Speakers

Adams founded Citizens for a Safe and Healthy Texas, leading education and advocacy opposing the commercialization and further legalization of drugs, including marijuana and hemp-derived THC. A national public health advocate and licensed physical therapist assistant, she also directs Every Brain Matters, which provides education, compassionate support and advocacy for families affected by marijuana-related harm.

Adams is the director of audience engagement and growth at The Texas Tribune, where he and his team work to ensure the Tribune’s reporting reaches the audiences who need it. Previously, he was an engagement editor at NPR and a photo editor at National Geographic.

Adler served as mayor of Austin from 2015 to 2023. He focused on equity, housing, public safety and initiated $25 billion in transportation projects. Adler is an adjunct faculty member at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Huston-Tillotson University and St. Edward’s University.

Aguilera is the audience and collaboration strategist for the ProPublica/Texas Tribune investigative unit. Previously, she was a senior health equity reporter and editor at El Tímpano, a nonprofit newsroom in the Bay Area covering the region’s Latino and Mayan immigrants through deep community engagement. She was also a StoryReach U.S. fellow with the Pulitzer Center, focusing on audience engagement and reporting. Jasmine also covered Congress and immigration for TIME Magazine and worked as a social video producer for NowThis and Brut.

Alders was first elected in 2024 to serve House District 6, which includes Tyler and southern Smith County. He previously worked as the East Texas regional director for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. He serves on the Land and Resource Management and Delivery of Government Efficiency committees and the Healthcare Affordability Select Committee.

Aldridge is a senior reporter covering healthcare at KUT, Austin’s NPR station. Her work frequently appears on national NPR programs and shows. She previously reported for South Carolina Public Radio and the hyperlocal publication Community Impact, and her byline has also appeared in The New York Times.

Alexander has served in the U.S. Senate and as the governor of Tennessee, U.S. education secretary and president of the University of Tennessee. His most recent book, “The Education of a Senator: From JFK to Trump” was published in 2026.

Alfonso is the first Texas-based editor at The New York Times, based in Houston. He joined from the Houston Chronicle, where he devised a project memorializing the Hill Country flood victims that ran behind a shared front page at every Hearst paper in Texas. He led digital news at NPR and covered breaking news for CNN. He has taught journalism at Morehouse College and the University of Kentucky.

Alvarado was elected to serve Texas Senate District 6 in 2018. She previously served five terms representing District 145 in the Texas House of Representatives. Alvarado also serves as the chair of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus.

Antepli is the president of the Rothko Chapel in Houston, an independent, globally recognized institution dedicated to art, spirituality and human rights. He is a globally acknowledged scholar and leader in cross-religious and cross-cultural dialogue. His Muslim Leadership Initiative at the Shalom Hartman Institute in Jerusalem helped young Muslim American leaders understand Judaic and Israeli studies and worked to cultivate compassion in the face of fear and hate.

Arrington is a Republican serving the 19th Congressional District of Texas and chair of the House Budget Committee. His district covers Lubbock and Abilene as well as much of the South Plains, Big Country and surrounding region.

Aschbrenner is senior editor for news at The Washington Post. She previously served as The Post’s deputy white house editor, senior deputy campaign editor and Congress editor and was part of the team awarded the 2025 Pulitzer Prize for breaking news for coverage of the attempted assassination of Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. She has covered Trump in some capacity since his first speech in Iowa in January 2015.

Averill is the director of research at The Menninger Clinic. In addition to her roles at Menninger, she is an associate professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and the Department of Neuropsychiatry at Baylor College of Medicine. A Fulbright scholar, her expertise includes suicidality, trauma and psychedelic medicines.

Avins leads Arnold Ventures’ career pathways portfolio, which invests in research and policy to help Americans access good jobs and economic mobility. Prior to AV, Avins managed workforce development programs in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains, overseeing initiatives to build the next-generation energy and manufacturing workforce. He previously led the economic mobility practice at Redstone Strategy Group, a social impact consultancy.

Ayala is a veteran journalist who’s covered Texas education for more than two decades. She began her career at her hometown newspaper, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram before joining The Dallas Morning News. She previously was assistant managing editor of the Fort Worth Report where she coordinated reporting on Tarrant County’s growth and the state’s takeover of local districts. She joined The Tribune as education editor in spring of 2026 and is based in Fort Worth.

Balagia graduated from the University of Texas School of Law and joined ExxonMobil’s law department in 1998. He was elected vice president and general counsel in 2010. In 2017, he returned to UT as an adjunct professor in oil and gas law and became executive director of the Kay Bailey Hutchison Energy Center in 2024.

Barragán is the anchor for Spectrum News' statewide politics show, Capital Tonight — the only daily politics TV show in the state. He joined Spectrum News in 2025 after nearly a decade covering Texas politics for the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News and The Texas Tribune. He has covered multiple elections and five legislative sessions.

Taboada is the editor-in-chief of Austin Current, a nonprofit news organization committed to community-centered journalism. She’s a veteran journalist who worked for more than 25 years as reporter and editor in Austin and at The Boston Globe. Taboada, who grew up in El Paso, previously served as an adjunct journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, her alma mater.

Barringer is director of the higher education Ed.D. program at Southern Methodist University. Barringer leverages quantitative and qualitative data to answer questions fundamental to understanding the governance, practices and structures of colleges and universities. In her research, she has addressed questions of interdisciplinary, trustee governance, philanthropy, community college missions, staff salaries, academic structures, university affiliated foundations and privatization.

Bass is the inaugural executive director of the Fort Worth Community Land Trust, bringing more than 16 years of experience in housing policy, partnership development and program design. She is passionate about expanding homeownership opportunities for working families and ensuring that stable, attainable housing remains within reach in Fort Worth.

Basta is vice president of health care innovation at Morgan Health, a division of JPMorganChase focused on improving the quality, affordability and equity of healthcare in the United States. She leads Morgan Health’s efforts to support small and mid-sized businesses in accessing more affordable, high-quality health care coverage. Her work spans strategy, partnerships and product development, bringing together Morgan Health portfolio companies, industry stakeholders and teams across JPMorganChase to advance innovative approaches in employer-sponsored health insurance.

Bauerkemper has spent the last 40 years working in the field of problem gambling. He has provided training throughout the United States and multiple countries. He is a consultant for the Iowa Health and Human Services gamblers assistance program.

Bayer teaches and lectures for the Ayn Rand Institute and is a senior editor of ARI’s online publication, New Ideal. Dr. Bayer holds a Ph.D. in philosophy and his writing focuses primarily on the application of philosophy to contemporary cultural and political controversies. In 2022, he published “Why the Right to Abortion Is Sacrosanct.” He is the author of the forthcoming “Breaking Free from Faith-Based Morality.”

Bazán is an independent photographer based in San Antonio. She has a master’s degree in environmental science from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and she is a member of Diversify Photo and Women Photograph. Bazán was awarded first place in the Best of Photojournalism competition by the National Press Photographers Association for her extensive national coverage of the deadly Kerr County floods in 2025.

Becker leads the nonpartisan, nonprofit Center for Election Innovation and Research. Becker previously served as director of the elections program at The Pew Charitable Trusts and as a trial attorney in the voting section of the U.S. Department of Justice. He co-authored, with CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett, the book “The Big Truth: Upholding Democracy in the Age of The Big Lie.”

Bendavid is a politics editor at The Washington Post. Previously, he was the Post's White House editor and senior political correspondent. Bendavid has also worked at The Wall Street Journal and Chicago Tribune, and he appears regularly on NPR's “1A” podcast.

Benzon, a Houston ISD Trustee in District 5, is an HISD graduate and parent, a PTO board member and a board member of Community Voices for Public Education. She has a Ph.D. in educational psychology and over 25 years experience as a teacher, district specialist, assistant principal and professor.

Berger is the senior space editor at the news website Ars Technica, and author of two books: “Liftoff,” about the rise of SpaceX; and “Reentry,” on the development of the Falcon 9 rocket. He previously worked at the Houston Chronicle for 17 years. A certified meteorologist, Berger founded Space City Weather and The Eyewall.

Bibbins Sedaca is an expert on global democracy and human rights issues and US democracy. She is the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. She has served as the interim president and executive vice president of Freedom House, a faculty member at Georgetown University and various senior positions at the U.S. Department of State.

Bielamowicz is a healthcare strategist with deep experience advising industry executives about the future marketplace and impact on their organizations. She is the co-founder and former president of Gist Healthcare, a strategic advisory service providing guidance to healthcare industry leaders.

Birenbaum is the Washington correspondent at The Texas Tribune, where she covers the Texas congressional delegation and the impact of federal policy on Texas. Birenbaum previously covered Washington for the Nevada Independent, where she reported on the 2024 presidential election and competitive Senate race, and has worked at The Washington Monthly and Vox.

Birx spent her first career serving the United States — as an Army Colonel and later, running some of the most high-profile and influential programs at the CDC, Department of State, and the White House as the COVID response coordinator. She is a Bush Institute senior fellow and a professor at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Blanco was selected as the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history and is the youngest and the first Latinx, immigrant, and gay person to serve in that role. In 2023, Blanco received a National Humanities Medal. Born to Cuban exile parents, cultural identity characterizes his many collections of poetry. Blanco serves as education ambassador for The Academy of American Poets and as professor and dean's fellow at Purdue University.

Blaque is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, U.S. Army veteran and Culinary Institute of America graduate. She is chef-owner of San Antonio’s The Jerk Shack and Freight Fried Chicken, where her work connects Caribbean heritage, Southern foodways and Texas culture. A 2023 James Beard Best Chef Texas semifinalist, Blaque is also a Texas 100 honoree and recipient of a 2026 San Antonio Business Journal Women’s Leadership Award.

Blatz is the CEO of StriveTogether, a national network of community organizations that bring together neighbors, including youth and families, nonprofits, employers, schools and more, to work toward a future where youth can thrive. She is a nationally recognized leader and expert in building place-based partnerships to improve outcomes from cradle to career.

