FEC and listed quickly on OpenSecrets processing and analyzing the detailed records takes much longer. Among elected officials holding the same level of state office, fundraising varies widely. The tour, which starts in O'Rourke's hometown of El Paso has scheduled 70 public events in 65 counties, including in many areas that historically have preferred Republican candidates. Some of the state data included errors in the address field; these records were corrected when possible such as when the donors address was available elsewhere in the data set and omitted from the location-based calculations when not. On Wednesday, Abbott underscored state Republicans delight that they held off the Democrats charge in the election immediately preceding a once-a-decade redistricting of political boundaries. That amount is up from 12% of his contributions coming from energy interests after the 2019 session, about $383,000. Greg Abbott - Texas Governor (R) Now showing data for the 2022 election year. based on summary reports filed by the candidates with the Federal Election Commission. Power companies were in the hot seat, as millions of Texans who endured a week of subfreezing temperatures with no power demanded sweeping, multibillion dollar improvements to prevent another deadly disaster and lawmakers promised action. Not long after, Abbott released a list of issues lawmakers needed to address in July during a special-called legislative session. the first of the month. That has resulted in both candidates receiving a large number of donations from outside Texas. Warren's company Energy Transfer declined to comment on his behalf. "The nearly 113,000 contributions illustrates that Gov. Thats significantly more than former Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke. Since the beginning of last year, Abbotts campaign has raised about $5.5 million from at least 17 billionaires and 3 spouses of billionaires. O'Rourke's campaign reported Tuesday having raised $25.18 million over the most recent reporting period from July 1 through Sept. 29. (An Abbott spokesman did not release the campaigns report for the second half of 2020, which is due at the Texas Ethics Commission on Friday.). Karnei, the CEO of a Central Texas power cooperative, is an abounding donor to politicians and energy-related political action committees, campaign finance records show. Patrick spokeswoman Sherry Sylvester said: No one has been tougher on the energy sector and more proactive for ratepayers this session than Lt. Gov. Greg) Abbott is taking million-dollar checks from the CEOs who profited off of the grid collapse, were receiving support from people all over Texas who want to ensure that our state finally leads in great jobs, world class schools and the ability to see a doctor," O'Rourke said in a statement. At the state level, corporations and unions can give directly to campaigns in many jurisdictions. On June 23, Warren cut a check to Abbott's campaign for $1 million, according to the governor's latest campaign finance filing, which covers January through June. Texans deserve answers about why these shortfalls occurred and how they are going to be corrected, and Texans will get those answers.. Crenshaw, 36, is almost as renowned a fundraiser as Abbott, 63. With Democrat Joe Biden about to move into the White House and national Republicans in disarray over President Donald Trumps norm-shattering behavior in recent weeks, a big bankroll is about the only certainty Abbott can rely on. Texas governor election: Beto O'Rourke looks to put Greg Abbott on defense in early stages of Texas governor's race. OpenSecrets aggregates state data from many sources and formats. O'Rourke at that time had raised $7.2 million while Abbott raised nearly $19 million in the last six months of 2021, according to January campaign finance reports. Texas is already guaranteed record-setting spendingfor a governor's race this year, and the numbers keep climbing. OpenSecrets A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20005 (202) 857-0044 INFO: info@crp.org Because Texas has no campaign finance contribution limits, its possible both candidates will accumulate and spend record-breaking amounts of campaign cash by Election Day. Democrat Beto O'Rourke announced he's running for governor of Texas and says he'll move past divisive politics and bring the state together. The former El Paso congressman and presidential candidate is trying to become the first Democrat in nearly 30 years to win statewide office in Texas and to be the state's first Democratic governor since Ann Richards (1991-1995). A contribution to a candidate may be given an Dozens of donations in quantities like $100,000, $50,000, and $25,000 and page after page of $10,000 donations poured in over the course of the election cycle from individuals and PACs alike. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. Board member Mark Carpenter, a senior vice president with Dallas-based Oncor Electric Delivery, has contributed $10,000 to Texans for Greg Abbott, Abbotts campaign war chest, since October 2018. Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to cut off funding for the legislature after Democrats walked out of the final session to prevent the passage of Abbott's voter integrity bill. And talk of a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? Fixing Texas power grid was about the only thing Republicans and Democrats in the legislative session seemed to agree on earlier this year. Carpenter, Cobos and Walker are three of 10 remaining ERCOT board members after the five others all of whom live out of state resigned this week. A report from Texans for Public Justice released this week found that Abbott raised more than $87 million in campaign contributions from the start of 2017 through the end of last year. How many donations came from within Texas? American Airlines, flight attendants file for mediation during contract negotiations, New Uptown office tower lands second major lease, Years after North Texas bid for Amazons second headquarters, retail giant halts plan, Mesquite to become the site of new 2,500-home community, North Texas builders see influx of activity in new year, but challenges persist, Mark Wahlberg pours tequila for fans at Dallas restaurant during thunderstorm, Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving tandem clicks with joint 40-point displays in Mavs win vs. 76ers, Dallas Cowboys focused on adding another dynamic offensive weapon, Ex-Cowboys OC Kellen Moore opens up on Dallas departure, shows gratitude for Mike McCarthy, The Cowboys are closer than you think to a total makeover at running back, 12 Dallas-Fort Worth restaurants that have closed in 2023. Here's how much. Greg Abbott, the state budget and CPS and foster care. profiles for state and federal officeholders are derived from contribution records disclosed in campaign finance As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the . Most of Patricks energy industry money received in June was driven by oil executives. A Schwertner spokesperson did not respond to questions for this story. O'Rourke, who launched his campaign in November, raised the significant sum over 46 days on the campaign trail from more than115,600 contributions of which roughly 80% were made online. Abbott's campaign said his roughly $25 million in donations from the most recent filing period came from nearly 45,000 contributors, which is 1/10th of the number of donors reported by his challenger over the same time period. by Mitchell Ferman and Carla Astudillo DeSantis, who frequently tangles . Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke has had $47,177,963 contributed to his campaign. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports. Slawson and Shaheen each received $150 last year, records show. Gas producers got a pass by Texas policymakers, said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. These totals are conservative, as not all of the Those donations have added up, bringing in about $9.7 million for Abbott and $37.8 million for ORourke. Warren has given Abbott $250,000 donations almost every year since he won the governors office in 2014. Do you value our journalism? Paddie was among a chorus of elected officials from the governor on down demanding answers and solutions for why Texas grid was on the brink of total collapse in February. In cases where two or more people from the same family contributed, the income-earner's occupation/employer is Among the state lawmakers Karnei has contributed to are representatives Shelby Slawson, Phil King and Matt Shaheen, all Republican members of the committee now charged with investigating ERCOT. Walker, the chair of the Public Utility Commission of Texas and a former senior policy advisor to Abbott, contributed $7,620 to Texans for Greg Abbott from 2009 to 2015, state campaign records show. More:Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds. Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who is seeking his third term in office, has reported huge fundraising hauls in the past, amassing staggering amounts of cash in his campaign coffers. Greg Abbott urges letting the vote counting play out in Trump-Biden race, How a Joe Biden win isnt necessarily bad news for Texas Gov. Gov. Bank, his wife Matilda lists "Homemaker" and 12-year old Tammy shows up as "Student," OpenSecrets would identify all with that same employer, the organization's name winds up on the Top Contributors list. While some of this money. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Carney said Abbott spent $6.1 million to help down-ballot Republicans. Abbott has long been considered a prolific fundraiser and O'Rourke garnered a similar reputation during his 2018 bid for the U.S. Senate, when he raised more than $80 million for his campaign. Totals for industries (and larger economic A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017 would have prohibited the governor from appointing a political donor to a position if he or she had contributed more than $2,500 in a year. Data for Except for the Revolving Door section, content on this site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License by OpenSecrets.org. Where available, OpenSecrets uses that employer/occupation information to identify the donor's economic interest. Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas "In Texas, anything is possible. UHs Cross said Abbott actually was straddling various state GOP factions long before 2020 and will continue to do so. Contributors 2022 $71,842,556 grand total of contributions Greg Abbott has reported in 2022 Number of Contributions from Individuals (above itemization threshold): 292,180 Top: 20 Top 20 Contributors to Campaign Committee Export to CSV Showing 1 to 20 of 20 entries Corporations themselves cannot donate to candidates at the federal level but federal candidates can get contributions from corporate PACs, employees and owners as well as their immediate families. Given more time, Gov. However, his $7.7 million haul in the first half of 2020 was a nearly 12% decrease from the same phase of his initial term. The storm, as bad as it was, helped him on his bottom line for contributions.. Of the donors, O'Rourke's campaign said 98% of the donations were received online and that teachers contributed more than any other occupation. 