He covers Gov. databases are only as current as the FEC has been able to compile by that date (see the note above about lag times Florida Gov. As CNBC reported, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans in a speech on. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. That is why Congress and many states have mandated that candidates, political 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. Texas Gov. 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. We shouldnt be sure that theres going to be significant reform and regular citizens have to be pressuring their lawmakers, pressuring their state officials so that our voice gets heard as well as those people who are essentially wining and dining and giving money to the politicians, said Wheat, who added that the contributions are likely small compared to those some politicians receive from energy executives and energy-backed PACs. Other billionaires with major oil and gas interests who are backing Abbott include Nancy Kinder, the wife of Kinder Morgan cofounder Richard Kinder; Hilcorp cofounder Jeff Hildebrand; Chief Oil & Gas founder Trevor Rees-Jones; Hunt Oil heir Ray Lee Hunt and Western Refining founder Paul Foster, who Abbott appointed to run the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission in April last year. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Small donors make up almost half of the total amount ORourke raised. And talk of a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. 4 min read. 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 . State requirements related to itemization thresholds and employment disclosures vary. Texas Gov. Texans for Public Justice released this week, A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Speaking of donations he received from Texans in all 254 counties, Abbott said that with such help we will continue to spread the messages of freedom and liberty to every corner of the Lone Star State.. Texas Ethics Commission records, however, show that three of the 13 representatives on the House Committee on State Affairs have accepted contributions from ERCOT board member Clifton Karnei. Greg Abbott. That's four times more. Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. Absent that storm, his contributions would have been different, said Bill Miller, a longtime Texas political consultant and lobbyist. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 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 . In addition, Abbott has received donations from deep-pocketed donors in the real estate industry like Edward Roski Jr., president of Majestic Realty in California, who gave $1.5 million, as well as three donations of $1 million each from supporters in finance and casinos. Both are from Dallas. Walker, a non-voting member of ERCOTs board, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Caroline Covington contributed to this story. Here's how much. However, Democratic challenger Beto ORourke reported raising $27.6 million from late February through June, which is the most a candidate for state office in Texas has ever raised in a single reporting period. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton underscored how the gambling industry continues to covet a huge market now beyond its reach Texas, the . Final fundraising figures show that both gubernatorial candidates raised a combined. The epic Texas freeze fueled a surge of campaign cash, with the war chest of Gov. Dave Carney, Abbott's chief political strategist, said Wednesday that he expected O'Rourke to have strong fundraising numbers. Washington, These totals are conservative, as not all of the According to its website, OPUC represents the interests of residential and small commercial consumers, as a class, in utility proceedings in Texas. Most of Patricks energy industry money received in June was driven by oil executives. Gas producers got a pass by Texas policymakers, said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. But Luthers star appears to have dimmed after she lost a special election for state Senate last month. Sometimes it's hard to make apple-to-apple comparisons across some of the pages in a candidate's profile. If, for instance, Henry Jones lists his employer as First National 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. In the past two cycles, national Democrats have shown their willingness to pour millions into once-forbidding Texas. Oil grew to become the states signature industry, rich oilmen and companies started showering politicians with money and a romance blossomed. In Texas, Gov. Four out of the top 10 individual donors to Abbott are oil and gas men. The amount of money the senator fundraised from energy interests jumped from $1,000 to $44,500, the Tribune found. individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors. Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. why: Summary numbers for federal officeholders - specifically "Total Raised and Spent" and "PAC/Individual Split" - are 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. In addition, the top ZIP codes for both candidates are often those where political action committees are based. The PUC has largely avoided blame for last weeks power issues, so far, despite providing oversight to ERCOT. Patricks calls came after he tried to assert himself prominently in responding to the winter storm by demanding leadership changes at state regulatory agencies and sparring with one Abbott-appointed regulator on the senate floor. Most of Patrick's energy industry money received in June was driven by oil executives. Texas elected officials cant receive campaign donations during the session, but after it ended in May, they were showered in cash by the energy industry even more than usual for a group known for its deep pockets and generous campaign giving. This past Valentine's Day, Texas Senator Drew Springer filed HB 923, delivering . 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. and formats. 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. Find a complete list of them here. Disclosure: Calpine, CenterPoint Energy, NRG Energy, Oncor, University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston 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. Gov. Do you value our journalism? and unique way of understanding where candidates are getting their financial support. In April, Abbott had been ahead of O'Rourke by 11 points. Patrick spokeswoman Sherry Sylvester said: No one has been tougher on the energy sector and more proactive for ratepayers this session than Lt. Warren's donation is . Abbott hasnt detailed what he wants the Republican-controlled Legislature, which convened Tuesday, to accomplish this year. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. The data is from the period between Jan. 1, 2021, and Oct. 29, 2022. Polling data suggests a large percentage of voters might agree with O'Rourke on increasing abortion access and gun reform. And ORourke has over $500,000 more cash on hand than Abbott. Connect with needs and opportunities from. George W. Bush was heavily funded by his familys well-established energy network, his successor, former Gov. Dan Patrick received millions in contributions from the energy industry, a new Texas Tribune report shows. Join us Sept. 20-25 at the 2021 Texas Tribune Festival. Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. These tables list the top donors to officeholders in 2022. Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and A PUC spokesman instead sent the following statement: Dillon, responding on Chairman Walkers behalf as shes still fully engaged in issues related to the winter storm related grid event. These are the latest numbers ahead of Election Day. 