Professor of history at Yale, and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery and Abolition, Blight is also the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including “Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory,” which won eight awards, and “Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom,” which also won eight awards, including the Pulitzer Prize in History.

Boodhoo is the host of Oh God Now What, a weekly PRX podcast and Substack where she talks to religious and spiritual leaders about how to live with the news. She’s an award-winning Washington D.C.-based journalist who also works for Religion News Service as their live journalism events host and executive producer. You can also hear her many Fridays on NPR stations hosting the Friday News Roundup on 1A.

Brady represented Texas’ 8th Congressional District in Congress for 26 years, including serving as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. He authored the landmark 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and helped secure passage of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. Brady is an advisor to Americans for Free Markets and advises clients on tax, trade, healthcare and energy policy.

Brands holds the Jack S. Blanton Sr. Chair in History at the University of Texas at Austin. He has written more than a dozen biographies and histories, including “The General vs. the President,” a New York Times bestseller. Two of his biographies, “The First American” and “Traitor to His Class”, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

Branum, superintendent of Richardson ISD since 2022, brings more than 29 years of experience in Texas public education. A former teacher, campus leader and district administrator, she is recognized for advancing innovative, research-based practices that support student success. Branum serves on multiple education and community boards and has received numerous honors for her leadership.

Briggle is a writer, entrepreneur and nationally recognized advocate for transgender youth and their families. After her son came out as transgender, she became a leading voice for policies that protect LGBTQ+ children, testifying before lawmakers, speaking nationwide and serving as a plaintiff in the landmark PFLAG v. Abbott lawsuit.

At the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, Brown has helped raise and invest more than $300 million for conservation, including the acquisition of Powderhorn Ranch and the development of Palo Pinto Mountains State Park. Her experience also includes advancing conservation efforts for The Friedkin Group in the Serengeti ecosystem and serving as vice president of global initiatives for the National Audubon Society.

Bryan is a Texas businessman, historian, preservationist and philanthropist. He has spent more than five decades preserving Texas history through civic service, historic restoration and museum leadership, and was appointed to the Texas Bicentennial Commission in 2026.

Burns is a co-author of Politico Playbook, Politico’s flagship newsletter covering politics, policy and power in the United States. She also anchors the Playbook Podcast. Burns is the host and managing editor of The Conversation, Playbook's weekly interview show, and serves as Politico's global anchor.

Cabrera is chief strategy officer for Hometown Hero and past president of the Texas Hemp Business Council.

Cader works closely with the executive director and senior leadership team of the ACLU to help lead the organization’s strategic direction, strengthen organizational culture and align its nationwide work to defend and advance civil rights and civil liberties. Previously, she served as the ACLU’s deputy legal director and director of the Trone Center for Justice and Equality.

Amber Capone is CEO and co-founder of VETS, a nonprofit expanding access to psychedelic-assisted therapies for veterans with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Under her leadership, VETS has supported more than 1,100 veterans across 49 states, delivered over 7,200 hours of coaching and secured $3.6 million in grants. Named to Inc.’s Female Founders List in 2026, Capone co-founded the VALOR Coalition and secured bipartisan policy wins in Texas and California, advancing ibogaine research funding.

Carew is the elections administrator for Bexar County, overseeing voter registration and election operations for more than 1.3 million voters across 806 precincts. She previously served as president of the Texas Association of Elections Administrators — now the Texas Association of County Election Officials — where she represented and advocated for election professionals in statewide legislative discussions.

Carvalho is the president of the University of Austin. Previously, he spent 15 years as a professor at the University of Texas. He earned his doctorate in statistics from Duke University and has also taught at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. A labor organizer and son of Mexican immigrants, Casar was sworn into office in January 2023 and serves as the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Before that, he served on the Austin City Council for seven years.

Castro is in his seventh term representing San Antonio in Congress. He serves on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He was the 2013 co-president for the House freshman Democrats and the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus for the 116th Congress.

Cedillo-Pereira works alongside residents, community partners and city teams to create a more vibrant and welcoming Dallas. She oversees departments and initiatives that expand access to attainable housing and homelessness services, strengthen libraries and cultural programs, invest in Dallas’ arts and cultural ecosystem and provide essential community services that help families and neighborhoods thrive.

Chaar López is an assistant professor in the department of social and cultural analysis, and the principal investigator of the Border Tech Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. His research examines the history and politics of computing and information infrastructures. He is the author of ”The Cybernetic Border: Drones, Technology, and Intrusion” and co-author of Precarity Lab's “Technoprecarious.”

Chammah is a journalist at The Marshall Project, where he hosted "The Last 12 Weeks," a 2026 podcast series from Serial Productions and The New York Times. He's author of the book "Let the Lord Sort Them: The Rise and Fall of the Death Penalty," and was on a team that won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in National Reporting.

Chan was editor in chief of The Texas Tribune from 2021 to 2024. He was previously a deputy managing editor and then the editorial page editor at the Los Angeles Times. He worked at The New York Times from 2004 to 2018, as a metro reporter, Washington correspondent, deputy Op-Ed editor and international news editor. A native New Yorker, he began his career in 2000 at The Washington Post.

Chang is an award-winning journalist overseeing the health, urban affairs and economy team at The Texas Tribune. She started her career at the Beaumont Enterprise and continued at the Austin American-Statesman, where she spent eight years. Her beats have included crime, education, social services and investigations. Prior to joining The Texas Tribune, Chang served as the managing editor of County magazine, a publication of the Texas Association of Counties.

Charner is an Emmy-award winning journalist and educator with more than two decades of news experience. She's currently a professor of practice in journalism at Texas A&M University. Charner previously worked for CNN as a director of coverage for international news and as a senior producer in their Brazil bureau. She also held various roles with the Associated Press and Al Jazeera English.

A lifelong conservative businessman and former GOP lawmaker, Christian was elected the 50th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. Since taking office, Christian has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission as the official representative of Texas.

Churchill is a reporter for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Before joining ProPublica, she interned at CNBC, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Columbia Daily Tribune and KCUR 89.3, Kansas City’s NPR affiliate. Her reporting on the University of Missouri’s Title IX appeals process won the GateHouse Public Service Award for 2018.

Cicchini is executive director of BookSpring and president of the National Book Access Association. She works at the intersection of book access, family reading and social innovation. Under her leadership, BookSpring has expanded print and digital reading opportunities for children and families across Texas.

Clark has led the Advanced Power Alliance for 15 years, championing renewable and other advanced energy resources to lower costs, strengthen reliability and secure U.S. energy leadership. APA is active in Texas/ERCOT, the Southwest Power Pool and across the Southeast. He has spent 30 years in public policy, leading advocacy for the American Electronics Association and other industry trade groups.

Cobler covers the socioeconomic and political forces that impact Texans’ pocketbooks and upward mobility. Before joining the Tribune, he was a politics reporter for the Houston Landing and covered Baton Rouge City Hall for The Advocate in Louisiana.

Cole is CEO of Feeding Texas, where she has led the state’s network of food banks since 2012. With over 20 years of experience in nutrition policy and government relations, she brings deep expertise in federal programs, responsible stewardship of resources and building effective partnerships across sectors.

Colloff is a reporter for ProPublica and a staff writer for The New York Times Magazine. Previously, she was a staff writer at Texas Monthly. Her first book, “Catch the Devil: A True Story of Murder and Deception on the Gulf Coast,” was published this summer and became a New York Times bestseller. A two-time National Magazine Award winner, she lives in Austin.

Cooper is president and CEO of the San Antonio Food Bank. Through his dual strategy of feeding the line and shortening the line, Eric has earned national recognition for his holistic approach to addressing hunger and poverty. He serves on the boards of Feeding Texas and Feeding America, championing food security, housing, employment and community partnerships.

Cowen is a sixth-generation Brownsvillian, businessman, and public servant serving as Mayor since 2023. He is president of Cowen Group, Ltd. and a licensed U.S. Customs Broker. He serves in key regional and national leadership roles and is committed to advancing economic development, regional growth and investment in Brownsville.

D’Andrea is an immigration judge at the Conroe Immigration Court in Texas and the president of the National Association of Immigration Judges. Appointed by Attorney General William Barr in 2019, she previously spent eight years as an assistant U.S. attorney along the southwest border.

Darby represents 10 West Texas counties across the Big Country, Concho Valley and Permian Basin. He chairs the House Committee on Energy Resources and serves on several other committees. He owns Surety Title and works of counsel at Jackson Walker.

Darcy is the founder and author of Status, the nightly briefing that informs readers about what is really happening in the corridors of media power. Status is widely read by those in the media industry, including news chiefs, Hollywood studio bosses and technology executives.

Deggans is a critic at large at NPR and the Knight Professor of Journalism and Media Ethics at Washington and Lee University in Virginia. He has also worked as a contributor to NBC News, MSNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times and other leading news platforms. Prior to NPR, he worked at the Tampa Bay Times for nearly 20 years. He is author of “Race-Baiter: How the Media Wields Dangerous Words to Divide a Nation.”

DeGuzman is a general assignment reporter for the Texas Tribune and has been following developments of Corpus Christi's water security since the city began enforcing emergency protocols.

Kathleen deLaski is the author of the best-selling book “Who Needs College Anymore?” and founder and board chair of the Education Design Lab, which has worked with 1,200 colleges, states, and employers to design shorter, more targeted forms of higher education. She serves as senior advisor for Harvard's Project on the Workforce and teaches AI literacy at George Mason University.

Desai Martin is chief program officer at the Center for Reproductive Rights, where she leads the center’s U.S. work. A former litigator and seasoned leader, she brings two decades of experience spanning law, government, advocacy and politics. Martin has held senior roles on Capitol Hill and across multiple presidential administrations, including serving as assistant secretary for administration and management at the U.S. Department of Labor under President Joe Biden.

Despart is a reporter with the ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigative unit, focusing on the intersection of business, politics and government. He is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a winner of the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability.

