Alexandra Samuels
@AlexSamuelsx5
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national politics reporter. formerly @texasmonthly @FiveThirtyEight @TexasTribune. Bostonian. Talk to me: [email protected]
Joined December 2011
New: Texas electors vote 34-4 to call on Legislatures in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — whose election results handed the White House @JoeBiden — to appoint their own electors.
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Sending love to all the Black reporters covering this verdict.
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The shooting suspect is white male in his mid-30s. He has been shot and killed by law enforcement. There are at least 5 dead, 21 injured in Odessa/Midland shooting, according to police.
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Nearly 8,000 people just watched @BetoORourke's Facebook Live where he record a TV ad in real time to "respond to the negativity" that's "flooding the airwaves today." #txsen.
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In the days ahead of Wednesday’s certification, Cruz raised concerns about how many people believed fraud had occurred in the election — w/o acknowledging the role he had played in encouraging those beliefs. w/ @PatrickSvitek > via @TexasTribune.
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“It’s much easier to convince yourself you’re liberal when you’ve pushed so many black and brown people out and you don’t have to encounter and live with them.”
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NEW: I went to a Black Voices for Trump event. The only Black people there were the speaker & myself. Trump’s campaign has tried to make inroads w/ Black voters, but party leaders have struggled to make progress during a national moment of racial strife.
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New: @BernieSanders’ campaign says it raised nearly $1.1M in January in Texas powered by more than 65,000 donations. Following this massive haul, the campaign said it “plans to immediately expand staffing in Texas and increase investment in television and digital ads.“.
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BREAKING: . second-degree unintentional murder GUILTY. third-degree murder GUILTY. second-degree manslaughter GUILTY.
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!! some professional news I can finally share. On Monday, I’ll start at @fivethirtyeight covering politics and elections with a particular focus on race. I’m excited/stoked/nervous.
Big news! We're incredibly excited to announce that @AlexSamuelsx5 is joining @FiveThirtyEight!!!! 😀😀😊. Alex most recently covered the intersection of politics and race for the @TexasTribune , and she’ll be building on that work for FiveThirtyEight.
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New: Some may interpret Black Americans’ low COVID-19 inoculation rates as vaccine hesitancy. But issues like accessibility and overall health inequities are much bigger barriers to Black people getting vaccinated. My latest for @fivethirtyeight:
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News: @SenKamalaHarris will be visiting Texas on Friday, according to an email Biden’s campaign sent to Democratic members of Texas delegation.
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Four U.S. House members — including @replouiegohmert — voted no on the Emmett Till Antilynching Act.
JUST IN: The House of Representatives has approved legislation making lynching a federal hate crime for the first time in U.S. history. The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act was named for the 14-year-old teenager who was lynched in Mississippi in the 1950s.
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Inbox: Biden camp announces tomorrow’s lineup for its surrogate bus tour across Texas, which will hit Beaumont, Port Arthur, Houston, Fort Bend and Corpus Christi. Surrogates named so far include @JulianCastro and @JoaquinCastrotx.
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Hey y’all: I just found out I’ve been laid off from @fivethirtyeight. I’m sad, but absolutely *loved* the work I did for the site. I’m still processing today’s news, but am eager to find a new reporting job covering race and politics — ideally staying remote. My DMs are open!.
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New: @JoeBiden to host a “Turn Texas Blue” virtual organizing event with @BetoORourke and Texas Students for Biden on May 13, per Biden’s campaign.
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Guys! @FiveThirtyEight is letting me launch my own column, “Political Outliers.” Every few weeks, we’ll explore undercovered parts of the electorate — often portrayed as all voting the same way — and show how diverse and atypical most voters are.
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Some #tx2020 news: @PeteButtigieg’s campaign is ramping up campaign activity in Texas. Starting Monday, it will have 24 paid staffers in the state.
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New: Most Black women fatally shot by police since 2015 have received little to no media attention. When they do, it’s often b/c 1) their deaths coincided with a news cycle already focused on police violence, or 2) a man was murdered around the same time.
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Looking like @AndrewYang will be the only candidate of color on the December debate stage >.
New Quinnipiac University NATIONAL poll (counts for the December debate).Biden 29%.Sanders 17%.Warren 15%.Buttigieg 9%.Bloomberg 5%.Yang 4%.Everyone else at or below 3 percent
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New: @JulianCastro will travel across Texas to GOTV for @ewarren this weekend, per her campaign. He’ll be in Brownsville, McAllen and Corpus Christi on Saturday and in Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth on Sunday. #tx2020.
