Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) and Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer (D-San Antonio) combined to raise more than $617K during the last six months of 2015, and they reported having more than $705K on hand combined entering the final two months of their special election rematch. Menendez edged out Martinez Fischer in contributions for the period, $320K to $298K, but Martinez Fischer has a significant edge in cash on hand, $416K to $291K. It is the largest cash on hand advantage for any challenger over an incumbent.

Just over half (52%) of Menendez’s contributions came from San Antonio donors, and just over 40% of his total contributions originated from district zip codes. Both numbers are considerably higher than Martinez Fischer, who received 12% of his total contributions from San Antonio and 9% from district zip codes.

Sen. Jose Menendez

Sen. Jose Menendez

Campaign Finance Summary

$290,659 – cash on hand

$319,939 – contributions (July 1-December 31)
$121,315 – expenditures (July 1-December 31)

$986,924 – total contributions (2015-16 cycle)
$706,678 – total expenditures (2015-16 cycle)

$0 – outstanding loan principal

Geographic Sources

$166,369 – San Antonio
$50,242 – Austin
$22,725 – Houston
$16,050 – Dallas
$12,500 – Comfort

$32,209 – Other Texas cities
$19,844 – Outside Texas

Type of Contributor

$157,181 – Individuals
$162,749 – PACs and other entities

$317,835 – Cash
$2,104 – In-kind

District Zip Codes

$131,874 – donors in district zip codes
$188,055 – donors outside district

41% from district

91 donations of $1,000 or less from district donors

Timing

$236,608 – Before filing deadline
$83,331 – After filing deadline

Largest Contributors

Contributors giving a total of $5,000 or more for the campaign finance period (7/1-12/31):

$11,500 – Girish Patel

$10,000 – AT&T Texas PAC, Gordon Hartman & TX Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC

$7,500 – H.B. Zachry Jr.

$5,000 – Kickapoo Tribe, Nustar PAC, SA Apartment Assoc. PAC, Stuart Shaw, TX Assoc. of Auto Dealers PAC, TX Consumer Finance PAC, TX Medical Assoc. PAC, TX Restaurant Assoc. PAC

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer

Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer

Campaign Finance Summary

$416,218 – cash on hand

$297,944 – contributions (July 1-December 31)
$137,925 – expenditures (July 1-December 31)

$1,026,746 – total contributions (2015-16 cycle)
$1,016,708 – total expenditures (2015-16 cycle)

$0 – outstanding loan principal

Geographic Sources

$68,750 – Austin
$47,350 – Houston
$37,100 – San Antonio
$30,000 – Beaumont
$26,000 – McAllen

$68,034 – Other Texas cities
$20,710 – Outside Texas

Type of Contributor

$160,194 – Individuals
$137,750 – PACs and other entities

$297,894 – Cash
$50 – In-kind

District Zip Codes

$26,785 – donors in district zip codes
$271,159 – donors outside district

9% from district

44 donations of $1,000 or less from district donors

Timing

$204,350 – Before filing deadline
$93,594 – After filing deadline

Largest Contributors

Contributors giving a total of $5,000 or more for the campaign finance period (7/1-12/31):

$25,000 – Bryan Blevins, Daly & Black PC, Nelson Roach

$12,500 – One Texas PAC

$11,500 – Blackridge

$10,000 – Border Health PAC, Charles Tate

$7,500 – TX Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC

$5,000 – Chickasaw Nation, Ernest Boyd, Scott Freeman, Peter Holt, Greg LaMantia, Joe LaMantia, Jack Martin, Lyndon Olson, Val Peisen, H. Ross Perot Jr., PJC Investments LLC, Reaud & Associates PC

Since the beginning of 2015, Menendez and Martinez Fischer have raised more than $2 million (Martinez Fischer just over $1 million, Menendez just under $1 million).

Martinez Fischer received at least 36% of his contributions from attorneys and law firms, roughly four times the amount received by Menendez. Martinez Fischer received donations from Rep. Ana Hernandez and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro. Menendez received donations from former Rep. David McQuade Leibowitz, former Secretary of State Hope Andrade and former San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger.

In a January 16 memo to “Interested Parties,” Martinez Fischer claimed momentum. The campaign says its field organization is being overseen by several people who joined him “after electing Sylvester Turner mayor of Houston” and has knocked on 9,000 doors (10,000 according to a tweet later that day). Internal polling shows Martinez Fischer “above 50% across all races and ethnicities.” He noted that “Democratic voters in the Democratic primary” would settle the race (See our analysis of voting patterns in the SD26 special runoff election, in which we estimate Menendez benefitted from non-primary voter participation.)

Meanwhile, the Menendez campaign tweeted that it is “over halfway” to meeting its goal of 100 hosts for the January 27 “Women for Jose Menendez” event. Among the listed hosts are Rep. Ina Minjarez, former Sen. Leticia Van de Putte and Andrade.