Dey is an education reporter for The Texas Tribune, working in partnership with Open Campus. Her coverage looks at the school-to-work pipeline and who gets access to postsecondary education in Texas through the lens of college readiness, community colleges and career and technical training.

Dickson is chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country. He has led the foundation’s response to the July 2025 Texas Hill Country floods, overseeing more than $150 million in charitable giving to support housing, mental health, economic recovery and long-term resilience across the region.

Downen is a Texas Monthly senior writer focused on the intersection of politics and religion. He previously covered threats to democracy for The Texas Tribune, where his investigations into the far right won or placed in numerous national awards. Before that, he led the Houston Chronicle's 2019 coverage of sexual abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, work that prompted major reforms and a Justice Department investigation.

Downey is the lead writer of The Blast, The Texas Tribune’s premium politics newsletter. Prior to joining the Tribune in February 2023, he worked as a government and politics reporter and a newsletter editor for Florida Politics.

Draper is a domestic correspondent for The New York Times and the author of several books. A native Texan, he now lives in Washington, DC.

Du Mez is a New York Times bestselling author and professor of history at Calvin University. She is currently a senior democracy fellow with the Public Religion Research Institute. She has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, NBC News, Religion News Service and Christianity Today.

Dutton is a state representative representing Houston. He sits on the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence and Public Education committees and the Academic and Career-Oriented Education Select Committee. He is chair of the Family and Fiduciary Relationships Select Committee. A longtime community advocate and attorney, Dutton made history as the first African American Chairman of the House Public Education Committee.

Eckhardt, the Democratic nominee for Texas comptroller, is a third-term state senator for District 14. She has served as a prosecutor, county commissioner and Travis County Judge.

Edison reports on K-12 education for The Texas Tribune. He previously covered justice at The Connecticut Mirror, where he primarily wrote about how state policy impacted incarcerated people. He graduated from Texas public schools and now lives in Austin.

Espina is a 27-year-old nonprofit director, activist and content creator who works to uplift the Latino community through content, organizing and charity. Espina received his bachelor’s from Vassar College in 2020 and his juris doctor from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2024. He has over 23 million followers on social media.

Elizalde was selected in June 2022 to serve as superintendent of the Dallas Independent School District. Elizalde is a third-generation public school educator. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in educational leadership from UT-San Antonio, and holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from UT-Austin.

Emanuel most recently served as the U.S. Ambassador to Japan. Previously, he was the 55th mayor of Chicago, President Barack Obama’s chief of staff and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois’s 5th Congressional District.

Erdmann is senior vice president of talent and development at AT&T, leading the company’s global talent strategy across talent acquisition, talent management, learning and development and culture initiatives. Passionate about creating a career-best employee experience, she brings expertise from leadership roles at Comcast, Cisco, Apple, Intel and Liberty Mutual.

Espinoza-Grcic has a wealth of immigration experience with a long career in private practice and judicial service. She was appointed to serve as an immigration judge at the Chicago Immigration Court by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in July 2023. As an immigration judge, she presided over thousands of cases in the detained and nondetained dockets until July 2025.

Joining the Tribune in 2023, Ewalt is responsible for the strategic vision and execution of the Tribune’s live journalism. He previously worked at Chautauqua Institution in Western New York in various roles, including vice president and Emily and Richard Smucker Chair for Education and editor of The Chautauquan Daily.

Favreau is a co-founder of Crooked Media and co-host of “Pod Save America”, a popular political podcast with over 1 billion downloads. He’s also host of “Offline with Jon Favreau,’’ “The Wilderness,” and co-author of the #1 New York Times bestseller “Democracy or Else.” Prior to founding Crooked Media, Favreau was President Barack Obama’s head speechwriter from 2005-2013.

Fawcett first took office in January 2023 after running against the seated incumbent. During his first term, he has ushered in a series of projects including a new courthouse, Juvenile Justice Center, library and historic investments in roadway infrastructure.

Fechter is the Dallas-based urban affairs reporter for The Texas Tribune, covering policy — including housing affordability, housing and property taxes, evictions, policing and transportation — and politics in Texas' major metropolitan areas. Before joining the Tribune in August 2021, Joshua covered City Hall for the San Antonio Express-News.

Fetterman was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2022 and took office on Jan.3, 2023. He sits on the Senate Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Commerce, Science, and Transportation; Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; and the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Findell is a Texas-based reporter for The Wall Street Journal covering national politics and U.S.-Mexico border issues. Prior to joining the Journal in 2019, she covered local government for the Austin American-Statesman, the Dallas Morning News and for the Monitor in the Rio Grande Valley.

Fink is a New York Times correspondent and physician-scientist by training who wrote the bestselling nonfiction book “Five Days at Memorial,” based on her Pulitzer Prize-winning article about Hurricane Katrina. She was a producer of Apple TV’s eponymous series and co-created Netflix’s documentary series “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak,” filmed prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2. She is at work on a book about the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fletcher represents Texas' Seventh Congressional District in the greater Houston area. Elected in 2018, she's a Kenyon College and William & Mary Law School graduate. In the 119th Congress, she serves as Vice Ranking Member of Energy & Commerce, Chair of the Texas Democratic Delegation, and a member of Democratic Steering & Policy. She also leads key caucuses: vice Chair and whip of reproductive freedom and vice chair of equality.

Fong is chief narrative officer at Windfall Trust, which works to prepare societies for AI's economic disruption and ensure its transformative effects strengthen rather than erode democracy. A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, former chief communications officer at Human Rights Watch and author of an acclaimed work on China's one-child policy, she focuses on how sweeping policy decisions reshape societies for generations, for better or worse.

Forrest is a leader in the global events industry and dedicated more than three decades of his life to building South by Southwest into one of the world's most influential gatherings of technology, innovation and culture. He now channels his experience and expertise into exciting new directions with Gather and Grow Experiences, a consultancy that serves community-focused events, experiences and organizations globally.

Foxhall is The Texas Tribune's climate reporter. She's been a reporter in Texas for more than a decade, starting at the Houston Chronicle, where she was part of the 2017 team named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of Hurricane Harvey. She joined the Tribune as an energy reporter in 2022 and completed a year-long Knight Science Journalism Fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2025.

Fraire leads ECMC Foundation’s strategy and growth. Joining the foundation in 2023, Fraire is responsible for an annual philanthropic budget totaling $100 million. His stewardship ensures the foundation remains mission-focused and responsive to the evolving needs of the postsecondary sector and those furthest from opportunity.

Franklin started his career with Texas Parks and Wildlife, working seasonally at the Sam Bell Maxey House, a historic site in his hometown, Paris. After graduating from Texas A&M University, he managed that site. He was promoted at various TPWD parks before becoming a regional director, deputy division director and eventually division director where he's served since 2018. Franklin leads over 1400 employees at more than 90 Texas state parks.

French is a columnist for The New York Times. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he was previously a senior editor at The Dispatch and a contributing writer at The Atlantic. He is a former major in the U. S. Army Reserve and is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, where he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Frey is director of programs in classical liberal arts at the University of Virginia, where she is also a fellow at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. She was previously the inaugural dean of the Honors College at the University of Tulsa. Her public writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education and many other venues.

Garcia is a reporter on the Texas Tribune's Regions team covering the Rio Grande Valley. She previously covered local government, crime, healthcare and general assignments for The Monitor in McAllen.

Garcia is The Texas Tribune’s deputy managing editor for regional and local news. He leads a team of reporters and editors who live in the communities they report on.

García-Ríos is a political scientist at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and director of polling and data at Univision News. His work examines Latino political behavior, public opinion, immigration and the role of identity in American politics. He brings public opinion research to broader public and media audiences.

Garrett is director of state government affairs at Kalshi, where she leads state-level policy and government affairs efforts focused on prediction markets. She works with policymakers and stakeholders to advance understanding of prediction markets as tools for information aggregation, price discovery and risk management. Prior to joining Kalshi, Garrett worked in the Texas Legislature and in government affairs, with experience spanning technology, finance, economic development and public policy.

Garrett was named CBS News’ chief Washington correspondent in 2018. Garrett reports for all CBS News broadcasts and platforms. He is also the host of “The Takeout,” a weekly multiplatform interview show on politics, policy and pop culture. From 2012-18, Garrett served as the network’s chief White House correspondent.

Garza, an attorney and Brownsville native, currently serves as president of the Texas Civil Rights Project and chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 2022, Garza was the first Latina in Texas history to serve as a major party nominee for attorney general. Her work has broad impacts on civil rights, including the “Garza Notice,” a federal requirement that ensures teens in immigration detention control their reproductive healthcare choices.

Geraghty is the senior political correspondent for National Review, and a contributing columnist at the Washington Post. In recent years, he has reported from Ukraine, Taiwan, Transnistria and Syria. He co-hosts the daily “Three Martini Lunch” podcast and is a regular panelist on National Review’s podcast, “The Editors.”

Gervin Hawkins represents House District 120. She serves on the Appropriations, Ways and Means, and Redistricting committees.

Ghani is the executive director of Bridges, a multi-faith organization helping people of faith become better neighbors. Beyond dialogue, Bridges convenes faith communities to collaborate on projects that create tangible impact and stronger communities. Ghani holds a master's degree in negotiation and conflict resolution from Columbia University, focused on peacebuilding.

Gianni is a policy analyst at Goff Policy, an energy consulting firm, where she supports the firm's regulatory and policy efforts in the Texas energy market. Her work focuses on the complex energy issues that sit at the tension points between reliability, sustainability and sound policy. She currently serves as co-vice chair of ERCOT's Demand Side Working Group.

Gilbert works at the intersection of journalism and emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence. He leads the Knight Lab and founded the Data-Driven Reporting Project and Next Gen News. He co-directs the Generative Artificial Intelligence for Newsrooms project. Gilbert was The Washington Post's director of strategic initiatives and helped lead digital strategy for National Geographic.

