Jayme Lozano Carver, The Texas Tribune

LUBBOCK — Thirty years ago, Suzanne Bellsnyder was a budding young Republican working in Austin, far from her home in the Texas Panhandle. She was on a mission to push Republicans — the likes of John Cornyn and Greg Abbott — into power.

Now, she’s returned to the Panhandle and is a known hellraiser for the same Republicans she helped elect. Her new mission is simple: advocate for better lives and treatment of rural Texans.

“They want our resources, but they don’t care about our people,” said Bellsnyder, who now publishes two rural newspapers and writes a regular newsletter about rural issues on Substack. “It’s up to us to step up and ask for equal resources now.”...

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"Texas congressmen cleared in ethics investigation over campaign finance spending" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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LUBBOCK — Morgan Kirkpatrick was exhausted.

The longtime Lubbock resident and State Board of Education candidate spent most of her morning with other local Democratic candidates campaigning door-to-door ahead of early voting next week. From there, she went to Mahon Library in downtown Lubbock, where more than a dozen volunteers were already writing postcards to voters for her campaign.

Out of chairs, the former teacher opted to sit on the floor and get to work. Yes, she was physically drained, but she is even more tired of seeing Republicans run unopposed in local elections in Texas’ South Plains region her entire adult life. ...

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

LUBBOCK, Texas — Spring rains have revived much of the green grass covering stretches of plains in the Texas Panhandle — the same land that, just three months ago, was black from fire and ash after wildfires burned more than 1 million acres across the region.

The land is slowly healing from its scars. And yet, the devastation still haunts those who call the Panhandle home....