after the 20th of every month. 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. Texans deserve answers about why these shortfalls occurred and how they are going to be corrected, and Texans will get those answers.. 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. 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 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 . And talk of a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas "In Texas, anything is possible. Kolten Parker, Digital Executive Producer. assigned to all non-wage earning family members. How has the candidates fundraising compared over time? Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Show us with your support. 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 Abbott and ORourke have easily surpassed the combined $95 million Gov. 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. The pay for play proposal was passed by the full House but was killed in Lt. Gov. West Texas energy billionaires make 7-figure wager against Abbott in 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. 2023 www.statesman.com. Greg Abbott continued his legislative push for "parental empowerment" in Austin on Wednesday while also expressing support for a bill meant to keep local . ORourke received about 391,496 individual donations from outside the state, while Abbott received roughly 109,493. O'Rourke's latest haul includes $2 million raised during the first 24 hours of his campaign, collected frommore than 20,000 individual donors. Governor Greg Abbott's 2022 Re-Election Campaign Raises $19M In Late 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. 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. Sometimes it's hard to make apple-to-apple comparisons across some of the pages in a candidate's profile. The warnings led to renewed calls for the Legislature to take more urgent action to fix the power grid. The top California donors in the Texas governor's race, How the biggest Republican stronghold in Texas could cost Gov. The totals, calculated by aggregating individual donations reported in those filings, do not include non-monetary or in-kind contributions. Small donors make up almost half of the total amount ORourke raised. Stressing a different approach, the O'Rourke campaign embarks Tuesday on a 49-day campaign tour through Texas that will involve driving more than 5,600 miles. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. As CNBC reported, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans in a speech on. 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 . At the state level, with that same employer, the organization's name winds up on the Top Contributors list. A number of factors, including whether an incumbent officeholder is running for reelection, influence donor activity. Copyright 2023 KSAT.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. The rest of Abbott's campaign contributions for the 2020 election cycle are made up of moderate-to-large donations as well as small-dollar donors. Abbott to rake in $1 million checks from individual donors. 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. 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. He is an amateur triathlete, enjoys playing and watching soccer, traveling and hanging out with his wife. Paddie has received thousands in contributions from these entities in election years, but never this amount immediately after a legislative session. 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. Abbott.. employer. 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. Connect with needs and opportunities from. February winter storm: Campaign donations poured in after reform - WFAA Abbott, O'Rourke and more: See who's donating to Texas candidates ahead Greg Abbott, who is heading into a re-election year. Greg Abbott hauled in nearly $19 million over the last nine days of June and boasted an eye-popping $55 million in the bank as he prepares to . Greg Abbott is the number one fundraiser in state politics in the 2022 election cycle so far. 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. 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. The amount of money the senator fundraised from energy interests jumped from $1,000 to $44,500, the Tribune found. 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. Rick Perry and Democrat Tony Sanchez spent in 2002 and the combined $90 million Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis spent in 2014. Unsurprisingly, Gov. 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. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton underscored how the gambling industry continues to covet a huge market now beyond its reach Texas, the . We dont take anything for granted, he said. Oil and gas taxes now boost the state budget. 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 . ideological code, rather than an economic code, if the contributor gives to an ideological political action Greg Abbott Top Contributors OpenSecrets 2022 campaign season: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott raises almost $19 Million Of the trio, King received the most contributions from Karnei by far: five between 2004 and 2016 totaling $475, according to TEC records. All told, the candidates together have raised a combined $147 million, have spent almost $196 million and have a combined total of almost $8 million in their campaign coffers. 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.. A Texas Politics Project July poll indicates the race for Texas governor is tightening. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Abbott raises $19 million, O'Rourke $7.2 million in race for governor A spokesperson for Paddie did not respond to questions. But Luthers star appears to have dimmed after she lost a special election for state Senate last month. 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. "I'm grateful for everyone who helped us raise $27.63. GOP accepted millions from oil and gas ahead of Texas primary Both are from Dallas. Abbott said 81% of his donors were from Texas. Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and 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. In addition, both Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC and Q-PAC, which are tied to billionaire Dan Friedkin and Geoffrey Raynor, respectively, have also donated to Abbott in the past. July 19, 2022 Bank, his wife Matilda lists "Homemaker" and 12-year old Tammy shows up as "Student," OpenSecrets would identify all committee AND the candidate has received money from PACs representing that same ideological interest. Texas governor election: Beto O'Rourke looks to put Greg Abbott on defense in early stages of Texas governor's race. Through Nov. 30, even with federal fundraising constraints, Crenshaw in the last two-year cycle raised a whopping $19 million. Over that same short stretch in June, 11 prominent oil industry leaders, including billionaires Kelcy Warren, S. Javaid Anwar and Douglas Scharbauer all three whom could not be reached for comment combined to contribute about $3.2 million to Texas elected officials, up from about $2.2 million over the same period following the previous legislative session in 2019. 2:28. 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. Gas producers got a pass by Texas policymakers, said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas at Austin. 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. All rights reserved, Texas House Plans to Pass Largest Property Tax Decrease Ever,' Speaker Phelan Says, Texas Republicans to Vote on Resolution That Would Censure Rep. Tony Gonzales, 3 Children Killed, 2 Wounded in Ellis County Home; 1 in Custody: Sheriff, Actor Tom Sizemore, of Saving Private Ryan,' Dies at 61. 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. Had the bill passed, Walker would not be running the PUC. Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke has had $47,177,963 contributed to his campaign. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. 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. Last Christmas, Governor Greg Abbott bussed and dumped migrant families in the freezing cold in Washington, D.C. Abbotts candidate committee from another committee affiliated with the governor. As a Republican and a Texan, Abbott may have received significant campaign contributions from the NRA. During that week, Abbott assured Texans the grid was in better shape than ever. Abbott had $55 million saved up for his reelection campaign at the end of June. 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). Greg Abbott during a roundtable discussion at the Texas Department of Public Safety headquarters in Austin on Jan. 21. . individual contributions have yet been classified by OpenSecrets. As of Oct. 29, 2022, the overwhelming percentage of donations both candidates received are worth $200 or less. 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. Totals for industries (and larger economic Abbott is a member of the Republican Party and first assumed office in 2015. Do you value our journalism? 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. Do you value our journalism? 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. Texas Gov. Show us with your support. 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. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Hancock also has ties to the energy industry in his full-time job as a business owner. "The nearly 113,000 contributions illustrates that Gov. 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. The Past 30 Days column represents the last 30 days of donations, starting with the date of the most recent contribution for that race. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year. 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. Those donations have added up, bringing in about $9.7 million for Abbott and $37.8 million for ORourke. 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. 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. 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. Democrats have not won a statewide office in three decades, but incumbent Republican Ken Paxton is deemed vulnerable because of his2015 felony indictment for securities fraudand unrelated accusations of corruption that his top aides took to the FBIin late 2020. Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. Dan Patrick received millions in contributions from the energy industry, a new Texas Tribune report shows. 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 governor race: Beto O'Rourke, Greg Abbott campaigns raise more As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the . Warren's company Energy Transfer declined to comment on his behalf. In April, Abbott had been ahead of O'Rourke by 11 points. More: Ahead of primary, Gov. Kelcy Warren, CEO of Dallas-based Energy Transfer, gave the most money, with a single $1 million contribution to Gov. 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.. 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. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Heres how they compare. Gov. Cobos salary is $143,000. Greg Abbott raised almost $25 million during the same period, according to. Abbott's campaign stressed that since the start of 2021, the two-term Republican incumbent "has raised nearly $95 million from more than 418,000 donations." Since O'Rourke announced his.