Gonzalez is a Mexican-American who grew up along the U.S.-Mexico border. She currently provides humanitarian migrant assistance, supporting initiatives that offer hospitality to migrants. She served as an advisor for U.S. Customs and Border Protection during the Obama and Biden administrations. She has been part of the World Central Kitchen relief operations team providing food aid to vulnerable populations throughout the world.

Goodwin is currently serving her fourth term in the Texas Legislature. She is the Democratic nominee for Texas lieutenant governor.

Greenberg is the assistant dean for state and local government engagement and a professor of practice at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin. She is a primary researcher for, and past chair of Good Systems, Ethical AI at UT Austin. Greenberg serves on the Austin Forum on Technology & Society Board. She was a Texas state representative from 1991 to 2001.

Guo covers state government and politics for The Texas Tribune, with a focus on the Legislature, governor's office and U.S. Senate race. Previously, she covered Congress for The New York Times as a reporting fellow in Washington, D.C. She also had stints at Politico and The News and Observer. She graduated from Brown University, where she served as editor-in-chief and president of the independent student newspaper.

Haake is NBC News’ Chief White House Correspondent, covering all aspects of the Trump administration.

Haberman is a White House correspondent for The New York Times. Before joining the Times in 2015, she reported for the New York Post, New York Daily News and Politico. She has covered six U.S. presidential elections, shared in a 2018 Pulitzer Prize for reporting on President Trump’s advisers and their ties to Russia and is the author of “Confidence Man.”

Hafeez is a technology executive, entrepreneur, attorney and civic organizer who previously ran for U.S. Congress in Texas’ 33rd Congressional District. He is the founder of the North Texas Muslim Leadership Alliance, which works to strengthen the civic and political voice of Muslim communities across North Texas through advocacy, grassroots organizing, voter engagement, and the development of future civic and political leaders. A graduate of Georgetown Law and the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Hafeez has held leadership roles at Microsoft, Google, and Salesforce.

Hajjar is an opinion journalist and editorial board member at The Washington Post. She previously wrote for The Boston Globe as a columnist and editorial board member. Her beats include national politics, immigration and foreign policy. She has commentated on various networks including Fox News, CNN and NewsNation.

Halbrook is the director of the Invest in Texas team at Every Texan, overseeing the organization’s fiscal policy research and advocacy. He joined Every Texan in March 2023. Previously, he worked for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts and the Department of Information Resources as a policy researcher and data analyst. He holds a master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at UT Austin.

Hamill is an actor and playwright. Regularly appearing on Theatre Communications Group’s most produced playwrights list, she was the Wall Street Journal Playwright of the Year in 2017 and received the Einhorn Award in 2023. Her plays include “Pride and Prejudice,” “Sense and Sensibility,” “Vanity Fair,” “Mansfield Park,” Little Women,” “Emma,” “Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson, Apartment #2B,” “Dracula,” “The Scarlet Letter,” “The Odyssey,” “The Light and the Dark” and many more.

Harkey has over 20 years of experience helping individuals and communities succeed through the arts. Previously, she served as commissioner of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events. In her dual role as senior policy advisor for arts in culture in the mayor’s office, she advised on cultural policy and arts strategy across all city departments and agencies.

Harrigan is the author, among other books, of “The Gates of the Alamo” and “Big Wonderful Thing: A History of Texas.” He is a longtime writer for Texas Monthly.

Harris is the Alfred C. Glassell, III, Fellow in Drug Policy at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. She analyzes local, state and national drug laws. Her current research focuses on cannabis regulation, emerging drug trends and overdose mitigation strategies.

Harris is an energy executive with over 20 years of experience across the upstream oil and gas, investment banking and public accounting industries. He founded and led two Permian Basin oil and gas companies. He previously worked in investment banking at Lehman Brothers and BofA/Merrill Lynch and practiced public accounting at KPMG and Ernst and Young.

Adler Hartman is the chief executive officer of The Texas Tribune. She stepped into the role in December 2025, continuing the organization's legacy of visionary leadership. Before leading the Tribune, Adler Hartman was head of product, subscriber experiences at The New York Times, where she focused on engaging and retaining subscribers for the news subscription business, leading product development and innovation. Adler Hartman began her career as an entrepreneur, founding the food media company Spoon University before selling it to Scripps Networks Interactive.

Hebel is co-founder and editor-in-chief at Open Campus, a nonprofit news organization that partners with more than 20 local newsrooms across the country to cover college and workforce issues for their communities. Before starting Open Campus in 2019, Hebel spent two decades as an editor and reporter at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Herndon is a podcast host and editorial director at Vox, where he created and hosts "America, Actually," an audio and video podcast about national elections. He is also a political analyst for CNN and a former political reporter and podcaster for The New York Times.

Herrera is a contributing writer for Texas Monthly. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The New Yorker and The New York Times.

First elected to the Texas House in 2016, Hinojosa is a former Austin ISD trustee and a longtime public education advocate. She sits on the Land and Resource Management committee and the Public Education committee. She is running for Texas governor in 2026.

Hough is the author of the New York Times bestselling essay collection, “Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing.” Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Granta, Texas Highways, Huffpost and The Guardian. She's a writer at large for Texas Highways. She lives in Austin with a dog named Woody Guthrie.

Huang is a recent University of Texas at Austin graduate who studied sociology and Asian American studies. Now, she works for Texas Students for DEI, which formed in 2023 when graduate students at UT-Austin united against Senate Bill 17.

Huff is the Tribune’s East Texas Reporter, and is based in Lufkin. Previously, she worked for The Lufkin Daily News. Her work has been published by the Associated Press, the LA Times, NPR and a number of local outlets across Texas.

Hurt is an Austin entrepreneur, investor, author and CEO of Love Conquers Fear. He previously co-founded and led Bazaarvoice, data.world, and Coremetrics. A Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute, Hurt is the USA Today bestselling author of “Love Conquers Fear: Humanity, AI, and the Age of Abundance for All.”

Huseman is the founding editorial director of Votebeat, a nonprofit newsroom covering election administration and voting rights. She was previously the lead elections reporter for ProPublica. She is a frequent commentator on election issues for national television outlets including CNN, MSNBC and Fox News. She also teaches public records reporting at American University and data journalism at St. Bonaventure University.

Hushen is a retired law enforcement commander with more than 30 years of public safety leadership. He leads regional emergency preparedness, public safety communications and critical infrastructure resilience. Hushen advises government, industry and education partners on emergency management, security and crisis response.

Huskin is an advertising and editorial photographer based in San Antonio and runs Collective Studios. He grew up in a small town in West Texas before moving to San Antonio. While he’s best known for his fanciful yet insightful images of movers and shakers, he is also a photographer for advertising agencies, projects and magazines.

Hyams stepped down as CEO of Indeed in 2025 to focus full-time on responsible AI. He is a visiting lecturer at Huston-Tillotson University, an HBCU, where he teaches on the intersection of technology, power and justice. Hyams is a board member of Guardrails Alliance, fighting the AI industry’s efforts to buy Congressional influence and block meaningful regulation.

James is a native Austinite with over a decade of experience in Texas politics and policy. As director of government affairs for the Cicero Institute, he advances policy reforms focused on public safety, technology and healthcare. He has previously worked for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, two state senators, multiple political campaigns and the Texas Conservative Coalition Research Institute.

Johnson is a Houston native, former chief human trafficking prosecutor, attorney, educator and small business owner. Elected to the Texas House in 2020 and re-elected in 2022 and 2024, she serves as vice chair of the House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee and on the Calendars and Public Health committees. Johnson has passed bipartisan legislation to improve public safety and expand access to healthcare and mental health services.

Johnson is a co-founder and reporter with Texas Bullpen. He has covered Texas politics and the state legislature since 2019, previously with The Texan. Brad, a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, is a native Ohioan.

Johnson served as an immigration judge for three administrations. Prior to public service, Johnson practiced immigration law representing migrants and asylum seekers. He is currently counsel at Johnson Law and Consulting. Johnson also serves as the executive vice president of the National Association of Immigration Judges. He has traveled and met with migrants, refugees, government officials and humanitarians.

Jolin is the CEO and co-founder of Results for America. She has over 30 years of entrepreneurial and leadership roles in government and the nonprofit sector. Before creating Results for America in 2012, she served as senior advisor for social innovation at the White House under President Barack Obama, where she designed and launched the first Social Innovation Fund.

Joseph is the Barbara Jordan Chair in Ethics and Political Values and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a distinguished service leadership professor and professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author and editor of eight award winning books and a 2025 Andrew Carnegie Fellow.

Julianna is a Texas-based digital strategist and political media expert with more than 1.6 million followers. She rose to national prominence after dismantling a Texas abortion whistleblower site and raising over $2.2 million for abortion funds. In 2024, she became one of the first members of her generation to take the stage at the DNC.

Kabas is an independent journalist who publishes The Handbasket, a site she founded in 2022 that has become a nationally recognized news outlet. She takes a human-centered approach to covering America's crumbling institutions. Kabas has extensively covered the second Trump administration, with scoops about federal grants, ICE, DOGE, FEMA and the State Department.

Kassel is a postdoctoral fellow with the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas at Austin and an energy analyst with IdeaSmiths. In these roles, he consults and conducts research on large-scale energy systems and electric power infrastructure with a particular focus on electricity demand growth, transmission expansion, demand flexibility and pathways for powering the emerging AI era.

Kay is a legal expert, author and strategist. A pioneering voice on access to telemedicine abortion and emergency room abortion care nationwide, she co-authored Controlling Women: What We Must Do Now to Save Reproductive Freedom. Kay also designed and litigated the landmark case ABC v. Ireland before the European Court of Human Rights, playing a vital role in abortion legalization in Ireland.

Keller has led the University of North Texas since 2024. At UNT, he has launched the Look North 2030 strategic plan and the Texas Talent Accelerator. In his previous role as Texas Commissioner of Higher Education, he led development of Building a Talent Strong Texas and outcomes-based funding reforms. A sixth-generation Texan, he holds a Ph.D. from Georgetown University.

