Campaign Finance
State candidates with primary opponents were required to file 30-day-out campaign finance reports today. These reports cover contributions received and expenditures made during the first 25 days of 2018. Most of these reports will not be available until tomorrow, but here are some highlights from what we have seen so far:
- Greg Abbott (R) raised $1.1M and reported having $43.3M on hand. It is the smallest amount he has raised in any reporting period since January 2011, but it still amounts to roughly $44K per day. On the Democratic side, Andrew White loaned his campaign $1M and raised around $140K, and Lupe Valdez raised just under $50K, according to their campaigns.
- SD17: Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) raised $83K and has just under $500K on hand.
- HD47: Rep. Paul Workman (R-Austin), facing two primary challengers, raised $81K and has $144K on hand.
- HD54: The two challengers running against Rep. Scott Cosper (R-Killeen) raised just over $2K combined and have $23K on hand combined. We suspect there may be errors in at least one of these reports.
- HD87: Rep. Four Price (R-Amarillo) raised $81K and has $575K on hand.
- HD99: Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) raised $85K and has $315K on hand. Geren spent $286K in 25 days.
We will be pouring over these reports throughout the week and updating our Crib Sheets and Hot Races with the new numbers.
Endorsements
CLEAT PAC: The Combined Law Enforcement Assocs. of Texas PAC issued its legislative endorsements for the 2018 primary. Most of the endorsements went to incumbents, but the group Rep. Cindy Burkett (R-Sunnyvale) over Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), open-seat candidate Angela Paxton for SD8, former Rep. Ted Kamel (R-Tyler) over Rep. Matt Schaefer (R-Tyler) and James Wilson over Rep. Valoree Swanson (R-Spring). The group advised it would endorse statewide candidates after the primary election.
LTGOV: The Dallas Morning News endorsed former Rockwall council member Scott Milder over Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) in the Republican primary. Meanwhile, the Independent Bankers Assoc. of Texans and Hispanic Republicans of Texas endorsed Patrick.
RRC: The Weston Martinez campaign said he has been endorsed by Texas Values president Jonathan Saenz, former Harris Co. Republican chair Jared Woodfill and the Conservative Republicans of Texas.
HD122: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) endorsed primary challenger Chris Fails over Rep. Lyle Larson (R-San Antonio). Fails is the third primary challenger Abbott has endorsed, joining Susanna Dokupil and Mayes Middleton.
CD29 open: The Houston Chronicle endorsed Sen. Sylvia Garcia (D-Houston) for the seat being vacated by U.S. Rep. Gene Green (D-Houston).
Elsewhere
Redistricting: The U.S. Supreme Court refused to stay a Pennsylvania state supreme court ruling require congressional districts be redrawn. Last month, the commonwealth’s high court ruled the Republican-drawn map “plainly and palpably” violated the state constitution. In 2012, President Obama carried the state and congressional Democratic candidates received more votes collectively than Republicans, but Republicans won 13 of the 18 U.S. House seats. They hold the same number of seats entering the 2018 election. Primary elections are currently scheduled for May 15.
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