Statewide candidates facing primary opposition raised nearly $19M and spent more than $36M during the past month, according to their 8-day-out campaign finance reports. These reports disclose contributions received and expenditures made between January 21 and February 19. Contributions received after that period must be disclosed in daily pre-election reports, and those will not be reflected below or in our Crib Sheets.
GOV (Likely R): Gov. Greg Abbott (R) out-raised former Sen. Don Huffines (R-Dallas), $3.8M to $2.8M, and outspent him, $15.0M to $4.7M. Abbott has nearly $50M on hand. Former Republican Party chair Allen West raised $959K and spent $596K.
Huffines’s largest contributors for the period were Defend Texas Liberty PAC ($2.2M), Midland oil and gas executive Kyle Stallings and his wife Jamie ($200K and Dallas broadcaster John Wells ($100K). Collectively, they accounted for 90% of his contribution total.
West’s largest contributors included Broussard, La. Retiree Greg Mosing ($175K); Gatesville retiree Gary Heavin ($100K); New York City consultant John Tsanas ($100K); Lake Forest, Ill. business owner Richard Uihlein ($65K); Fulshear consultant Shawn Fry ($35K); Dallas retiree John Peck ($26K); Keller media producer Chad Campbell ($25K). Out-of-state donors supplied 54% of West’s contribution total.
On the Democratic side, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke (D-El Paso) raised $3.0M, spent $2.2M and has $6.8M on hand. Over the election cycle, Abbott has out-raised O’Rourke, $43M to $10M.
LTGOV (Lean R): Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) raised $700K, spent $457K and has $22.7M on hand. His nearest primary rival, Daniel Miller, raised $28K, spent $22K and has $13K on hand. On the Democratic side, Mike Collier raised $124K, spent $387K and has $120K on hand, all easily leading the field.
AG (Lean R): Former Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman (R) out-raised the rest of the Republican field but was narrowly outspent by Land Comm. George P. Bush (R). Guzman raised $2.9M, spent $2.5M and has $492K on hand. Bush raised $1.4M, spent $2.7M and has $1.2M on hand. Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton (R) raised $913K, spent $1.6M and has $4.7M on hand. U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Tyler) raised $140K, spent $854K and has $149K on hand.
Guzman’s largest contributors for the period included Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($1.19M), Houston real estate developer Richard Weekley ($500K), Dallas investor Harlan Crow ($250K), Irving investor Robert Rowling ($250K), Bellaire real estate developer Alan Hassenflu ($100K), Dallas investor Joseph Popolo Jr. ($85K), Houston investor Wilhelmina Robertson ($50K), Houston executive James Bryan Jr. ($30K), Dallas farmer Patrick Rayes ($28K), Houston homebuilder Kathy Britton ($25K), Dallas executive Fritz Duda ($25K), Sugar Land executive Al Gonsoulin ($25K), Houston nonprofit executive Nancy Kinder ($25K), Dallas investor Pierce Marshall Jr. ($25K), Temple executive Drayton McLane Jr. ($25K) and Dallas investor Jim Thompson ($25K).
Bush’s largest contributors for the period included Austin tech executive Alex Davis ($300K); Dallas oil and gas executive Trevor Rees Jones ($150K), former President George W. Bush ($100K); McAllen investment banker Gaston Sosa ($100K); The Woodlands attorney Arnulfo Treviño Garza ($100K); Dallas energy executive Kelcy Warren ($100K); Abilene investor Tucker Bridwell ($38K); Abilene retiree Dian Graves Stai ($38K); Vero Beach, Fla. executive Frank Tsamoutales ($32K); former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ($25K); Austin auto dealer Bryan Hardeman ($25K), Hobe Sound, Fla. financial executive Stephen Lessing ($25K); Lakeland, Fla. executive Piyush Patel ($25K); Dallas auto dealer Carl Sewell ($25K); and Odessa auto dealer Collin Sewell ($25K).
Details on Paxton’s contributors were not yet available but appear to be fully itemized. Gohmert’s largest contributor was Midland entrepreneur John Mabee ($50K).
LAND (Likely R): Sen. Dawn Buckingham (R-Lakeway) and Jay Kleberg (D) combined to account for 92% of all contributions given to and 94% of all expenditures for the period. Buckingham raised $412K, spent $1.7M and has $519K on hand. Kleberg raised $254K, spent $543K and has $121K on hand.
AGRIC (Likely R): Comm. Sid Miller (R) out-raised Rep. James White (R-Hillister), $112K to $65K, but was outspent by the challenger, $182K to $90K. Miller has a $234K to $178K advantage in cash on hand. Miller’s top contributors for the period were Defend Texas Liberty PAC ($25K) and Aledo land developer Jim Martin ($25K)
RRC (Likely R): Comm. Wayne Christian (R) raised $74K, spent $429K and has $432K on hand, all easily leading the field.
SC9 (Likely R): Justice Evan Young (R) out-raised David Schenck, $134K to $43K, and outspent him, $456K to $52K.
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