Kelly is senior managing director, global head of corporate affairs, and a member of BlackRock’s Global Executive Committee. Based in New York, he oversees communications, government affairs, sustainability, philanthropy and corporate brand strategy. Before joining BlackRock in 2023, Kelly held senior leadership roles at Roku, Starbucks and Microsoft, leading global communications, public policy, and social impact efforts.

Kendi is one of the world’s foremost historians of racism and a leading antiracist scholar. He is the Carter G. Woodson Endowed Chair in History at Howard University, and the inaugural director of Howard’s Institute for Advanced Study. He is the National Book Award-winning author of “Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America,” and his book “Stamped from the Beginning” was adapted into highly acclaimed books for young readers and an Emmy-nominated documentary on Netflix.

Trudeau is the managing director of global policy at the Bush Institute. She leverages decades of experience as a senior member of foreign service and knowledge of international relations to lead the global policy portfolio. As a diplomat, Trudeau served in Iraq, Pakistan, South Africa, NATO and the United Kingdom, as well as acting assistant secretary for global public affairs and principal deputy assistant to the secretary of defense.

Khalifa, originally from Egypt and now based in Austin, is The Texas Tribune’s newsletter writer. Previously, Khalifa worked for The Houston Chronicle as an audience producer, The Washington Post as an audience intern and theTribune as an audience fellow. She is passionate about audience-centered journalism, which she believes can highlight the stories of underrepresented communities.

Kim is trained in internal medicine, psychiatry and public health, and he uses telehealth and HIT to reimagine better models of care. As founder of Geste Health, he helps patients reclaim their stories toward better agency, health, and well-being. As host of the podcast “A Better Question,” he explores how better questions can lead to deeper understanding, meaningful connections and better ways forward.

Kirk is Senior Counsel at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP. He previously served as United States trade representative and a member of President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, as well as mayor of Dallas and Texas secretary of state. Beyond his legal practice, he serves as a trustee of Austin College, the LBJ Presidential Library Foundation and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, and is a board member of Dallas Citizens Council.

Kleberg is the founding executive director of the coastal and marine conservation organization, the Gulf Trust. He co-produced the films “Deep in the Heart: A Texas Wildlife Story,” “The River and the Wall,” and “Chasing the Tide.” He previously served as associate director of Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation and founded Explore Ranches, a private lands travel company.

Klibanoff is the law and politics reporter, based in Austin, where she covers the the Texas Legislature, the Office of the Attorney General, state and federal courts and politics writ large. She also co-hosts the weekly politics podcast, TribCast. Eleanor previously spent three years as the Tribune’s women’s health reporter, covering abortion, maternal health and LGBTQ issues. Before coming to Texas, Eleanor worked for the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting, where she reported, hosted and produced the Peabody-nominated podcast, “Dig.” Eleanor was born in Philadelphia and raised in Atlanta, and attended The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Klocek is a nationally recognized leader in poverty disruption and family economic mobility. As CEO of one of Fort Worth's oldest nonprofits, she has spent 17 years transforming the Center for Transforming Lives into a model for comprehensive, trauma-informed, two-generational services that serves more than 4,000 individuals annually.

Kofron is executive director of early childhood education at Children at Risk, a statewide Texas children’s advocacy organization. With more than 30 years in early childhood education, Kofron leads research, coalition-building and policy efforts focused on Texas’ early childhood systems. She previously served as executive director of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children

Langford is the Tribune’s health services reporter based in Austin. Langford is a veteran journalist, having worked at the Florida Times Union, The Associated Press, The Dallas Morning News, the Houston Chronicle, WNYC, Honolulu Civil Beat and Texas Standard/KUT. Langford has a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. She has covered various city and state agencies, criminal justice and health and human services for the Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, The Associated Press, WNYC and Texas Standard at KUT.

Leach is in his seventh term of serving the citizens of House District 67 in Collin County. He serves as chair of the Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence committee and sits on the Calendars and Public Education committees.

Lenhart is a senior fellow at the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and a long-time mixed methods researcher who has spent the bulk of her career studying young people and mental health, social media, smartphones and generative AI. She is a technology policy fellow at Princeton University and serves as an advisor to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Previously, Amanda was the head of research at Common Sense Media.

Levinson teaches and writes in the areas of constitutional law, legal history, and foreign and international law. An expert in his field, Levinson has authored approximately 450 articles, book reviews and commentaries in professional and popular journals, as well as seven books. In addition to teaching at Texas Law, he is a professor in the department of government at the University of Texas and is a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Law and Courts Section of the American Political Science Association.

Lewin is the Texas lead for Energy Market Development at Google. He founded Stoic Energy in 2018. Previously, he led government and regulatory affairs work for CLEAResult, an energy efficiency program implementer for over 250 utilities in 40 states and provinces.

Limeri is a former tenured faculty member in biology at TTU and at-large member of the executive committee of the Texas Tech Chapter of the American Association of University Professors. She taught introductory biology at TTU for 5 years before resigning her full-time position at TTU due to censorship concerns.

Little is a business attorney with Scheef and Stone, LLP. He was tapped to join the team of lawyers who defended Attorney General Paxton against the impeachment advanced by House leadership. In 2024, he was elected to his first term in the Texas House of Representatives.

Locke is an associate professor of history at the University of North Texas, where he specializes in the history of moral politics in Texas and the broader South and Southwest. He is the author, most recently, of “One State Under God: A History of Religion in Texas.”

Loeb is the head of The Galileo Project, former director of Harvard's Black Hole Initiative, the Institute for Theory and Computation and chair of Harvard's astronomy department. He served as a member of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology in the White House and chaired the Board on Physics and Astronomy of the National Academies. Loeb is the bestselling author of “Extraterrestrial” and "Interstellar."

Longwell is publisher of The Bulwark, one of the largest and fastest-growing independent media companies in the country. She is also the host of “The Focus Group” podcast, in which listeners hear directly from voters in Longwell’s focus groups, and New York Times bestselling author of “How to Eat an Elephant: One Voter at a Time.

Lovett is a co-founder of Crooked Media, co-host of “Pod Save America” and host of the comedy show “Lovett or Leave It.” His first book, “Democracy or Else,” which he co-authored alongside his Crooked Media co-founders Jon Favreau and Tommy Vietor, was released in 2024 and was a New York Times #1 bestseller. Before starting Crooked Media, he served as a presidential speechwriter in the Obama White House and speechwriter for Hillary Clinton.

Lowery-Hart serves as the ninth chancellor for Austin Community College District. Lowery-Hart focuses on students and the systems that should love them to success.

Lydgate is the CEO of the States United Democracy Center, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to protecting free, fair and secure elections. Before launching States United, Lydgate served as chief deputy attorney general of Massachusetts. In that role, she coordinated multistate litigation and oversaw criminal enforcement, coordinating daily with local, state and federal law enforcement partners.

MacLaggan is executive editor of KUT News, Austin’s NPR station, and The Texas Newsroom, a public radio journalism collaboration. Previously, she was managing editor of The Texas Tribune, a national correspondent for Reuters and a state Capitol reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. She has also worked in El Paso and Mexico City.

Julia Marsh oversees POLITICO's coverage including the White House, Congress, Playbook, Legal and Politics teams. Previously editorial director for California, she led expansion in the nation's most populous state. Her first assignment was New York editor. She came following a decade at the New York Post as legal correspondent and City Hall bureau chief.

Martinez is a Fort Worth-based environmental reporter. She’s covered the state's data center boom, water supply crisis, historic flooding and the expansion of state parks. She's also covered the impacts of petrochemical facilities, including investigating a chemical fire at an industrial complex and how the state's air monitoring system has failed Latino communities.

Martinez has worked on Hispanic outreach in South Texas since 2012, when he joined The LIBRE Initiative, where he is now Texas strategic director. A frequent commentator in English- and Spanish-language national media, he has been appointed to state boards by Gov. Greg Abbott and Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and serves as vice-chair of the Produce Recovery Fund Board.

Mazur leads Texas 2036's work on energy, water markets and extreme weather policy. With over 20 years in the Texas Legislature and key state agencies, he has served as director of governmental relations for the Texas Water Development Board and the Railroad Commission, and as a chief of staff in the House of Representatives and as deputy chief of staff in the Texas Senate.

Nelson is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and executive editor of The Dallas Morning News. She previously served as The Sacramento Bee’s executive editor, McClatchy’s national opinion editor, The Kansas City Star’s editorial page editor and as a Wall Street Journal White House correspondent. Nelson also was a reporter and editorial writer at The Dallas Morning News, where she and two colleagues won a Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.

McCaul represents Texas' 10th Congressional District and serves as chair emeritus of both the Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs committees. Prior to Congress, McCaul served as chief of counterterrorism in the U.S. Attorney's office, as Texas's deputy attorney general and as a federal prosecutor.

McGaughy was hired as the first dedicated Texas politics correspondent for The New York Times earlier this year. She's lived in Austin since 2014, most recently working as the statewide investigative reporter and editor at KUT, the local NPR station. She previously covered state politics for The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle and New Orleans Times-Picayune.

McGee leads Open Campus' community college accountability project, working with local newsrooms across the country to produce investigative stories about local two-year schools. Prior to that, she spent 15 years as a print and radio reporter, primarily covering education. For the last five years, she was an investigative and higher education reporter at the Texas Tribune.

Menchaca is the Houston-based K-12 education reporter for The Texas Tribune. Before joining the Tribune in 2026, she was the senior education reporter at the Houston Chronicle and the higher education reporter at the Austin American-Statesman. She previously worked as a reporting fellow and audience engagement fellow at the Tribune.

Mendoza began her career in film and editing, developing an appreciation for rhythm, emotion, and the details that make a story feel human. Now both a photographer and editor, Andrea is drawn to people, places and the moments in between. Her approach centers on curiosity and connection. Her work has appeared in Texas Monthly and The New York Times, alongside commercial work for leading brands.

