Robert T. Garrett, Austin Bureau Chief. 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. Its the same people talking to the same people and you wonder if the people being left out are the average Texans, said Wheat. Greg Abbott speaks during a campaign event on February 23 in Houston. I just dont know whos out there who would be able to dethrone an incumbent assuming that COVID improves, the economy does well and Abbott doesnt step his foot into something, Eshbaugh-Soha said. A Crenshaw aide, though, said hes not thinking about running for governor. Race for Texas governor: Energy industry's campaign contributions Warren spent more than $10 million to try to get Trump reelected in 2020. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports. 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. Greg Abbott, gives an update on an investigation into the massacre in Uvalde, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. The O'Rourke campaign said nearly all of the more than 511,000 contributions to the campaign, at an average of $54, came from online donors and that teachers contributed more than people from any other occupation. Sometimes it's hard to make apple-to-apple comparisons across some of the pages in a candidate's profile. 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. Here's who's donated to Gov. Hochul's $21.9 million war chest Wheat criticized Abbotts decision last week to blame the power grids supply issues on frozen wind turbines. While summary numbers are reported almost immediately by the 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. 2022 campaign contributions: Who's backing Texas political 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. Leading up to Abbotts decision, Lt. Gov. As a Republican and a Texan, Abbott may have received significant campaign contributions from the NRA. 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. Rick Perry, worked to cultivate a wide base of financial support from energy interests, Rottinghaus said. 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. Abbott, O'Rourke and more: See who's donating to Texas candidates ahead 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. Greg Abbott during a roundtable discussion at the Texas Department of Public Safety headquarters in Austin on Jan. 21. . available information, the donor is given an economic code. In 2021, the Abbott campaign had out-raised the O'Rourke campaign since the start of their respective campaigns. 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. Although individual contributions are generally categorized based on the donor's occupation/employer, in some cases and formats. That's four times more. Since the beginning of last year, Abbotts campaign has raised about $5.5 million from at least 17 billionaires and 3 spouses of billionaires. Abbott is bought and paid for by his billionaire donors, a spokesperson for ORourkes campaign told Forbes in an email. The comments came during an appearance on Fox News. Greg Abbott speaks at a press conference regarding Texas emergency response to an unprecedented winter storm gripping Texas on Feb. 13, 2021. shifted blame to renewable energy sources, significant power generation was unexpectedly offline, Abbott assured Texans the grid was in better shape than ever. 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. One of the things that contributors are buying when they are contributing to a public official is access. concerted effort by that organization to "bundle" contributions to the candidate. Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. The O'Rourke campaign has not yet released how much cash on hand it has. "As we move into the heat of the summer campaign, were well positioned to fund all our campaign efforts, Texans for Greg Abbott Campaign Chairman Gardner Pate said in the Friday release. However, Abbott s handling of the COVID-19 outbreak has attracted criticism from Democrats, independents and staunchly conservative Republicans, weakening his once-robust job approval ratings in public polls. Political strife: The Texas Legislatures toughest 2021 challenges, A day after powerful thunderstorms, North Texas surveys the damage, 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home; suspect in custody, How a Texas districts reaction to school shooting fears highlights discipline concerns, Carrollton man advertised pills on social media to entice teens to buy fentanyl, feds say. 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. On Friday, Texans for Greg Abbott announced in a press release the governor raised nearly $25 . Four out of the top 10 individual donors to Abbott are oil and gas men. Slawson and Shaheen each received $150 last year, records show. Last Christmas, Governor Greg Abbott bussed and dumped migrant families in the freezing cold in Washington, D.C. A Schwertner spokesperson did not respond to questions for this story. 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. Before Abbott and O'Rourke can face off at the polls, both candidates must first win their respective March 1 primary races. 2022 campaign contributions: Who's backing Texas political candidates have always come from the energy industry, recently acquired by Roskis Majestic Realty. Organizations like political action committees or industry associations can also give directly to candidate campaigns. And talk of a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, Texas governor's biggest donors: Energy industry that failed Of the donors, O'Rourke's campaign said 98% of the donations were received online and that teachers contributed more than any other occupation. AUSTIN Heading into the 2022 campaign season, Gov. 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. Rep. Chris Paddie, chair of the state affairs committee, also did not respond to calls and an email seeking comment. More:Greg Abbott campaign promises 'knock-out, drag-out fight' in race against Beto O'Rourke. Texas Gov. Note that the same amount appears on both the contributions and the expenditures side of the reported data. 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 . Kolten Parker is digital executive producer at KSAT. State requirements related to itemization thresholds and employment in the DFW area that need your help or can provide help during The other organizations on the list include law firms, teachers groups and liberal political action committees. At the state level, Texas Gov. DC As he preps for 2022, Abbott may steal a page from U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, who last year tried to hold on to fervent Trump supporters while appealing to more moderate swing voters in the suburbs. Abbott wants to deny undocumented kids a public education Second, we standardize the name of the donor's employer. Energy officials have repeatedly said that the states natural gas supply was also hindered by the storm, in large part because energy plants did not have properly winterized equipment. 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. Learn more. During the same stretch after the two subsequent . Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. Abbott raises $19 million, O'Rourke $7.2 million in race for governor Abbott's campaign said it received nearly 113,000 contributions and that 86% of the campaign contributions came from within Texas. Energy Tycoon Kelcy Warren's Gave $1 Million to Greg Abbott Hancock also has ties to the energy industry in his full-time job as a business owner. He also received $1.5 million from billionaire George Soros, who is known for backing liberal candidates. 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. His chemical logistics company serves the oil and gas industry, among others. The warnings led to renewed calls for the Legislature to take more urgent action to fix the power grid. In late June, it announced an $8.15 million digital media advertising buy, $8.8 million for TV and radio ads, and $2.75 million for Spanish media ads across platforms. Connect with needs and opportunities from. GOP accepted millions from oil and gas ahead of Texas primary How many donations came from within Texas? The PUC has largely avoided blame for last weeks power issues, so far, despite providing oversight to ERCOT. 