July 19, 2022 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 . Tickets are on sale now for this multi-day celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news, curated by The Texas Tribunes award-winning journalists. Carney said Abbott spent $6.1 million to help down-ballot Republicans. The Texas House Committee on State Affairs is scheduled to hold a joint hearing Thursday morning with the House Energy Resources Committee to examine what led to statewide electrical blackouts. Kathy Hochul raked in big campaign bucks over the last six months to the tune of $21.9 million from a well of donors who also used to give generously to disgraced ex-Gov.. 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 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. Dan Patrick, who has differences with Abbott, has never completely died out. Im grateful for everyone who helped us raise $27.63 million in just over four months as we support the powerful work of our organizers and more than 78,000 volunteers, O'Rourke said in the release. Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond. The amount of money the senator fundraised from energy interests jumped from $1,000 to $44,500, the Tribune found. 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. Still, University of North Texas political scientist Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha said Abbotts $38 million will scare off most of the competition.. 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). 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. 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. Paddie received contributions from Oncor; Vistra, the states largest power generation company; and NuStar Political Action Committee, an oil and gas group. ORourke and Abbott will compete separately in their own party primaries on March 1, but many are already looking ahead to a general election between the former Democratic House representative and the current Republican governor. Robert T. Garrett, Austin Bureau Chief. These tables list the top donors to officeholders in 2022. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 In fact, Abbott's campaign said he has raised $95 million this election season. Both are from Dallas. Abbott raises $19 million, Beto O'Rourke's fast start nets $7.2 million in race for governor. In January, fracking billionaire Farris Wilks, who gained national attention when he poured $15 million into backing Ted Cruzs 2016 presidential bid, gave $2 million to a PAC called Defend Texas Liberty that donated $1 million to the campaign of Don Huffines, another candidate running in the Republican primary who is considered a long shot to win. contributions from corporate PACs, employees and owners as well as their immediate families. voters, researchers and others. 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. Note that the same amount appears on both the contributions and the expenditures side of the reported data. website. And ORourke has over $500,000 more cash on hand than Abbott. 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. Based on the During that week, Abbott assured Texans the grid was in better shape than ever. Bolstered by his record-breaking figures over the past few months, ORourke has raised almost $6 million more than Abbott as of Oct. 29, 2022. 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. Of all the statewide elections in Texas, the attorney generals race is expected to be the most competitive. employer. Other ERCOT board members are listed in TEC records as having contributed to several energy-related PACs. Of the donors, O'Rourke's campaign said 98% of the donations were received online and that teachers contributed more than any other occupation. Kelcy Warren, CEO of Dallas-based Energy Transfer, gave the most money, with a single $1 million contribution to Gov. After the Defenders reached out to Cobos seeking comment Tuesday, Jon Oliver, an OPUC spokesperson, called back and said he was unaware of any campaign contributions made to Abbott. 2:28. Abbott compares to the 10 other governors with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022: The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Texas PACs submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission. State requirements related to itemization thresholds and employment disclosures vary. On ORourkes campaign they added, This is a grassroots campaign funded largely by the people of Texasnot the select few who know they can buy Abbott off.. 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. Of the $44.8 million already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 21.9 percent came from the top 10 donors. More:Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds. Abbott candidate committee made to another committee affiliated with the governor. Making a million-dollar political donation to reward the government for its light touch and encourage the government to continue turning a blind eye to price gouging and windfall profits while hundreds of people die seems like a good return on investment., Making a million-dollar political donation to reward the government for its light touch and encourage the government to continue turning a blind eye to price gouging and windfall profits while hundreds of people die seems like a good return on investment.. That is why Congress and many states have mandated that candidates, political 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. Abbott's campaign said it received nearly 113,000 contributions and that 86% of the campaign contributions came from within Texas. Just over 40% of the sum of ORourkes donations came from out-of-state donors, compared with 17% of Abbotts. