Ken Paxton narrowly leads John Cornyn in new poll of Texas’ Senate GOP runoff
The University of Houston survey results were within the margin of error less than a month out from the May 26 election. State Sen. Mayes Middleton had a wider lead in the attorney general primary.
Dan Patrick picks sides in Texas attorney general, Railroad Commission GOP runoffs
The lieutenant governor endorsed state Sen. Mayes Middleton over U.S. Rep. Chip Roy for the Republican attorney general nod. And he backed Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright over challenger Bo French.
TribCast: The past and future of the Voting Rights Act in Texas
The Supreme Court weakened a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. What does that mean for Texas?
Corpus Christi to begin talks on privately built desalinization plant
A new Houston company hopes to build a $1.3 billion facility in the area and wants the city, which is on the brink of a water crisis, to commit to 30 years of purchases.
Top Texas lawmakers support lifting summer camp safety requirement made in wake of deadly floods
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said they’re asking the state health agency to lift the fiber optics requirement that some camps are struggling to address.
Two killed, three injured in shooting at Carrollton shopping mall
Police said the shooting was not a random act and that the suspect had been arrested.
Trump marks Cinco de Mayo with ‘NICE’ post, echoing past viral taco bowl moment
President Donald Trump marked Cinco de Mayo on Tuesday with a new Truth Social post featuring a stylized “NICE” graphic — a play on Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. The post adds to a string of Cinco de Mayo messages from Trump that have repeatedly drawn attention online, including his widely shared 2016 taco bowl post that resurfaces nearly every year around the holiday. Trump has frequently used the holiday to share posts blending humor, politics and immigration messaging; and had already publicly embraced the “NICE” branding concept ahead of Tuesday’s post. The image shared Tuesday featured an eagle-and-shield design above the word “NICE,” styled similarly to federal law enforcement branding and appearing to reference ICE. TRUMP VOWS NOT TO HELP BLUE CITIES WITH RIOTS, INSTRUCTS ICE AND BORDER PATROL TO PROTECT FEDERAL PROPERTY Trump endorsed the idea of rebranding ICE as “NICE” in a late April Truth Social post, writing: “GREAT IDEA!!! DO IT.” The phrase originated from a social media suggestion that Trump later amplified online. The latest post also brought renewed attention to Trump’s most recognizable Cinco de Mayo moment. HERE ARE 5 OF GUY FIERI’S FAVORITE TACO SPOTS ACROSS AMERICA AHEAD OF CINCO DE MAYO In 2016, then-candidate Trump posted a photo of himself eating a taco bowl at Trump Tower alongside the caption: “Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics!” The post quickly went viral and has continued resurfacing online in the years since. The image showed Trump seated at a desk with a taco bowl in front of him, giving a thumbs up as he posed for the camera. DNC TACO TRUCK STUNT TROLLING TRUMP BACKFIRES ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH VANCE, GOP: ‘CAN’T FIX STUPID’ Last year, Trump reshared the taco bowl post and wrote: “This was so wonderful, 9 years ago today!” The post continues to go viral online as users revisit the original taco bowl image each year on the holiday. One user posted an image of the president’s original 2016 taco bowl post, writing, “Cinco de Trumpo.” Another commenter wrote, “such a classic,” and another quipped, “maybe the greatest tweet of all time.” Trump’s original taco bowl post remains one of the most recognizable Cinco de Mayo moments of the social media era. The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Trump flexes muscle in Indiana: GOP incumbents fall in primary showdowns
President Donald Trump‘s immense sway over the GOP was on the line Tuesday in Indiana’s primary, as the president’s endorsements in key Republican state Senate nomination races were being tested. And it appears Trump’s grip over the Republican Party remains extremely strong. Five months ago, Republicans in the GOP-dominated Indiana state Senate withstood immense pressure from Trump and his allies and voted down congressional redistricting, which would have given solidly red Indiana two more right-leaning U.S. House seats ahead of the midterms. Fast-forward to present day, and eight of those state senators faced GOP primary challenges. Seeking retribution, the president endorsed challengers to seven of the eight Republican lawmakers who voted against the redistricting bill. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The Associated Press reported that five of the Trump-endorsed candidates won, with one incumbent survived, and one race yet to be decided as of late Tuesday evening. Trump-backed Blake Fletcher defeated incumbent state Sen. Travis Holdman in Indiana’s 19th District, in the northeastern part of the state. And Michelle Davis, who was supported by the president, topped incumbent Sen. Greg Walker in District 41 in central Indiana. Tracey Powell, who was also supported by Trump, defeated incumbent state Sen. Jim Buck in District 21 in central Indiana. Buck was backed by former Vice President Mike Pence, who was elected congressman and later governor of Indiana before serving as Trump’s first vice president. In District 11 in northern Indiana, incumbent Linda Rogers was defeated by Trump-endorsed Brian Schmutzler. And the AP also reported that in northwestern Indiana’s District 1, Trump-supported Trevor De Vries topped incumbent state Sen. Dan Dernulc. Only one state senator had survived as of late Tuesday. Sen. Greg Goode defeated two challengers, Trump-backed Brenda Wilson and Alexandra Wilson, in District 38, in western Indiana. Meanwhile, in District 39, Trump-backed Jeff Ellington won the GOP nomination in an open-seat race where there was no incumbent. A Republican source familiar with the effort to defeat the incumbent GOP state Senators told Fox News Digital over $8 million was spent on TV and digital ads between the American Leadership PAC and Hoosier Leadership for America. Those are the two outside groups aligned with GOP Sen. Jim Banks of Indiana, a top ally of the president in the U.S. Senate, that took a lead in targeting the incumbent state senators and supporting the Trump-backed challengers. The source added that Team Trump operatives began organizing this plan in February and were responsible for the vast majority of the money raised that was spent by the two groups. “Everyone in Indiana politics should have learned an important lesson today: President Trump is the single most popular Republican among Hoosier voters. Indiana is a conservative state, and we deserve conservatives in our State Senate who have a pulse on Republican voters,” Banks said in a statement. Republican Gov. Mike Braun of Indiana also donated several hundred thousand dollars to the effort. Two well known national groups: Turning Point USA’s political wing and the Club for Growth, also had the president’s back in Indiana. The intraparty battle was seen not just as a test of fealty to Trump but rather a fight between MAGA forces and more traditional conservatives for the future of the GOP. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY “We’ve got to change those old-style Republicans, put in people who will fight, fight against the Democrat gerrymandering,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh told Fox News Digital ahead of the primary. And McIntosh, a former congressman from Indiana, told Fox News Digital on Tuesday night that “this is a big win for Trump and a signal to the entire party that our base wants us to fight for what we believe in.” TRUMP VS. HISTORY: HOW PRESIDENT’S POLL NUMBERS COMPARE TO BIDEN, OBAMA, BUSH AHEAD OF MIDTERMS The besieged incumbents significantly outraised their challengers, and were also boosted by the Indiana Senate GOP caucus. But the outside spending and get-out-the-vote efforts by the pro-Trump groups proved decisive. A source involved in the effort to oust the incumbents told Fox News Digital on the eve of the primary that a victory would be considered winning half the seats, and anything beyond that would be a major win. By that definition, Trump scored a ‘major win’ on Tuesday. Fox News’ Sally Persons contributed to this story
Trump-backed Vivek Ramaswamy wins Ohio GOP gubernatorial primary, will face Democrat Amy Acton
Vivek Ramaswamy has won the 2026 Republican gubernatorial nomination in his home state of Ohio, the Associated Press reports. Ramaswamy, who grabbed national attention when he ran for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination before dropping out and becoming a top surrogate for President Donald Trump, on Tuesday defeated long shot rival Casey Putsch, an automotive entrepreneur. His victory sets the stage for a high-profile general election battle for governor in the key midterm Midwestern battleground state. TRUMP’S GRIP OVER GOP TESTED AT BALLOT BOX AS INDIANA, OHIO, HOLD PRIMARIES Now, the multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur and business leader who is backed by Trump will face off in November’s general election against Democrat Amy Acton, a doctor and researcher who served as director of the state Department of Health from 2019 to 2020. Acton was unopposed as she captured the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Ohio. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB The winner in November will succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Mike DeWine. “I’m proud to officially say that today it is our pleasure to become the Republican nominee for the governor of Ohio,” Ramaswamy told supporters at his primary victory celebration. Ramaswamy pledged to “make Ohio greater than we have ever been. That’s what we’re about to do together. So, thank you tonight for kicking off the next chapter of this journey.” And pointing to Acton, his Democratic rival, Ramaswamy said, “”I do believe this marks without exception the single most consequential election for governor that our state has ever seen in our history. There has never been a greater contrast between two candidates.” The Democratic Governors Assocation (DGA) quickly took aim at Ramswamy. “Vivek Ramaswamy is an out-of-touch presidential also-ran whose harmful agenda would drive costs even higher and make life harder for Ohio families already struggling to make ends meet,” DGA Executive Director Meghan Meehan-Draper argued in a statement. Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But polls indicate this year’s race for governor between Ramaswamy and Acton will be very competitive. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Vice President JD Vance traveled to his home state this morning, stopping at a polling station in Cincinnati to cast a ballot in Ohio’s primary. Vance, who served as senator from Ohio before stepping down after winning election in 2024 as vice president, confirmed to reporters that he cast a ballot for Ramaswamy.
Sherrod Brown secures Ohio Dem nomination, faces GOP’s Husted in key battle for Senate majority
Former longtime Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio on Tuesday won his party’s 2026 Senate nomination, the Associated Press reports. Brown, who served three decades in Congress before being defeated for re-election in 2024 by now-GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno, will face off in this year’s general election with Republican Sen. John Husted, Ohio’s former lieutenant governor who was appointed to replace Vice President JD Vance. The general election winner will fill the final two years of Vance’s Senate term. Vance, who was elected to the Senate in 2022, stepped down from the chamber after he and President Donald Trump won the 2024 election for president and vice president. DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB Vance traveled to his home state Tuesday morning, stopping at a polling station in Cincinnati to cast a ballot in the primary. The Senate race in Ohio is one of a handful that will decide if Republicans successfully defend their slim majority in the chamber, or if the Democrats win back control for the first time in four years. SIX MONTHS TILL MIDTERMS: THE TEN RACES THAT WILL DETERMINE THE SENATE’S MAJORITY Republicans currently control the Senate 53-47. Brown defeated long-shot rival Ron Kincaid, an IT professional and Special Olympics coach, to capture the Democratic Senate nomination. Husted ran unopposed for the Republican Party’s Senate nomination. “Ohioans are fed up with the corruption and greed in Washington. They deserve a senator who fights for working families, not CEOs and billionaires,” Brown said on social media after winning his primary. “That’s why we’re going to win this November.” Earlier in the evening, Husted took to social media after Trump praised the senator in a Truth Social post. “Thanks President Trump! Your support for Ohio jobs means a lot to the hardworking people of our state. The Working Family Tax Cut is helping Ohio families keep more of what they earn so they can spend, save, and invest in their own priorities,” Husted wrote. “America First! Ohio First!” TRUMP’S GRIP OVER GOP FACES BIG TESTS IN THIS STATE’S PRIMARY Once a top general election battleground state, Ohio has shifted to the right over the past decade, with Trump carrying the state by 11 points in the 2024 election. But this year’s races for the Senate and governor are expected to be very competitive.