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. A Texas Politics Project July poll indicates the race for Texas governor is tightening. In the final half of 2020, Abbott collected contributions from 22,598 donors, 10,116 of whom were new, his campaign announced Wednesday. Abbott to rake in $1 million checks from individual donors. Abbott hasnt detailed what he wants the Republican-controlled Legislature, which convened Tuesday, to accomplish this year. 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. 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. 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. This is up from 19% after the 2019 session. Still, University of North Texas political scientist Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha said Abbotts $38 million will scare off most of the competition.. Paddie received contributions from Oncor; Vistra, the states largest power generation company; and NuStar Political Action Committee, an oil and gas group. 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. 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. 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. 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.. Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. 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. 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. 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. 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. Dave Carney, Abbott's chief political strategist, said Wednesday that he expected O'Rourke to have strong fundraising numbers. 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. Abbott received $4.6 million from energy. Gov. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Warren's company Energy Transfer declined to comment on his behalf. AUSTIN Gov. 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. That amount is up from 12% of his contributions coming from energy interests after the 2019 session, about $383,000. Had the bill passed, Walker would not be running the PUC. The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. Crenshaw, 36, is almost as renowned a fundraiser as Abbott, 63. The totals, calculated by aggregating individual donations reported in those filings, do not include non-monetary or in-kind contributions. Oil and gas executives S. Javaid Anwar and Gary Martin, in particular, have been regular contributors to Abbott for years. These are the latest numbers ahead of Election Day. First, we apply a code to the contribution, identifying the industry. 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. Usually, state candidates in Texas get the majority of their donations from Texans. Open Secrets following the money in politics, OpenSecrets Following the money in politics, Why (and How) We Use Donors' Employer/Occupation Information, Organization unavailable for these records. In 2017, Abbott appointed her to lead the PUC, where she makes a $200,000 salary. 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. O'Rourke is running in the Democratic primary and facesMichael Cooper, Joy Diaz, Inocencio Barrientez and Rich Wakeland. AUSTIN Since a deadly winter storm hit Texas earlier this month Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly heaped criticism on ERCOT, the operator of the states electric grid, claiming the entity was woefully unprepared for the dangerous weather that has killed a still-untold number of people. Caroline Covington contributed to this story. Texas doesnt limit political giving, with no caps on individual contributions for candidates for state office. The epic Texas freeze fueled a surge of campaign cash, with the war chest of Gov. Do you value our journalism? Abbott talks parental empowerment, 'regulatory consistency' to open parties and political committees request employer information from contributors and publicly report it when the Home - FollowTheMoney.org The data is from the period between Jan. 1, 2021, and Oct. 29, 2022. The storm, as bad as it was, helped him on his bottom line for contributions.. 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. Texas governor election: Beto O'Rourke looks to put Greg Abbott on defense in early stages of Texas governor's race. As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the gubernatorial primary: current Gov. 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. 4 min read. ABBOTT, GREG - FollowTheMoney.org Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and 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. 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. 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. So although an Abbott campaign news release touted the $19.2 million he raised last year, it was just an 8% increase over the $17.8 million he raised in 2016. Breaking down the contributions by ZIP code in Texas, ORourke received more money from donors in major cities, which are Democratic strongholds. Because Texas doesnt have limits on contribution amounts, rich and powerful people can cut massive checks to campaigns. sparring with one Abbott-appointed regulator on the senate floor. West Texas energy billionaires make 7-figure wager against Abbott in Abbott, other Texas politicians got cash boost from energy industry Bob has covered state government and politics for The Dallas Morning News since 2002. 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. 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 Texas Gov. Texas governor race: Beto O'Rourke, Greg Abbott campaigns raise more We dont take anything for granted, he said. 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. Under federal law, all contributions over $200 must be itemized and the donor's occupation and employer must be Learn more about our work here. As CNBC reported, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans in a speech on. All other numbers in these Florida Gov. individuals may be classified instead as ideological donors. In cases where two or more people from the same family contributed, the income-earner's occupation/employer is The Past 30 Days column represents the last 30 days of donations, starting with the date of the most recent contribution for that race. Texas' energy interests are the biggest backers of his political rise, and he has not ruled out a White House run in 2024. 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. 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. Gas producers got a pass by Texas policymakers, said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. Gov. Last year, Abbott wouldve raised more if hed been able to hold in-person fundraisers and hadnt been busy as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Carney said. Rick Perry and Democrat Tony Sanchez spent in 2002 and the combined $90 million Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis spent in 2014. Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. contributor provides it. and unique way of understanding where candidates are getting their financial support. Gov. Abbott Reports Raising $25M in Latest Campaign Report 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. About 26% of Patricks contributions in June came from energy interests, more than $1.3 million, his most ever in the post-session stretch. Data for Among elected officials holding the same level of state office, fundraising varies widely. Unsurprisingly, Gov. In some cases, a cluster of contributions from people associated with the same organization may indicate a Greg Abbott dwarfing other candidates in energy-interest contributions, according to a KHOU 11 analysis of data .

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