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. The leading two candidates for Texas governor each pulled in about $25 million in campaign contributions during the summer, with a slight edge going to Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke who reported 10 times as many donors. Dan Patricks Senate. Other lawmakers who saw some of the largest spikes in funding from the energy industry were those who authored the power grid legislation and chaired the committees that heard the bills. profiles for state and federal officeholders are derived from contribution records disclosed in campaign finance The data is made public by the Texas Ethics Commission. ORourke received $2.2 million from Austin couple Simone Coxe, who has worked in communications, and Tench Coxe, a former venture capitalist. Rene Cross of the University of Houstons Hobby School of Public Affairs, though, said Abbotts most vulnerable to a test by a younger Democrat such as ORourke or the Castro brothers of San Antonio, Julin and Joaquin. in the DFW area that need your help or can provide help during Were receiving support from those in every part of this state who are ready to hold Greg Abbott fully accountable for eight years of failing all of us as he continues to put his extreme agenda over the people of Texas. 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. Of the trio, King received the most contributions from Karnei by far: five between 2004 and 2016 totaling $475, according to TEC records. 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. The epic Texas freeze fueled a surge of campaign cash, with the war chest of Gov. For the second straight reporting period, O'Rourke's campaign said they brought in more money than incumbent Republican Gov. Here's how much. The Republican governor raised 26% more in last years final six months than the $9.1 million he raised in late 2016 the comparable period in his first term. The Texas Tribune has been tracking contributions, expenditures and cash on hand for both candidates since ORourke officially entered the race in November last year. Greg Abbott attacks Beto O'Rourke without mentioning him by name. Final fundraising figures show that both gubernatorial candidates raised a combined $160 million in the November midterm election. Greg Abbott speaks during a campaign event on February 23 in Houston. Learn more about our work here. based on summary reports filed by the candidates with the Federal Election Commission. Greg Abbott is the number one fundraiser in state politics in the 2022 election cycle so far. However, Abbott has been a prolific fundraiser for years, which gave him the upper hand earlier in the race. Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. Fixing Texas power grid was about the only thing Republicans and Democrats in the legislative session seemed to agree on earlier this year. Is Dallas becoming unaffordable due to rising housing costs, inflation and stagnating pay? Those Together, we will make sure that Texas remains the best state to live, work, and raise a family. Abbott is running for re-election in 2022. Greg Abbott and Beto O'Rourke shatter fundraising recordsin the Texas governors race, see who has been donating to candidates with this campaign finance interactive. This past Valentine's Day, Texas Senator Drew Springer filed HB 923, delivering . Final fundraising figures show that both gubernatorial candidates raised a combined. 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. You may opt-out by, Source of wealth: Houston Rockets, entertainment, Source of wealth: Computer services, real estate, Source of wealth: Hyatt hotels, investments. Given more time, Gov. 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 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. Aug. 4, 20215 AM Central. The figures in federal profiles are taken from databases uploaded by the FEC on the first day of every month. We do this in two ways: It is impossible to know either the economic interest that made each individual contribution possible or the Campaign finance reports by Abbott, Lt. Gov. The data presented here is sourced from the Texas Ethics Commission, which displays campaign finance filings from candidate committees. Through Nov. 30, even with federal fundraising constraints, Crenshaw in the last two-year cycle raised a whopping $19 million. Abbott, who has held a commanding lead in cash on hand during the race, touts $46 million in his campaign coffers. His team called the haul a "record-breaking amount" and said "no Democratic campaign in the states history has raised more money during the opening days of their race.". Overall since 2014, Abbott has received about $30 million from oil, gas and other energy interests, which is about 18% of his $166 million total raised in that time. AUSTIN Gov. 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. 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. 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. Greg Abbott speaks during a campaign event on February 23 in Houston. The fifth payee, listed as Greg Abbott, represents reported expenditures a Gov. Just 6%, or $1,141, of his overall campaign contributions in the brief June fundraising period after the 2015 legislative session came from the energy industry. That amount is up from 12% of his contributions coming from energy interests after the 2019 session, about $383,000. 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. However, both candidates have national profiles, with Abbott regularly appearing on Fox News and ORourke running for president in 2020. Abbotts: Oil mogul Javaid S. Anwar of Midland had given Abbott nearly $2.5 millionas well as $200,000 to Paxton. 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. 