January semiannual campaign finance reports were due for state officeholders and candidates on Tuesday. They cover contributions received and expenditures made during the second half of 2017. For most primary challengers and open-seat candidates, they are the first window into their potential competitiveness in March. We published several reports throughout the last two days:
- Semiannual Reports Give First Glimpse of Primary Competitiveness
- Statewide Officials Report Record $78.3M on Hand
- Most Senate Incumbents Hold Solid Fundraising Advantages
- At Least 8 House Incumbents Trail Primary Challengers
- Separation Seen in Some House Open-seat Races
Not all reports are in, so we will continue to provide updates over the next few days. We have also updated our Crib Sheets to reflect the latest campaign finance numbers, and we will continue to update them as new information becomes available.
HD31: Primary challenger Ana Lisa Garza out-raised Rep. Ryan Guillen (D-Rio Grande City), $102K to $41K, but Guillen maintains a massive $996K to $36K advantage in cash on hand. Garza also outspent Guillen, $121K to $101K. Garza’s top contributors include Corpus Christi-based Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys ($25K), Realtos business owners Oscar and Lynn Wyatt ($25K combined) and Mission appraiser Campbell Patton ($10K).
HD108: The Dallas Morning News endorsed Zac Duffy to be the Democratic nominee against Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas).
CD21 open: The Joseph Kopser campaign announced he raised $260K during the fourth quarter and will report having $330K on hand. Federal year-end reports are not due until January 31.
Austin: Mayor Steve Adler raised $283K during the last two months of 2017 and he reported having $236K on hand. Adler is seeking re-election in November.
Killeen: Mayor Jose Segarra filed for re-election on the first day of filing for offices on the May 6 uniform election ballot. Dog trainer Holly Teel, who unsuccessfully sought a council seat in May, and retiree Arturo Cortez filed to challenge him.
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