Social conservative faces tough battle for state ed board sea

Our own Terrence Stutz reports on a hotly contested School Board race between a nationally-known social conservative and his determined challenger.
"The battle for control of the State Board of Education will largely be determined by Republican primary voters in four key races – and nowhere is the competition more fierce than for the seat that represents part of Collin County and much of East Texas."
Read on here.

Snow Day in Austin TX -- good time to start a blog!

Hello, friends and neighbors, Texans, and anyone else interested in goings-on in the Lone Star State. 

I've been aggregating items of statewide interest from the pages of the Dallas Morning News on Facebook and Twitter for awhile, now. A few readers, less than enthusiastic about stepping into various social media streams, have asked me if I'd consider bringing that content together in a non-social media-type place.

Ask and ye shall receive! 

First up: an item of pretty much zero interest to anyone outside of ATX: it's snowing in Our Fair City today! -- I took a short video to help us all remember come summer.