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NEWS: @shafitx will retain his role as vice-chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party despite a push from a small faction of precinct chairs to remove him from his post because he's Muslim.
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There’s no doubt: Today’s news is monumental. Cops are rarely tried/convicted. But please don’t say this is a referendum on policing. This was 1) a high-profile case that 2) won’t bring back Floyd & 3) doesn’t address the racist criminal justice system.
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New: Biden for President and the Texas Democratic Party will host a press call with @BetoORourke on Friday at 11 a.m. on Biden’s economic recovery plan for working families.
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Scoop w/ @McGeeReports: Whistleblowers claim real estate developer Nate Paul helped @KenPaxtonTX remodel his house + gave a job to a woman w/ whom Paxton allegedly had an affair. In return, they say, Paxton used his office to help Paul’s business affairs.
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NEW: U.S. Air Force issues statement saying #SutherlandSprings shooter's domestic violence offense was NOT entered into the NICS database.
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This is my first week covering race and politics for @fivethirtyeight! Please say hi, or send tips, polls, contacts, press releases and story ideas to alex.l.samuels@abc.com.
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BREAKING: Authorities confirm that there's a connection between the two packages found at FedEx locations today and the four previous package explosions that occurred in Austin. #AustinBombings
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.@FiveThirtyEight let me make my debut (!!) writing about TX. Republicans’ handling of the storm probably won’t hurt them in 2022: Talk of Texas going blue is almost always exaggerated, Abbott is relatively popular, & Dems don’t have an obvious challenger
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BREAKING: Another explosion reported on Brodie Lane/West Slaughter Lane. Reports of one patient injured. Unknown severity of injuries at this time. #AustinBombings.
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Likely unintended consequence of @KamalaHarris dropping her WH bid: @JulianCastro had the best fundraising day of the quarter today w/ contributions still coming in, per his campaign. The average donation is $17.
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Some professional (!!) news: Today is my last day at @TexasTribune. I’ll be able to share what I’ll be doing next soon, and I’m stoked for this new opportunity. I’ve loved working at the Trib, where I’ve met some of the most talented and supportive group of journalists/friends.
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News: Next week I’ll start as a Senior Editor at @TexasMonthly where I’ll be writing about news and politics. Please add me to your lists, send tips my way and let’s grab coffee/drinks very soon! #txlege.
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News: @JulianCastro reaches $800K fundraising goal, giving him the resources he says he needs to keep his campaign alive. #tx2020.
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“Every single Democrat candidate has job killing, economy crushing policies that won’t work for America,” said Erin Perrine, a Trump campaign spox. “Team Trump is here to remind them and let everyone in Houston know what a complete disaster Democrats are for America.”.
Trump camp running full-page, color newspaper ads in the @HoustonChron and @ExpressNews today “contrasting Democrats’ disastrous plans for America with President Trump’s clear record of accomplishments.” Both ads here:
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.@JohnCornyn: "Make no mistake about it: Texas will be the firewall in 2020. If they take Texas, they will take the U.S. Senate. If they take Texas, they will take the White House. But we can't let that happen. Not on our watch.".
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🚨SOME *PERSONAL* NEWS 🚨. My role is changing at the @TexasTribune. I'm now a political reporter helping with 2020 coverage, writing about race+politics and covering some local news. I'll also be co-authoring our premium evening newsletter, The Blast, w/ @cassi_pollock!
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Just an FYI that this is the kind of reader feedback you get as a Black reporter covering the intersection of race and politics:
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Some TX news: @GovAbbott says “it’s time to open Texas 100%. Every business that wants to be open should be open.” Abbott also ends the statewide mask mandate that has been in effect since July. FWIW, of Feb. 28, 6.5% of Texans have been fully vaccinated.
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White privilege is the shooter being described as "mentally unstable," instead of simply calling him what he is: a terrorist. #Charleston.
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.@JulianCastro to hold a media call tomorrow evening providing “an update on the state of the 2020 race, the lack of diversity in the upcoming December debates, and the campaign’s focus in the final nine weeks before the Iowa caucuses.”.
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.@poncho_nevarez tells me he earlier planned to give the ‘constitutional carry’ bill a hearing but “the behavior of certain groups and/or individuals who are unreasonable in their expectations and even more unreasonable in their behavior caused me to reconsider." #txlege.
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SCOTUS declined to hear an appeal by Texas seeking to revive the state's voter ID law that a lower court said had discriminatory effect.