Menefee represents Texas’s 18th Congressional District. A Houston native, he made history as the youngest person and first Black attorney elected Harris County Attorney. In Congress, he serves on the House Oversight and Government Reform and Science, Space and Technology committees.

Meza-Chavez is a 29-year educator with 12 years of superintendent experience. She is a two-time ESC Region 19 Superintendent of the Year and previously led Tornillo ISD. She holds a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction and has served in roles ranging from teacher to human resources director. Meza-Chavez is president-elect of the Texas Association of School Administrators and past president of Council of Women School Executives.

Miles has devoted his career to public service as a military officer, diplomat and educator. He previously led Dallas ISD, Harrison School District and Third Future Schools, driving significant gains in student achievement and school performance. Miles served in the U.S. Army Ranger Battalion and as a U.S. diplomat in Poland and Russia.

Mitchell-Bennett is the CEO of Come Dream, Come Build and the administrator of the RGV Multibank CDFI headquartered in Brownsville. During his tenure, he has led the team in the development of over 3,000 affordable homes, raised over $75 million in public and private grant funds, and deployed over $100 million in private lending capital and equity. In 2015, he was recognized with the Texas Houser of the Year Award.

Morales is the vice chair of the House Committee on Energy Resources, an attorney and the owner of his family's tortilla factory.

Moran is a retired Marine Corps officer and wounded warrior who served two deployments to Iraq. Following his military service, Moran became a dedicated advocate for fellow veterans, serving as a board member of Hope for the Warriors, spokesman for Helping a Hero. He is the former vice chair of the Texas Veterans Commission. He continues to support veterans and their families through advocacy and service.

Munsil is the senior vice president of news and editor-in-chief at Texas Public Radio/San Antonio Report. She has held staff writer, reporter and editor positions with The Dallas Morning News, Politico, The Blaze and CNN Politics, where she was editor of CNN’s The Point with Chris Cillizza in Washington.

Murgulet is a professor of hydrogeology and director of the Center for Water Supply Studies at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Her research examines groundwater, including surface water interactions, coastal aquifers, water quality, contaminant transport and regional water supply resilience. She works with communities, agencies and students across South Texas to translate hydrogeologic science into practical strategies.

Murray is executive editor of The Washington Post. During his first two years, the newsroom won three Pulitzer Prizes: the 2026 awards for public service and feature photography, and the 2025 prize for breaking news coverage. Murray served as editor in chief of The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires from 2018-2023.

Murray is a writer and professor of law at NYU School of Law. She was previously a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Murray is an expert on family law, constitutional law and reproductive rights and justice. She is a legal analyst for MSNBC and is a co-host of “Strict Scrutiny,” Crooked Media’s Supreme Court podcast.

Nasseri is a first-generation American photographer who left a career in law to try photography. He has covered the Republican National Convention for The New Yorker, The Oscars for the New York Times, the U.S. Inauguration for Vanity Fair, the Met Gala for Vogue and the California fires for Time magazine. His forthcoming book, “Strange Victory,” will be published next year by A24.

Nguyen is a general assignment reporter at The Texas Tribune. Before joining the newsroom in 2025, she was a breaking news reporter at The Dallas Morning News, a reporting fellow for the Tribune and a reporting intern at Bloomberg News. She graduated from Columbia University’s Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism. She speaks Vietnamese and conversational Spanish.

Helen Nguyen is a recent University of Texas at Austin graduate and longtime Breakthrough Central Texas student. A first-generation college graduate, she has advocated for policies supporting postsecondary access and success, drawing on her educational journey to elevate student perspectives and help young people navigate pathways to college and careers.

Nielsen-Gammon earned his doctorate in meteorology from MIT in 1990 and joined the faculty of Texas A&M University in 1991, becoming the Texas state climatologist in 2000. He now also directs the Southern Regional Climate Center. His research focuses on drought and extreme rainfall in Texas and elsewhere.

Nirenberg is the Democratic nominee for Bexar County Judge and former mayor of San Antonio. As mayor, he worked to expand Pre-K 4 SA, launch mass transit initiatives, grow the airport, and create a nationally recognized workforce and housing strategy. He recently released his first book, “Nirenberg: The Education of a Texas Public Servant.”

Ramos is a regional reporter for The Texas Tribune based in Odessa. He joined The Texas Tribune in 2023 in partnership with Report for America. Ramos tells the stories of Texas from the vast energy-rich Permian Basin region. Before the Tribune, Carlos spent time in Philadelphia writing about local politics, including the city’s 100th mayoral election.

Norman directs coverage and manages a staff of six as the Washington bureau chief for the nation's largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. Before joining States Newsroom in 2020, she was an editor at Politico and CQ Roll Call, the Washington correspondent for The Des Moines Register and an Iowa statehouse reporter for the Register.

Nosek is co-founder and chair of Texans for Reasonable Solutions, a group advancing housing reforms to improve affordability in Texas. The organization has helped pass major state and city measures, including minimum lot size reforms.

Vignarajah is the president and CEO of Global Refuge, where she leads the organization in providing resources, guidance and community to help forge a way forward for new Americans. Vignarajah previously served as policy director for First Lady Michelle Obama and at the State Department.

Oakley is president and CEO of College Futures Foundation, a philanthropic and advocacy organization focused on improving economic mobility for underserved learners through postsecondary credential attainment. A leading voice on equity in higher education and the future of learning and work, Oakley previously served as chancellor of the California Community Colleges, leading the nation’s largest and most diverse system of higher education.

Ollstein is a senior health care reporter for Politico. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, La Opinión, All Things Considered and Talking Points Memo. She is a past winner of the Association of Health Care Journalists Fellowship and was named one of the New Media Alliance’s “Rising Stars” under 30.

Omar serves as the 24th mayor of Richardson, bringing decades of civic, business, and community leadership to the role. A tech executive by profession, Omar was first elected in 2009 to Richardson’s City Council. A first-generation American, Omar was born in Milwaukee, Wisc., and raised in Texas.

Mayor Jones is the mayor of San Antonio, which has the sixth largest population in the United States and is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities. She was elected as mayor on June 7, 2025.

Pakman is host of The David Pakman Show, generating more than 200 million views per month. Born in Argentina, Pakman immigrated to the United States as a child and built one of the country’s largest independent political media audiences. His book, "The Echo Machine," became a New York Times bestseller, and his second book is "Pay Attention: How the Algorithms and Media Wars Are Suppressing Truth and Rewiring Your Brain."

Paoli brings more than 20 years of executive leadership, strategic growth and public policy to her role. With deep dives into health care and coverage, workforce development, public data, and economic revitalization, she has multiple focus lenses for understanding market forces, including consumer behaviors.

Pariser is an author, activist and entrepreneur. He has served as president of MoveOn.org, wrote the bestselling 2011 book “The Filter Bubble” and co-founded the media startup Upworthy and the global citizen movement Avaaz. With Deepti Doshi, he currently co-directs New_Public, a nonprofit research and development lab bringing together community entrepreneurs, researchers, engineers and designers to envision, architect and scale digital public spaces.

Parker is a North Texas businessman who began working in his family’s restaurants and volunteering in his community. After serving in the Texas House, Parker joined the Senate, where he chairs the Transportation Committee and Senate Republican Caucus.

Perry is the Henry A. Morss Jr. and Elisabeth W. Morss Professor of African American Studies at Harvard University and the Carol K. Pforzheimer Professor at Harvard Radcliffe Institute. She is the author of nine books including "Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People" and the 2022 National Book Award-winning title, “South to America: A Journey Below the Mason Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation.” Perry is a 2023 MacArthur Fellow.

Pfeiffer is a former White House communications director, political and digital strategist, writer of the Message Box newsletter and best-selling author. One of President Barack Obama’s longest-serving advisors, Pfeiffer joined his presidential campaign at the outset, serving first as traveling press secretary and eventually, as the campaign’s communications director. He entered the White House as deputy communications director and had risen to communications director by the end of 2009. Pfeiffer held that post until his appointment as senior advisor in early 2013.

Pimentel serves as the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, the second largest Catholic Diocese in the United States. With over two decades of experience, she oversees a wide range of ministries and social services.

Pogue is a seven-time Emmy-winning correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning. He’s also a five-time TED speaker, host of 20 NOVA science specials on PBS and a former Broadway conductor. From 2000-13, he was The New York Times weekly tech columnist.

Pollock is executive director and secretary-treasurer of the Texas Building Trades Council, representing more than 30,000 union construction workers from 13 different trades unions statewide. A journeyman inside wireman and member of IBEW Local 520 in Austin, he works on workforce development, apprenticeship, labor standards and major construction projects, with a focus on expanding high-quality career pathways and ensuring Texas has the skilled workforce needed to support continued growth.

A Republican former chair of the Federal Election Commission, Potter served as general counsel to John McCain’s 2000 and 2008 presidential campaigns and as adviser to the drafters of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. He is perhaps best known for his recurring appearances on “The Colbert Report” as the lawyer for Colbert’s super PAC, Americans for a Better Tomorrow, Tomorrow, during the 2012 election. Potter founded Campaign Legal Center in 2002. "

Powell is the CEO of Cholla Inc. From 2013-17, Powell was the director of acquisitions and new ventures at Cholla, where he led the company's entrance into the Permian basin of West Texas, leading to a step change in growth for Cholla and later a substantial exit. Powell serves on the advisory board of the MIT Energy Club.

Priest covers higher education for The Texas Tribune in partnership with Open Campus. She reports on political influence over curriculum, campus speech and university governance and how those decisions affect students and faculty. She previously worked in the Tribune's investigative unit with ProPublica, contributing to a series named a 2024 Pulitzer finalist in explanatory reporting. Her work has exposed prosecutor misconduct and prompted reforms at public agencies.

Pulido is a two-time Latin Grammy-winning Tejano music star running for Congress in Texas' 15th District. After 30 years as a singer and songwriter, he decided to run for office.

