Welcome to Mayday!
If you’re new here, welcome.
Mayday! is an independent publication covering the politics, government, elections, and public policy shaping Hays County, Texas.
We believe local journalism is one of the essential institutions of a healthy democracy—not because journalists should tell people what to think, but because citizens deserve the information necessary to think for themselves.
This publication exists to explain government, examine the public record, provide context that daily news often lacks, and hold public officials, representatives, and institutions accountable through careful, evidence-based reporting.
If you’re wondering where to begin, these five essays explain who we are, what we believe, and why this publication exists.
Foundations
The following essays form the editorial foundation of Mayday! We recommend reading them in order.
Essay No. 1
Why Mayday Exists
The founding essay.
Why does another political publication need to exist?
This essay explains why Mayday! was created, why independent local journalism matters, and why local government deserves the same careful scrutiny we often reserve for state and national politics.
Essay No. 2
The Death of Local Journalism
What happens when communities lose their newspapers?
This essay explores the decline of independent local journalism, the consequences for democratic accountability, and why rebuilding public trust begins with local reporting.
Essay No. 3
Read the Record
Our editorial philosophy in three words.
This essay explains why Mayday! places primary source documents at the center of every investigation.
Meetings.
Campaign finance.
Budgets.
Voting records.
Court documents.
Readers deserve the opportunity to examine the evidence for themselves.
Read Essay →
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Essay No. 4
Democracy Requires Witnesses
Democracy depends on more than elections.
It depends on citizens willing to pay attention between elections.
This essay explores why transparency, public participation, and institutional memory are essential to accountable government.
Read Essay →
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Essay No. 5
The Postmortem
An examination of the 2026 Hays County Democratic primary runoff—not simply as an election recap, but as a case study in political communication, media ecosystems, voter behavior, and the future of local politics.
Rather than asking who won or lost, this essay asks a different question: What did we learn?
Read Essay →
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What You’ll Find Here
Mayday! publishes:
Independent reporting
Long-form essays
Election analysis
Government explainers
Campaign finance investigations
Public records analysis
Commissioners Court coverage
Public policy reporting
Historical context
Original data analysis
Whenever possible, our reporting links directly to the original public record so readers can examine the evidence themselves.
Our Editorial Values
Every essay published by Mayday! is guided by three principles:
Pro-Transparency.
Government should be understandable.
Pro-Context.
Facts matter. Context makes them meaningful.
Pro-Accountability.
Power should always expect scrutiny.
Our Promise
We are not here to manufacture outrage.
We are not here to amplify rumors.
We are not here to tell readers what to think.
We are here to document.
To explain.
To question.
To remember.
To help build a more informed citizenry.
Read the Constitution
Before you dive into our reporting, we invite you to read the document that governs this publication.
The Editorial Constitution of Mayday!
It explains our mission, editorial standards, sourcing policies, corrections process, use of artificial intelligence, and commitment to independent journalism.
Welcome to Mayday!
Independent journalism depends on readers who believe that informed communities make stronger democracies.
We publish deliberately.
We verify carefully.
We follow the public record wherever it leads.
Welcome.
Mayday!
Independent journalism covering the politics, government & public policy shaping Hays County, Texas.
Pro-Transparency. Pro-Context. Pro-Accountability.
Read the Record.