Blaise Gainey
Texas Capitol ReporterBlaise Gainey is the youngest of three siblings, a loving husband and a father of two.
He covers state politics for The Texas Newsroom.
He previously worked at Nashville Public Radio, where he reported on state politics, elections and breaking news. Prior to that, he covered state politics in Tallahassee, Florida, at WFSU, the local NPR station.
While at WFSU, Blaise won a Regional Edward R. Murrow in Hard News for his coverage of the police shooting death of Tony McDade.
His work has aired on the BBC, NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered and a myriad of national newscasts. He’s also made live appearances on PBS NewsHour and local television stations in Nashville and Tallahassee.
Gainey grew up in Central Florida, then moved to North Florida for college and stayed for work.
He has an undergraduate degree from Florida A&M University.
Got a tip? Email him at bgainey@kut.org. Follow him on X @BlaiseGainey.
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Lawmakers worked this year to address Texas' property taxes by increasing the tax break homeowners get on their property — and new proposals have already been made for the 2027 legislative session. -
From the Texas battle for U.S. Senate to who’s running to be the state’s next governor, here are the key races — and candidates — to be watching as we head into 2026. -
Texas Republicans claim victory in Supreme Court ruling allowing congressional map to go into effectThe state’s top Republicans swiftly praised the Supreme Court’s decision to allow Texas to use its controversial congressional map for the 2026 midterms. The map was designed to give Republicans as many as five new seats in the U.S. House. -
Texas lawmakers passed the bill, referred to as the “Women’s Privacy Act” by supporters, earlier this year. It requires a person in publicly owned buildings to use restrooms, locker rooms, and similar facilities associated with the gender on their birth certificate. Enforcement of the controversial new law begins this Thursday. -
The U.S. Supreme Court will now make a final decision on whether Texas can use its new congressional map, which was drawn this summer to benefit Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections. The outcome could have a huge impact on which party controls the U.S. House of Representatives in the future. -
A federal court in El Paso had earlier Tuesday placed a temporary block on the map that Republican lawmakers passed this summer and ordered the state to use the district maps from the last two elections. -
The congressional redistricting Texas Republicans pushed forward this summer didn’t just reshape two of Houston’s most historically diverse districts: It also changed which voters there have the power to choose who will represent them in Washington. -
Paxton announced Wednesday he has filed the necessary paperwork to enter the 2026 race. The Republican first declared his intentions to run earlier this year. -
Gov. Greg Abbott formally announced his fourth gubernatorial run in Houston on Sunday. The incumbent Republican, who currently has around $87 million in his campaign war chest, will face two opponents in the 2026 party primary election. -
While most proposed amendments on this year's ballot focused on taxes, voters also showed strong support for investing in Texas’ network of technical colleges and dementia and Alzheimer’s research.