2023 www.statesman.com. State GOP Chairman Allen West heads most lists of possible challengers to Abbott in the March 2022 Republican primary, many of which also include former state Sen. Don Huffines. Beto O'Rourke looks to put Greg Abbott on defense in early stages of Texas governor's race, Ahead of primary, Gov. More than a quarter of Hancocks contributions in June came from energy interests, about $53,500 the most he has ever received in a post-legislative session period. Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. Texans for Public Justice released this week, A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017. Sign up for our newsletter to track moneys influence on U.S. elections and public policy. All rights reserved. He said the latest contributions of $25 million came from nearly 475,000 donors, making the average contribution $53. Abbott and ORourke have easily surpassed the combined $95 million Gov. The oil and gas industry was Abbotts top contributor, accounting for 19% of all funds raised, according to the report. ORourkes Powered by People PAC gave $1.7 million to his own campaign. Greg Abbott raised $11.5 million from July through December, and now can brandish almost $38 million of cash as he tries to scare off opponents in his campaign for a third term next year. Still, in the 2019 legislative session, Abbott successfully appealed to GOP leaders and lawmakers to tend to bread-and-butter issues such as improving public schools and lowering property taxes. Abbott hasnt detailed what he wants the Republican-controlled Legislature, which convened Tuesday, to accomplish this year. In the past two cycles, national Democrats have shown their willingness to pour millions into once-forbidding Texas. The two-term governor is one of the most prolific GOP fundraisers in the country and had previously reported raising more than $30 million through the first half of the year and said Tuesday his campaign has now raised $95 million during the current election cycle from more than 418,000 contributors. Greg Abbott said his campaign raised nearly $19 million in the last six months of 2021, a total that brought his campaign war chest to a staggering $65 million in December. Greg Abbott's 2022 reelection campaign is reporting contributions of 19-million-dollars in the last nine days of June. Democratic gubernatorial challenger Beto O'Rourke raised $27.3 million from Feb. 20 to June 30, while Republican Gov. In other cases, the reason for the Here are the billionaire donors to Republican Greg Abbott and Democrat Beto ORourkes campaigns since January 2021, according to the latest Texas campaign finance filings. Schwertner went from receiving 3% of his overall campaign contributions from the energy industry in the fundraising period after the 2015 legislative session to the industry making up about 32% of . Here is how fundraising by Texas Gov. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. In addition, the top ZIP codes for both candidates are often those where political action committees are based. Texas Gov. The lag times vary for state officeholder data. and unique way of understanding where candidates are getting their financial support. The storm, as bad as it was, helped him on his bottom line for contributions.. About 26% of Patrick's contributions in June came from energy interests, more than $1.3 million, his most ever in the post-session stretch. Oil and gas taxes now boost the state budget. I wouldnt count him out., Last fall, Abbott gave money and shared his campaigns detailed voter information database with GOP hopefuls in several of the key Texas House contests. A number of factors, including whether an incumbent officeholder is running for reelection, influence donor activity. George W. Bush was heavily funded by his familys well-established energy network, his successor, former Gov. Abbott had $55 million saved up for his reelection campaign at the end of June. Nearly half (45%) of the 1,200 Texas voters who participated in the poll indicated support for Abbott while 39% showed support for O'Rourke. However, her son, H. Ross Perot Jr., who is also a billionaire, has given $500,000 to Abbotts campaign. Greg Abbott hauled in nearly $19 million over nine days and boasted an eye-popping $55 million in the bank as he prepares his campaign for a . We do this in two ways: It is impossible to know either the economic interest that made each individual contribution possible or the Under federal law, all contributions over $200 must be itemized and the donor's occupation and employer must be But none has reaped campaign contributions on the scale of Abbott, who in six years in office has raised more than $150 million from donors, more than any governor in U.S. history. These generous contributions from people all across Texas show just how excited Texans are for this campaign, Abbott said in a statement. The data is made public by the Texas Ethics Commission. Dan Patricks Senate. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. And what you want to be able to do is have the ear of the lawmakers, said Andrew Wheat of Texans for Public Justice, an Austin non-profit that tracks money in Texas politics. The Bush familys origin story in Texas revolves around oil and gas, and money from the industry has funded much of the familys political fortunes in the state ever since they arrived in West Texas. Texas doesnt limit political giving, with no caps on individual contributions for candidates for state office. In the Republican primary, Abbott is facing former state Sen. Don Huffines, former Texas GOP Chairman Allen West, Chad Prather,Danny Harrison, Kandy Kaye Horn, Paul Belew and Rick Perry (no, not that Rick Perry). O'Rourke's campaign said he got over 115,600 contributions over the 46-day period, while Abbott's team said. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 OpenSecrets updates federal figures for "Total Raised and Spent" and for "PAC/Individual Split" a few days after concerted effort by that organization to "bundle" contributions to the candidate. contributor provides it. Its the same people talking to the same people and you wonder if the people being left out are the average Texans, said Wheat. Gov. after the 20th of every month. On his first day in the gubernatorial race in November 2021, ORourke received donations worth a total of $1.7 million from his Powered by People PAC, which has been raising money since 2019 to boost Texas Democrats. For a time, there was buzz about Shelley Luther, who catapulted to fame for reopening her Dallas hair salon in defiance of COVID-19 restrictions. Greg Abbott attacks Beto O'Rourke without mentioning him by name, $2 million raised during the first 24 hours, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. This means that overall, Abbotts Texas donors gave more than ORourkes Texas donors. Rick Perry and Democrat Tony Sanchez spent in 2002 and the combined $90 million Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis spent in 2014. Abbott candidate committee made to another committee affiliated with the governor. Hes running for reelection in 2022, said Patrick spokeswoman Sherry Sylvester. Dave Carney, Abbotts political strategist, said the governor is unperturbed by the volatile national political environment. State requirements related to itemization thresholds and employment disclosures vary. Copyright 2021 by KSAT - All rights reserved. Abbott is running for re-election in 2022. Just over 40% of the sum of ORourkes donations came from out-of-state donors, compared with 17% of Abbotts. Note that Paxtons top donor is the same as Gov. For the second straight reporting period, O'Rourke's campaign said they brought in more money than incumbent Republican Gov. The Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November election. A spokesperson for Paddie did not respond to questions. O'Rourke is running in the Democratic primary and facesMichael Cooper, Joy Diaz, Inocencio Barrientez and Rich Wakeland. Greg Abbott campaign promises 'knock-out, drag-out fight' in race against Beto O'Rourke, according to January campaign finance reports, Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The Defenders sent Oliver quotes from a Feb. 18 press conference during which Abbott said, ERCOT failed on each of these measures that they said they had undertaken. individual contributions have yet been classified by OpenSecrets. The Stockyards Station Hotel, recently acquired by Roskis Majestic Realty, donated over $382,000 in event expenses while HillCo PAC, an Austin lobbyist firm, donated a total of $336,000. Using previous figures reported by the Texas Ethics Commission, O'Rourke has now raised more than $65 million in what has become one of America's most expensive races of the 2022 midterms. The figures in federal profiles are taken from databases uploaded by the FEC on the first day of every month. Greg Abbott. Democrat Mike Collier gets his rematch with incumbent Lt. Gov. This past Valentine's Day, Texas Senator Drew Springer filed SB 923, delivering on Abbott's reelection campaign goal to deny undocumented children access to public education unless the . Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton underscored how the gambling industry continues to covet a huge market now beyond its reach Texas, the . But that wasnt always the case: In June 2021, Abbott had a campaign balance of over $55 million, and Abbott has spent almost twice as much money as his opponent, including a June ad buy worth nearly $20 million. Gov. Democrat Rochelle Garza, a former attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union, has struggled to fundraise at the levels needed to take on the well-funded and well-known incumbent. Oil grew to become the states signature industry, rich oilmen and companies started showering politicians with money and a romance blossomed. parties and political committees request employer information from contributors and publicly report it when the A Texas Politics Project July poll indicates the race for Texas governor is tightening. With this tracker, The Express-News is providing continuously updated information on political contributions for the Nov. 8, 2022, elections, along with lists of top donors by name and by industry for statewide candidates for governor, attorney general, and lieutenant governor. There is also a time lag in posting the information. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. On Friday, Texans for Greg Abbott announced in a press release the governor raised nearly $25 . Governor Patrick, who moved immediately following the February storm to call for the resignations of both the PUC board and ERCOT, both of which were fully reformed through Senate Bills 2 and 3.. Florida Gov. Disclosure: Javaid Anwar, Tench and Simone Otus Coxe, Marguerite Hoffman, Gary Martin, Gulf States Toyota, HillCo Partners LLC and Ross Perot Jr./Hillwood Development Co. LLC have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Despite corporations statements this week that theyre suspending contributions to Republicans, Im not worried about how its going to affect the governors fundraising, Carney said. Carney also said that while O'Rourke focuses on abortion rights and restricting assault-style weapons, Abbott would continue to emphasize economic issues, including the high inflation rate. for data entry). July 19, 2022 Gov. While (Gov. According to June polls from the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas, 4 in 5 respondents support background checks on all gun purchases, and just 15% support an abortion ban. Abbott signed into law last year an abortion ban excepting cases when the life of a pregnant patientis in danger that takes effect later this summer. He is an amateur triathlete, enjoys playing and watching soccer, traveling and hanging out with his wife. ORourkes top donors come from industries including finance, media and philanthropy. There was a series of finger-pointing and falsehoods from state elected officials who wouldn't accept responsibility and falsely shifted blame to renewable energy sources as they vowed to fix the grid. As of Oct. 29, 2022, the overwhelming percentage of donations both candidates received are worth $200 or less. Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke shatter fundraising records in the Texas governor's race, see who has been donating to candidates with this campaign finance interactive.. With this tracker . He covers Gov. Abbott raised more in smaller cities and rural areas. Of the trio, King received the most contributions from Karnei by far: five between 2004 and 2016 totaling $475, according to TEC records. ORourkes 2019 presidential run created some problems, she acknowledged. ORourke, who only launched his campaign for governor in November last year, has raised just $61,000 from at least 2 billionaires and 3 spouses of billionaires. But Luthers star appears to have dimmed after she lost a special election for state Senate last month. The amount of money the senator fundraised from energy interests jumped from $1,000 to $44,500, the Tribune found. The power grid was not included. He has attacked the city of Austin repeatedly for reducing its police budget and repealing a ban on camping in public spaces that had generated thousands of citations to homeless people in the past. The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. But the bill didnt set a hard deadline for when the upgrades need to be complete and it stopped short of detailing how the state would enforce and incentivize the process called weatherization. According to the most recent campaign finance reports made to the Texas Ethics Commission, the governor received $44,778,653 in total contributions and spent $37,930,300 between January 1, 2021 and February 19, 2022. Greg Abbott, gives an update on an investigation into the massacre in Uvalde, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. In 2021, the Abbott campaign had out-raised the O'Rourke campaign since the start of their respective campaigns. AUSTIN Gov. Schwertner went from receiving 3% of his overall campaign contributions from the energy industry in the fundraising period after the 2015 legislative session to the industry making up about 32% of his contributions in 2021. This is a BETA experience. During the same stretch after the two subsequent legislative sessions in 2017 and 2019, fewer than 9% of Paddies contributions came from energy interests. Collier now has more money, a stronger team and a ground game that has pushed Patrick torun a more aggressive and public-facing campaignthan he ran four years ago. The Legislature ultimately passed a bill shepherded by Paddie in the House and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, in the Senate that requires power generation companies to prepare to withstand extreme weather conditions. Caroline Covington contributed to this story. Corporations themselves cannot donate to candidates at the federal level but federal candidates can get Therell be a general election opponent, and [Democrats] will put a lot of effort in and theyll raise a lot of money.. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Texas Gov. useful after the election, as issues come before Congress, presidential administrations and state governments that But were looking at almost two years until our election. Abbotts candidate committee from another committee affiliated with the governor. At the state level, A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015 and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001.. Abbott was the third Republican to serve as attorney general of Texas since the . Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. Warrens Energy Transfer cofounder Ray Davis gave $125,000 to Abbott. Greg Abbott has $38M in his campaign bank, but is it enough to scare off 2022 challengers? Abbott is tending to home state business, he noted. Although individual contributions are generally categorized based on the donor's occupation/employer, in some cases However, Abbott has been a prolific fundraiser for years, which gave him the upper hand earlier in the race. Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Show us with your support. The approach was a response to Democratic success in the 2018 midterms. Carney, the Abbott adviser, dismissed talk that ORourke could pose a threat. individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors. The fifth payee, listed as Greg Abbott, represents reported expenditures a Gov. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. More: Ahead of primary, Gov. We will secure the future of Texas." Email * Zip Code * ALBANY - Gov. Abbott and ORourke are not the only gubernatorial candidates who have received backing from local Texas billionaires. During that time same time period, Abbott's campaign said the two-term governor raised just under $25 million but didn't specify down to the decimal point. The. ORourke, who has had significantly less time to fundraise compared to Abbott, reported raising $4.3 million from the beginning of the year to February 19, compared to Abbott, who raised $5.3 million in the same time frame.