2025 Texas Poet Laureate, Quintanilla is the author of “If I Go Missing” and “The Book of Wounded Sparrows.” He was longlisted for the National Book Award and is a 2026 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award finalist. His latest book, “Las Horas Imposibles / The Impossible Hours,” won the Academy of American Poets’ Ambroggio Prize.

Rabb is president of the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. Prior to joining the TTARA, she was a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy and previously served as tax policy advisor to the lieutenant governor, clerk of the Texas House Ways and Means Committee and tax policy director for the Texas comptroller. Rabb holds a juris doctor from UT School of Law and a master of laws in taxation from SMU's Dedman School of Law.

Ravitch is a historian of education. Born and raised in Houston, she now lives in Brooklyn, NY. Two of her books were national bestsellers: "The Death and Life of the Great American School System" and "Reign of Error." She worked in the administration of President George H.W. Bush, and was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the federal National Assessment of Educational Progress testing.

Reid is the Tribune’s education data developer. He started in 2024 after completing Columbia University’s Lede Program for Data Journalism. He previously supported the investigative reporting program at Northwestern University’s Medill School as a data consultant and contributing reporter and also completed a data journalism internship at the Jacksonville Tributary in Florida.

Richie is a co-founder and reporter with Texas Bullpen. Having previously covered Texas politics for state and national outlets, he most recently served as press secretary and deputy director of communications at the Texas Attorney General's Office.

Rogers serves as the chief development officer at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts and as the founder and principal of Landmark Horizon Advisory, a nonprofit consulting firm. Prior to that, Kate served as the president and CEO of the Alamo Trust, the nonprofit organization responsible for the daily operations of the Alamo historic site and the implementation of the $550 million Alamo Plan.

Romero is serving his sixth term representing House District 90 in Fort Worth. He also serves as chair of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus. The son of Mexican immigrants, he became Tarrant County’s first Latino state representative in 2014.

Rosenstiel is a journalist, media critic, researcher, novelist and professor. He is the author of eight nonfiction books, including “The Elements of Journalism,” and four novels. Rosenstiel has been a press critic for the Los Angeles Times, chief congressional correspondent for Newsweek, press critic for MSNBC, director of media studies at the Pew Research Center and led the American Press Institute. He now teaches at the University of Maryland.

Rosenthal is a mechanical engineer, four-term Texas legislator and energy industry veteran. While working in engineering, he focused on improving safety and accountability in the oil and gas industry. He was elected to the Texas House in 2018.

Rove was senior adviser to President George W. Bush and deputy chief of staff from 2004-07. At the White House, he oversaw the offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison and Intergovernmental Affairs and was deputy chief of staff for policy, coordinating the White House policymaking process.

Rowen is a senior editor at Texas Monthly, editing and writing about news and politics.

Rubin has spent 25 years trying to earn audiences’ trust, from helping open Apple’s first retail store to covering presidential campaigns and breaking news for CNN. Today, he leads marketing at Howdy.com and hosts CTO Studio, an ongoing documentary project and interview series exploring how AI is changing the way technology leaders hire, build and lead. His conversations capture the decisions and anxieties shaping the industry as they play out.

For over 25 years, Rubin has worked on advancing children's policy initiatives focusing on early education and other public policies that contribute to school success and family well-being. Previously, she coordinated advocacy strategies across the early education, health and justice initiatives at The Pew Charitable Trusts. In 2019, Governor Abbott appointed Rubin to the Texas Early Learning Council, and she currently serves as its vice chair.

Runnels is the afternoon and evening reporter at The Texas Tribune. Previously, they were a breaking news reporter for the Las Vegas Sun. A graduate of the Mayborn School of Journalism at the University of North Texas, Runnels was a Dallas Press Club Foundation reporting fellow at the Tribune in 2023.

Russell serves as President and CEO of Education is Freedom, where she leads partnerships and initiatives supporting students’ educational aspirations. With nearly 40 years in public education, her experience spans teaching, campus and district leadership, and expanding college, career, and military readiness pathways for students across North Texas.

Samuels is co-founder and executive director of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas , a movement demonstrating youth visibility in policymaking. Directing SEAT's digital and legal strategies, Samuels has spearheaded grassroots opposition to anti-LGBTQ+ mandates in Texas school districts and testified to the U.S. Senate on book bans. Samuels was named one of Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 and received the Trailblazer Award from the Human Rights Campaign.

As director of No Kid Hungry Texas, Sanchez-Hare unites communities around practical, bipartisan solutions to childhood hunger. Through grantmaking, partnerships and advocacy, her leadership has connected thousands of kids to nutritious food, including expanding no-cost school meals to 146,000 Texas students.

Scelfo is an award-winning journalist and the founder of Mothers Against Media Addiction, a grassroots movement of parents fighting back against media addiction and creating a world in which real-life experiences and interactions remain at the heart of a healthy childhood. Under her leadership, MAMA has established 50 chapters across 23 states and secured landmark AI safety legislation in California and New York.

Schelling is the executive director of the Transgender Education Network of Texas. He has been leading the charge for trans equity in Texas for over a decade. His community-focused approach has created a vehicle for trans Texans to transform the extent of their advocacy work across the state. In 2022, his work was honored in TIME’s list of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Schifeling leads the ACLU’s national political advocacy department, which houses the organization’s national and state-level policy and campaigns teams, national grassroots organizing infrastructure and electoral programming. Schifeling brings an extensive political, organizing and coalition-building background to the ACLU, having held key leadership positions in the Biden White House, at Planned Parenthood and the Fight Back Table.

Schiller is a longtime executive at the intersection of media and technology in the public interest. Prior to joining PJMF, Schiller served as vice president at the Aspen Institute, president and CEO of NPR, global chair of news at Twitter, general manager of NYTimes.com, chief digital officer of NBC News and head of CNN’s documentary and long form divisions.

Schredder is a co-founder and editor at Texas Bullpen. She previously reported on the Texas Legislature for The Texas Tribune and most recently served as press secretary to Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan.

Schwartz has taught journalism at UT-Austin since 2021 after a nearly 40-year career in journalism at The New York Times, The Washington Post and other publications. His beats have included climate change, business and technology, space, infrastructure and other topics that have taken him from the Mojave Desert to Moscow.

Seale is a San Antonio-based entrepreneur, filmmaker, author and host of the podcast “A New History of Old Texas.” His work recovers the overlooked people and contested memories that shaped Texas and northern Mexico. His latest documentary, “The Republic of the Rio Grande,” revisits a short-lived borderland rebellion and the enduring questions of identity, power and belonging it left behind.

Segura is the superintendent of Austin ISD, serving over 66,000 students and 10,000 staff members. First joining the district as operations officer in 2018, he was appointed permanent superintendent in January 2024. Under his leadership, Austin ISD achieved a 20% boost in staff retention while focusing on special education reform and long-range facilities planning through 2030.

Serrano writes about Texas politics and government for The Texas Tribune. Since joining the Tribune in 2022, he has helped investigate the Uvalde school shooting, lived for half a year in Eagle Pass during a temporary assignment covering immigration and documented a variety of major occurrences in the state from Houston.

Serwer is the author of the New York Times bestseller "The Cruelty Is the Point." He has previously been a recipient of the 2021 Moment Magazine Robert S. Greenberger Journalism award, the 2019 Hillman Prize for opinion journalism and the 2019 Salute to Excellence Award for commentary from the National Association of Black Journalists.

Sessions was first elected to Congress in 1996. He also served as chair of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 through 2012. He is currently a senior member on the House Financial Services Committee and is the chair of the Subcommittee on Government Operations on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Siegel was elected in 2024 to represent Austin’s District 7. He has devoted more than 25 years to public service, including as a public school teacher, nonprofit leader and a civil rights lawyer. He led the effort to end the City of Austin’s Automated License Plate Reader program and co-authored the TRUST Act, which created mandatory transparency measures to evaluate the City’s use of surveillance technologies.

Simpson is the Houston-region reporter, where he covers the fast-growing city and its surrounding areas. He joined the Texas Tribune in 2023 and previously served as the mental health reporter. Prior to that, he was a politics reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he covered the state’s Supreme Court, House of Representatives and correctional system. Stephen’s earliest career experiences include reporting and copy editing at The Jonesboro Sun and The Pine Bluff Commercial. He earned a degree in online and print journalism with a minor in filmmaking from the University of Central Arkansas.

Slawson represents House District 59. She serves on the Appropriation Committee and the Human Services Committee.

Smallwood is the co-founder and CEO of Open Campus, a national nonprofit media organization dedicated to local reporting on higher education. Before founding Open Campus in 2019, Smallwood spent nearly two decades at The Chronicle of Higher Education.

Smith is managing director of events at The Atlantic, overseeing the magazine's live journalism and other public programming. He’s also a senior advisor at Emerson Collective, working closely with journalists and funders around the country to support local news.

J.B. Smith is the editor-in-chief of the Bridge, where he oversees the news operation. He has spent 33 years in Texas journalism, including 27 at the Waco Tribune-Herald. As a reporter, he covered city government, the environment, immigration and housing.

Solis is president of The Commit Partnership, the nation’s largest collective impact education backbone organization. He has dedicated his career to serving Dallas through work in education, housing and transportation, including as Dallas ISD school board president.

Spicer joined the district in October 2024 and brings over 20 years of experience. She works to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed and reach their full potential.

Stark is Austin Current's government reporter. He has been reporting in Austin for several years, most recently as a broadcast reporter at KXAN.

Steakin is a co-author of Politico’s flagship newsletter, covering politics, policy and power in the United States. His reporting focuses on the future of the Republican and Democratic parties, emerging political coalitions and the forces reshaping American politics. Before joining Politico, he spent nearly eight years at ABC News covering the White House, Congress and national elections.

Stelter is the chief media analyst for CNN and author of the Reliable Sources newsletter. He has authored three books: “Network of Lies,” “HOAX: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth,” and the New York Times best-seller “Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV,” which inspired the Emmy winning TV series “The Morning Show.”