#SCOTUS denies review in TX voter ID case.
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Just talked to @chiproytx. “People need to go jail,” he said. “They need to go to jail for a very long time.”
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If anyone needs book suggestions, here are just a *few* of my favorites in no particular order. Happy reading!
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“He is the best possible partner I could ask for in this fight,” @ewarren says of @JulianCastro during a rally in San Antonio.
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New: @BetoORourke announces new political grassroots group, Powered by People, focused on Texas in 2020. #tx2020
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.@PeteButtigieg invited Selena Garcia, a DACA recipient, and Houston resident, as his guest to tonight's debate. Selena is a grad student at the University of Houston grad school of social work.
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Darl Easton, chair of the Tarrant Co. party wrote in a statement, "this vote reaffirms the commitment by a majority of Tarrant Co. Republicans to our core values and compass." . The vote was 149-49, we're told. Precinct chairs overwhelmingly in favor of keeping Shafi.
NEWS: @shafitx will retain his role as vice-chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party despite a push from a small faction of precinct chairs to remove him from his post because he's Muslim.
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My latest for @FiveThirtyEight: How racism endemic in our political system leaves Black Americans choosing between being ignored and taken for granted.
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Not only has Trump responded to protests over police brutality and racial inequality by calling for the use of force, but the Texas GOP also has its own problems to address. Shortly after George Floyd’s death, several local leaders promoted racist conspiracy theories online.
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NEW: For @FiveThirtyEight, @elena___mejia and I researched how Black Americans are transforming Georgia’s electorate. We also looked at what an increased Black VAP could mean for the state’s political landscape — and this year’s midterm elections.
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“Wearing a mask will help us to keep Texas open,” @GovAbbott says. “Because not taking action . will cause COVID to spread even worse … and ultimately lead to the closure of more businesses.” #txlege.
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.@MayaRupert was the third black woman tapped to run a presidential campaign. In July, I wrote about @JulianCastro’s unconventional campaign manager who just wanted “to run a campaign that will make him proud”.
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Here's the full statement from @MillerForTexas on Trump's decision to ban transgender people from serving in the military.
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.@JulianCastro’s impact? 28 Democratic officeholders sent a letter to DNC Chair Tom Perez to express their desire for a more “equitable and inclusive” Democratic debate process given that, to date, no candidates of color are slated to be on the December debate stage.
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Serious question: why is the video of two white journalists dying too "brutal" to share, but #NatashaMcKenna's video is being passed around?.
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Inbox: On Saturday at 2 p.m., @BernieSanders will host a virtual Texas town hall feat. Sanders, @JosePGarza, @BetoORourke and @JulieOliverTX.
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Inbox: Lt. Gov. @DanPatrick announces “Star Spangled Banner Protection Act” — Senate Bill 4 — that will require that the national anthem “is played at all events which receive public funding.” #txlege
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As Biden hugs O’Rourke and takes back the mic, he says: “You’re going to take care of the gun problem with me. You’re going to be the one who leads this effort.” 👀👀.
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Some news this morning with @PatrickSvitek: @KamalaHarris is set to visit Fort Worth, Houston and McAllen during her trip to Texas on Friday. #tx2020.
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A new law set to take effect Sept. 1 means Harvey victims have good reason to file claims by Friday (by @viaAlana).
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Here is a copy of the resolution for those wondering:
New: Texas electors vote 34-4 to call on Legislatures in Pennsylvania, Georgia, Michigan and Wisconsin — whose election results handed the White House @JoeBiden — to appoint their own electors.
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The point of the event I attended, per the speaker, was to have “real talk” with Rs about talking to people who might not look like them. “The party always talks about wanting to be more diverse . but whatever they’re doing they need to stop because it’s not working,” he said.
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Fun fact: @jamestalarico is getting rid of his members desk and chair in his Capitol office. He’s replacing it with a long conference table and couches to work alongside his staff and have a central place to speak with constituents. #txlege.
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Just how far has “The Big Lie” spread? . We’ve tracked 306 bills to restrict voting access. While 6 bills have already been enacted, others will likely become law in the coming weeks or months: w/ the indefatigable @baseballot, @elena___mejia + @juruwolfe
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New: #TX10 Dem nominee @SiegelForTexas is endorsed today by CPC PAC, the political arm of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
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.@BernieSanders endorses four down-ballot Texans, including @GregCasar, @ErinForYall and @JosePGarza.