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. ORourke received about 391,496 individual donations from outside the state, while Abbott received roughly 109,493. The Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November election. But an analysis of state campaign finance records by the KSAT 12 Defenders shows three current members of ERCOTs board have contributed thousands to Abbotts campaigns, with some of the funds dating back to his days as Texas Attorney General. State Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, who led much of the upper chambers response to the storm that left millions of Texans without electricity for days in subfreezing temperatures, also got a boost in funding. More broadly, Governor Abbotts political committee, Texans For Greg Abbott, has built up a massive war chest of donations, from billionaires and many other donors, which hell be able to take into the general election if he wins his race on March 1. Texas Gov. Abbotts biggest individual donors have always come from the energy industry, and this time is no exception, with energy tycoons making up 40% of his top 10 donors. 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. motivation for each individual giver. The Small Donors column represents the sum of itemized contributions from donors who gave an aggregate of less than $50. 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. Absent that storm, his contributions would have been different, said Bill Miller, a longtime Texas political consultant and lobbyist. O'Rourke's campaign reported Tuesday having raised $25.18 million over the most recent reporting period from July 1 through Sept. 29. 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. 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. Texans for Public Justice released this week, A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017. Abbott said 81% of his donors were from Texas. Gov. 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. The lag times vary for state officeholder data. Unsurprisingly, Gov. A spokesperson for Abbott told the Defenders via email, Governor Abbott has made the reform of ERCOT an emergency item and has assured the public we will not leave this session without reforming the entity.. Greg Abbott dwarfing other candidates in energy-interest contributions, according to a KHOU 11 analysis of data . Greg Abbott (R), who easily won the primary with more than 66% of the vote, is by far the largest beneficiary of the industry's political giving. their contributions as being related to the "First National Bank" since that's the source of the family's income. All rights reserved. 4 min read. Officials with ERCOT, which ordered local utility companies to shed load from the power grid as energy demand exceeded supply, are expected to answer questions during the hearing. If, for instance, Henry Jones lists his employer as First National But by the end of the legislative session, if Texas top power companies were aggrieved by the way they were treated by the Legislature or any of the new laws passed targeting their industry, they didnt show it. How many donations came from within Texas? Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. The power grid was not included. Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas "In Texas, anything is possible. He did not respond to a request for comment. He also received $1.5 million from billionaire George Soros, who is known for backing liberal candidates. Abbotts potential opponents next year include former Democratic presidential hopeful Beto ORourke as well as several fellow Republicans who have criticized COVID-19 executive orders as overreach. 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. 20005. Those donations included $1 million from Warren, cofounder of a pipeline company that made $2.4 billion from the winter storm, according to a report from Bloomberg. The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. Had the bill passed, Walker would not be running the PUC. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. Abbott hasnt detailed what he wants the Republican-controlled Legislature, which convened Tuesday, to accomplish this year. may affect those organizations or their industries. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Where available, OpenSecrets uses that employer/occupation information to identify the donor's economic interest. In cases where two or more people from the same family contributed, the income-earner's occupation/employer is Greg Abbott, the state budget and CPS and foster care. Heading into the 2022 campaign season, Gov. Do you value our journalism? Ron DeSantis, viewed as the greatest GOP threat to former President Trump's 2024 White House campaign, is visiting Southern California this weekend to promote his new book and curry favor as he raises money for Republicans in conservative strong-holds. 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. Abbott his job, run a more aggressive and public-facing campaign, pushing the states politics to the right, 2015 felony indictment for securities fraud. That amount is up from 12% of his contributions coming from energy interests after the 2019 session, about $383,000. Dan Patrick received millions in contributions from the energy industry, a new Texas Tribune report shows. Abbott is tending to home state business, he noted. Cobos was appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) by Abbott in March 2019, three months after donating $1,050 to Abbotts campaign, state contribution records show. Slawson and Shaheen each received $150 last year, records show. In Texas, Gov. While some of this money. A number of factors, including whether an incumbent officeholder is running for reelection, influence donor activity. 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. sparring with one Abbott-appointed regulator on the senate floor. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. That's four times more. According to its website, OPUC represents the interests of residential and small commercial consumers, as a class, in utility proceedings in Texas.