James Barragán is the Capital Tonight anchor for Spectrum News. He joined the team in 2025 after nearly a decade covering Texas politics for the Austin American-Statesman, The Dallas Morning News, and The Texas Tribune. 

James earned his bachelor's degree in History from UCLA and minored in English. In 2024, he was selected as Nieman fellow for Journalism at Harvard University, where he studied the erosion of democracy in the United States at the state and local levels. 

His reporting has earned him numerous awards, including nomination as a finalist for The Livingston Award for Young Journalists in 2023 and twice named a finalist for the Toner Prize for Political Reporting. 

In his spare time, James enjoys reading, working out, and watching sports -- especially soccer and college basketball. 

You can follow him on X @James_Barragan.