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. More:Greg Abbott campaign promises 'knock-out, drag-out fight' in race against Beto O'Rourke. Thats significantly more than former Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke. A Crenshaw aide, though, said hes not thinking about running for governor. Abbott and ORourke are not the only gubernatorial candidates who have received backing from local Texas billionaires. 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. Wheat criticized Abbotts decision last week to blame the power grids supply issues on frozen wind turbines. Those donations have added up, bringing in about $9.7 million for Abbott and $37.8 million for ORourke. Greg Abbott, who is heading into a re-election year. in the DFW area that need your help or can provide help during Thats what allows Gov. 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. 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 Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November election. Abbott candidate committee made to another committee affiliated with the governor. Usually, state candidates in Texas get the majority of their donations from Texans. "The nearly 113,000 contributions illustrates that Gov. ideological code, rather than an economic code, if the contributor gives to an ideological political action He gave $1 million to Abbotts campaign in June 2021. At the state level, corporations and unions can give directly to campaigns in many jurisdictions. 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 . A spokesperson for Paddie did not respond to questions. This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. website. Abbotts a prolific fundraiser, a weapon hes wielded to discourage competition as he moved up among Texas Republicans over the past two decades. For some energy experts, the increase in donations for the officials at the close of the session looks like a reward for not passing more stringent regulations and raises questions about whether lawmakers let the oil, gas and the broader energy industry off easy for its massive failures. The data is made public by the Texas Ethics Commission. 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. His largest billionaire donor so far is Margot Birmingham Perot, the widow of former presidential candidate H. Ross Perot Sr. Shes given $25,000 to ORourkes campaign since November. Just over 40% of the sum of ORourkes donations came from out-of-state donors, compared with 17% of Abbotts. 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. If recent historys any guide, by November 2022, which will be Bidens first midterm election, Democrats may not be riding so high, he noted. sectors) can be seen in each candidate and race profile, and in the Industry Profile section of the OpenSecrets The pay for play proposal was passed by the full House but was killed in Lt. Gov. Still, University of North Texas political scientist Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha said Abbotts $38 million will scare off most of the competition.. How has the candidates fundraising compared over time? Paddie received contributions from Oncor; Vistra, the states largest power generation company; and NuStar Political Action Committee, an oil and gas group. Kelcy Warren, CEO of Dallas-based Energy Transfer, gave the most money, with a single $1 million contribution to Gov. 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. He did not respond to a request for comment. Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas "In Texas, anything is possible. Greg Abbott, the state budget and CPS and foster care. disclosures vary. Had the bill passed, Walker would not be running the PUC. 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. A Schwertner spokesperson did not respond to questions for this story. The storm, as bad as it was, helped him on his bottom line for contributions.. Governor Abbott represents all Texans, and thats what he takes into account every day as he works on behalf of the Lone Star State, spokeswoman Renae Eze said. Sign up for our newsletter to track moneys influence on U.S. elections and public policy. A spokesperson for Oncor said the company believes in actively participating in the political process. CenterPoint said: In this case, CenterPoint Energy Political Action Committee made public contributions to support members of the Texas Legislature who had announced their intention to run for re-election, regardless of party affiliation. A Calpine representative said its CEO, who made up the bulk of contributions tied to the company, donated money as he develops relationships with these members directly. The other two companies did not respond to requests for comment. 2:28. The Past 30 Days column represents the last 30 days of donations, starting with the date of the most recent contribution for that race. 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. Before Abbott and O'Rourke can face off at the polls, both candidates must first win their respective March 1 primary races. 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. As Gov. 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. 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. A number of factors, including whether an incumbent officeholder is running for reelection, influence donor activity. How much have the candidates raised so far? 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). Abbott is tending to home state business, he noted. Corporations themselves cannot donate to candidates at the federal level but federal candidates can get Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year. Bob has covered state government and politics for The Dallas Morning News since 2002. Since the beginning of last year, Abbotts campaign has raised about $5.5 million from at least 17 billionaires and 3 spouses of billionaires. Just before the energy donations poured in for Abbott in June, the power grid operator asked Texans, mid-heat wave, to conserve power and turn their thermostats to 78 degrees for a week in order to reduce electricity demand because significant power generation was unexpectedly offline. O'Rourke's latest haul includes $2 million raised during the first 24 hours of his campaign, collected frommore than 20,000 individual donors. Abbott and ORourke have easily surpassed the combined $95 million Gov. ORourke received about 391,496 individual donations from outside the state, while Abbott received roughly 109,493. In cases where two or more people from the same family contributed, the income-earner's occupation/employer is Patrick is in the middle of a131-stop bus tour across Texas, while Collier continues totout his alliances with moderateRepublicans who are endorsing him over the incumbent. 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. O'Rourke is running in the Democratic primary and facesMichael Cooper, Joy Diaz, Inocencio Barrientez and Rich Wakeland. Note that Paxtons top donor is the same as Gov. interest group. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 More:Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds. may affect those organizations or their industries. Of the trio, King received the most contributions from Karnei by far: five between 2004 and 2016 totaling $475, according to TEC records. 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. That's more than twice the $207,000 they gave during the same period when the legislative session ended in in 2019, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. Im grateful for everyone who helped raise $25.18 million in just three months as we support the work of our organizers and record-breaking 100,000 volunteers, said ORourke. 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. 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.