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.@BetoORourke: On Aug. 3 in El Paso, Texas — the day of a mass shooting in O'Rourke's hometown — "two things became crystal clear for me … the first is just how dangerous Donald Trump is . the second is how insufficient our politics are to meet the threat we have right now.".
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A lot of Texans — including myself! — are still w/o power + water. Austin Energy said customers still experiencing outages might be w/o heat through the night, if not longer. My colleagues are working hard to get info out. Follow @TexasTribune for updates:
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In light of #Harvey, all HISD students will receive free school meals during the 2017-18 school year.
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This quote from @rharmonlaw struck me: Criminal prosecution is “individualistic, whereas most of the problems in policing are institutional.” . In short: An individual verdict “doesn’t particularly contribute to broader reform,” she said.
There’s no doubt: Today’s news is monumental. Cops are rarely tried/convicted. But please don’t say this is a referendum on policing. This was 1) a high-profile case that 2) won’t bring back Floyd & 3) doesn’t address the racist criminal justice system.
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FWIW, I also talked to several folks who support Dr. Shafi. One of the precinct chairs said, "It's ludicrous [Shafi] can be trusted with lives as a surgeon, but can't be trusted as a vice-chairman in Tarrant County. It's appalling. It's stupid. It's so ridiculous.".
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🚨🚨 We're updating our list of orgs mobilizing to help immigrant children separated from their families. Know of a place we should add to our explainer? Respond directly to this tweet or email me at asamuels[at]
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Idk who needs to hear this, but you should not refer to a group of Black people as ‘Blacks.’.
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Some #tx2020 news with @PatrickSvitek: @ewarren is out with a new round of endorsements from #txlege lawmakers who previously supported @JulianCastro or @BetoORourke. — @ArtFierro.— @moodyforelpaso .— @RepMaryGonzalez.— @JoseforTexas.
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Shafi, speaking to press now, says "as an immigrant to this great country, I am honored and privileged to receive the support of my fellow Republicans.".
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Of course, any effort by the GOP to court Black voters will face significant opposition from Democrats. @texasdemocrats announced a joint effort last week to contact “1.5 million Black registered voters in Texas.”.
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!!! Some personal news: . I’ll be on @TexasStandard every Friday morning breaking down the week that was in Texas politics.
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News: Bloomberg will fund an 11th-hour TV blitz in Texas and Ohio after seeing tight polling. ~$15M in a week. Texas ads will run in English and Spanish focusing on “Trump’s mismanagement of COVID-19 crisis.”. #tx2020.
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New: @GovAbbott’s executive order: . — Avoid gatherings of 10+.— No dining in at bars/restaurants (drive-thru/pickup OK and encouraged) .— Gyms closed.— No visiting nursing homes except for critical care.— All schools temporarily closed. The EO is effect through April 3.
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.@ArtAcevedo: Every single business can require you if they so choose to wear a mask, so please be aware of that. If they ask you to wear a mask you must wear a mask, & if you fail to leave the premises you are subject to a criminal trespass warning or a criminal trespass arrest.
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INBOX: Texas has a record-breaking 15 million registered voters, according to a preliminary estimation by the secretary of state's office.
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The kind of reader feedback you get as a Black politics reporter pt. 73826
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“I’m a Jewish precinct chair and I think this is bullshit,” John Seidenstein tells me ahead of the 6:30 meeting. “Does this mean I’m next?”.
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.@GovAbbott says drive-by testing will soon be available in Houston, Dallas and Austin. #txlege.
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Texas Rep. Chip Roy Roy on the protestors storming the Capitol complex >.
To those storming the Capitol - I am on the House floor and I will not be deterred from upholding my oath, under God, to the Constitution by mob demand. #StandUpForAmerica.
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In 28 counties in South Texas or near the border, Biden won by a combined 17 points. That’s ~1/2 of Clinton’s 33-point margin over Trump across those counties in 2016. Biden’s poor showing was more pronounced in the RGV: He won those counties by 15 points. Clinton won by 39.
New tonight w/ @AlexSamuelsx5: Joe Biden’s struggles along the Texas border raise questions about Democrats’ outreach there
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I have a new story out today that I hope you’ll read: . For @FiveThirtyEight, the brilliant @NeilLewisJr and I examined why Democrats are still prisoners to racist tropes about who ‘deserves’ government benefits — and the dangers of this way of thinking.
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.@BetoORourke emails supporters asking them to sign a petition asking @GregAbbott_TX to stop the execution of #RodneyReed.
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