Stitt serves as governor of Oklahoma. He was elected in 2019. Before serving as governor, Stitt founded Gateway in 2000 and transformed it into one of Oklahoma’s largest banks. Stitt secured $1.6 billion in tax cuts and championed Oklahoma’s economy globally. He made record investments in education and championed universal education freedom.

Styles is the founder and president of Measure, an award-winning social justice nonprofit advancing equity through data, research and technology. A national leader in data justice, equitable evaluation and community-driven innovation, she is a Just Tech Fellow with the Social Science Research Council and chair of the HBCU AI Conference. Styles advocates for responsible AI and technology that centers the lived experiences of Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities.

Svitek covers the midterms and the 2028 presidential race for CNN. He previously covered national politics for The Washington Post. Before that, he covered Texas politics for nearly a decade, mostly for the Texas Tribune.

Before becoming a lawyer, Sween worked as a writer, actor, theater director and college professor. After obtaining a law degree at the University of Texas, she clerked for a federal district judge and then practiced civil trial and appellate law, working on numerous death penalty appeals pro bono. Since 2015, she has devoted her practice to representing individuals threatened by the death penalty full time, often pro bono.

Talarico is the Democratic nominee to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate. A former public school teacher and education nonprofit leader, he was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He served on the Public Education and House Administration committees and is vice chair of the Trade, Workforce and Economic Development Committee.

Greene spent two decades owning and operating a family construction business, before taking her business experience to the U.S. Congress. She served in Congress for five years representing Georgia’s 14th district.

Temple is a professor, licensed psychologist and associate dean for clinical research at UTHealth Houston’s School of Behavioral Health Sciences, where he holds the Betty and Rose Pfefferbaum Chair in Child Mass Trauma and Resilience. He directs the Texas Violence and Injury Prevention Research Center.

Thompson is a Dallas-based content creator and civic engagement advocate focused on voting rights and political education in Texas. She creates accessible content that moves people from awareness to action, centering everyday Texans in conversations about democracy, representation and the power of their vote. She’s also a public relations professional with experience in thought leadership and brand storytelling.

Ton-Aime is executive director of Pittsburgh Arts and Lectures, and previous director of Literary Arts at Chautauqua Institution. He is the author of a chapbook, “LaWomann,” and the Haitian Creole translation of “Olympic Hero: The Story of Lennox Kilgour.” His newest poetry collection, “Konbit”, was published in 2026. He is the co-founding editor of ID13.

Torres is the Texas editor for the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Initiative. Torres previously worked at the El Paso Times, Los Angeles Times and The Denver Post before joining ProPublica in 2019.

Toussant serves as Senior Vice President of Education, Talent and Workforce at the Dallas Regional Chamber, where he leads efforts to strengthen regional talent pipelines and economic mobility. His work spans employer partnerships, education and workforce policy, and initiatives connecting North Texans to high-quality education, training, and career opportunities.

Treviño has served as Cameron County judge for the past decade. As the leader of Texas’ only coastal border county, he has helped elevate Cameron County to national and international prominence through economic development, infrastructure investment and regional growth.

Trevizo is an award-winning journalist with the ProPublica-Texas Tribune Investigative Unit. She has written about immigration and the border from across the U.S. and more than half a dozen countries. She's a native of El Paso, where she began her career about 20 years ago.

Trusty’s 31-year-long career in parks and recreation, land management, tourism and economic development includes managing international adventure tour programs, systems of parks and nature centers and serving as vice president for National Audubon Society. He has chaired the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Plains Landscape Conservation Cooperative, the University of North Texas Advanced Environmental Research Institute Advisory Board and currently chairs the Texas State Parks Advisory Committee.

Tsfany is the president and CEO of the Ayn Rand Institute. Tsfany has been an entrepreneur, investor and executive in the software world. He has built and grown successful teams in multi-billion-dollar businesses and is a pioneer in the field of customer success.

Tucker is an Emmy and Webby Award–winning multidisciplinary artist whose work explores race, memory and social history through moving image and collage. Her most recent film, “The Inquisitor,” premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and broadcast on PBS’ Independent Lens. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, she is an assistant professor of video and photography at the University of Houston.

Tyszko is a senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where he advances policies and programs that enhance the career readiness of youth and adult learners and strengthen economic competitiveness. Tyszko oversees the Chamber Foundation’s workforce development portfolio, including the Talent Pipeline Management initiative as well as JEDx, the T3 Innovation Network, JobSIDE, EPIC, Talent Finance and Pathways with Purpose.

Ulloa is a national reporter for The New York Times. She previously reported for The Boston Globe, where she was part of a team that won the Toner Prize for Excellence in Political Reporting, and the Los Angeles Times. A native of El Paso, she started out as a journalist in Texas, where she worked for newspapers in Brownsville, San Antonio and Austin.

Valdez is the author of “How to Be a Texan: The Manual.” Before joining The Atlantic in 2021, she was the founding editor in chief of The 19th. She also previously held positions at the Texas Observer, Wired and Texas Monthly.

Valencia is a national leader in Latino civic engagement, media and research. She co-founded Equis, a Latino research firm, and co-founded Latino Media Network, one of the largest Latino-owned media acquisitions in U.S. history. She's worked in Congress, the White House, the commerce department and Google, and advised Reid Hoffman and Penny Pritzker.

Vasut represents House District 25, comprising southern and western Brazoria County. He currently serves as chair of the Redistricting Committee and as a member of the Culture, Recreation and Tourism and Ways and Means committees in the 89th Session.

Vietor is a co-founder of Crooked Media, co-host of “Pod Save America”, and co-host of the foreign policy-focused “Pod Save the World.” In 2017, he co-founded Crooked Media, alongside his White House colleagues Jon Lovett and Jon Favreau. Prior to founding Crooked Media, he worked for President Barack Obama for nine years, including a stint as White House national security spokesman.

Villalba is a former three-term Texas state representative and chair and CEO of the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation , a nonpartisan organization advancing data-driven analysis of Latino political trends. He also leads the Texas Lobbying and Government Affairs Practice at FBT Gibbons LLP.

Born and raised in Corpus Christi, Villalobos was elected to the Texas House of Representative in 2024. During the 89th Legislative Session she served on the Appropriations, Natural Resources, Local and Consent Calendars committees, and the Select Committee on Health Care Affordability.

Beard is president and CEO of Houston Endowment, leading the foundation’s vision to create a vibrant region where all have the opportunity to thrive. A South Texas native, she spent 27 years at Teach For America, including 12 as CEO, guiding significant organizational transformation. Her experience — from the classroom to communities nationwide — has shaped her belief in the power of local leadership and strong systems that support families and neighborhoods.

Vonderhaar is an independent documentary photographer working in Texas and beyond. His work focuses on climate, industry and immigration and how these forces constantly interact to shape the physical and cultural landscape of the Lone Star State. He also teaches photography as an adjunct lecturer at Texas State University.

Warner is the author of “More Than Words: How to Think About Writing in the Age of AI”. His previous books include “Why They Can’t Write: Killing the Five-Paragraph Essay and Other Necessities” and “The Writer’s Practice: Building Confidence in Your Nonfiction Writing”. He is a weekly columnist at the Chicago Tribune and Inside Higher Ed.

Warnock serves as a U.S.senator from Georgia and the senior pastor of the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church of Atlanta. Warnock holds degrees from Morehouse College and Union Theological Seminary and several honorary doctorate degrees in recognition of his ministry and public service. He is the author of the new book, “The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America.”

Watkins began serving as editor in chief of the Tribune in September 2024. He’s spent two decades in Texas journalism, and previously worked at The Eagle in Bryan-College Station and The Dallas Morning News. Watkins joined the Tribune in 2015, and has held various roles, including higher education reporter, breaking news editor, politics editor and managing editor.

Webb is a quantitative futurist who advises leaders of the Fortune100, three White House administrations and heads of state across four continents. Her books, including international bestseller “The Big Nine,” are translated into 23 languages. She was ranked the #3 Most Influential Management Thinker in the World on Thinkers50’s 2025 list.

West represents Dallas District One. A former plan commissioner, West helped draft Dallas’ live-work, accessory dwelling unit and inclusionary zoning ordinances. He has championed walkability, housing affordability, parking reform, and the expansion of trails and bike infrastructure while balancing growth with neighborhood preservation.

Bridget Worley serves as Chief State Impact Officer at the Commit Partnership, where she advances statewide strategies to improve student outcomes. Her experience spans classroom teaching, education policy, government relations, and systems leadership, including senior roles with the Louisiana Department of Education and founding leadership of the Texas Impact Network.

Wright is the author of numerous books, plays and screenplays. He has won three National Magazine Awards for The New Yorker, two Emmys, and the Pulitzer Prize. He lives in Austin and plays keys for the blues band WhoDo.

Chen is the senior supervising attorney for voting rights at the Texas Civil Rights Project, where she litigates redistricting, voter suppression and election administration cases, advocates for democracy at every level of government and leads Texas' efforts to protect against election threats. She also serves as board president of Asian Texans for Justice and as a commissioner on the City of Austin's Asian American Quality of Life Commission.

Yar is a photographer and editor based in El Paso. He is currently a visuals editor at ProPublica, where he edits, photographs and art-directs stories across the site. As a photographer, his work has primarily focused on human migration and the conflicts in Iraq and Syria. He is the inaugural recipient of the James Foley Award for Conflict Reporting, a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a Dart Center Ochberg Fellow.

Zwiener is an author, educator and conservationist who is serving her fourth term in the Texas House of Representatives. She serves as the vice chair of the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs. She is also a member of the Committee on Natural Resources, Local and Consent Calendars, and the Permanent Standing Subcommittee on County and Regional Government. Zwiener founded and chairs the Texas Energy and Climate Caucus, is a founding member of the LGBTQ Caucus and serves as a deputy whip for the Texas Democratic Caucus.