After a standoff that lasted more than a month, the Texas House appears to have enough state representatives in Austin to conduct business. The divisions are deep, relationships are frayed and redistricting lies ahead.

It’s happening slowly, but during the Texas government’s long summer, with legislative walkouts, fights over voting rights, and new battles over what’s safe and what’s not, Gov. Greg Abbott is mostly getting his way.

The seasons change in the political world, too. We're in that periodic move from electioneering to governing. The Washington version is noisy. The Texas version is a bit quieter, but it's underway.

Republican officeholders couldn’t have had a better election in Texas this year, but they’ve still got noisy and loud critics — inside their own political party.

A Republican effort to knock 44 Libertarians off the ballot fell short, and that could have an outsize effect on close races in November.

During a pandemic, an economic recession and public protests against racial injustice and police violence, it’s hard to say what Texas voters will be thinking about in this year’s election. Here’s a candidate: Reopening schools.

Now that the first official estimate of the coronavirus' effect on the Texas economy is out, the hard work starts. Legislators have to figure out which parts of the state budget to cut and which parts to keep.

The governor would face real competition if he were on the ballot this year — even in a Republican Party primary. His response to the pandemic has opened him to political attacks from the left and the right alike.

While Gov. Greg Abbott has been responding to the twin crises on his plate, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s been stirring the pot — at the governor’s expense.