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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Texas political news has been dominated lately by the fight over who will be the new speaker of the Texas House. Here’s a look at what’s at stake, why the chamber’s Republicans are butting heads and why the speaker role matters so much in Texas. -
The Beaumont Republican was expected to go toe-to-toe with Rep. David Cook. The caucus holds a meeting Saturday to ultimately decide who they will be backing. -
Texas House Democrats pick Rep. Gene Wu as caucus chair. What does this mean for the speaker's race?The party is in the minority, but it’s the leader's job to make sure their voices are heard across the aisle. -
Last session, GOP lawmakers passed a drag bill, a ban on gender-affirming surgery and other legislation targeting the LGBTQ community. With the Republican Party growing more conservative, experts say it's likely the theme will continue. -
Now that the 2024 election is over in Texas, the issue of protecting ballot secrecy is receiving renewed attention in the courts and the legislature. -
Perhaps the biggest Texas takeaway from the presidential election is that more counties went Republican this cycle — specifically in the Rio Grande Valley and surrounding areas. Experts say it’s the culmination of a years-long GOP strategy. -
Texas Republicans reaffirmed their overwhelming control of the state legislature in Tuesday’s election. But a crop of fresh Republican faces in the Texas House could have big implications for the balance of power in the chamber, including the state’s ongoing battle over school vouchers. -
It’s a race to the finish line as U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the incumbent Republican, and his Democratic challenger, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, make their final cases to voters. -
Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Austin and Houston, respectively. Austinites should expect traffic. -
To win, the congressman needs to convince Texas voters to break decades of precedent. Texas hasn’t elected a Democrat to a statewide office in three decades.
