As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the gubernatorial primary: current Gov. Texas Gov. requested and disclosed, if provided. Carpenter, Cobos and Walker are three of 10 remaining ERCOT board members after the five others all of whom live out of state resigned this week. contributions from corporate PACs, employees and owners as well as their immediate families. 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. For permission to reprint for commercial uses, Patricks calls came after he tried to assert himself prominently in responding to the winter storm by demanding leadership changes at state regulatory agencies and sparring with one Abbott-appointed regulator on the senate floor. Abbott talks parental empowerment, 'regulatory consistency' to open after the 20th of every month. Abbotts roster of rich donors is full of Texas Republicans with oil interestssome of who supported Trump ahead of the 2020 election. Texas Gov. Here's Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. Carney, the Abbott adviser, dismissed talk that ORourke could pose a threat. Meet The Billionaires Backing Beto O'Rourke And Greg Abbott - Forbes Of the trio, King received the most contributions from Karnei by far: five between 2004 and 2016 totaling $475, according to TEC records. O'Rourke's campaign reported Tuesday having raised $25.18 million over the most recent reporting period from July 1 through Sept. 29. O'Rourke's campaign said he got over 115,600 contributions over the 46-day period, while Abbott's team said. Aug. 4, 20215 AM Central. He helped raised $54 million for GOP gubernatorial candidates in other states, Carney said. Abbott has run a similar playbook as Perry and has taken it to a different level, Rottinghaus said. These are the latest numbers ahead of Election Day. ABBOTT, GREG - FollowTheMoney.org Texas elected officials cant receive campaign donations during the session, but after it ended in May, they were showered in cash by the energy industry even more than usual for a group known for its deep pockets and generous campaign giving. Tickets are on sale now for this multi-day celebration of big, bold ideas about politics, public policy and the days news, curated by The Texas Tribunes award-winning journalists. Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond. In November, Republicans held their 83-67 majority in the Texas House, despite organizing efforts by ORourkes Powered by People group and millions of dollars in TV ads bought by national Democratic super PACs. While summary numbers are reported almost immediately by the 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 . How has the candidates fundraising compared over time? This gives us time to analyze the contributions and categorize them by industry and UHs Cross said Abbott actually was straddling various state GOP factions long before 2020 and will continue to do so. Despite corporations statements this week that theyre suspending contributions to Republicans, Im not worried about how its going to affect the governors fundraising, Carney said. On the expenditures side, Gov. Gregory Wayne Abbott (born November 13, 1957) is an American politician, attorney, and former jurist serving as the 48th governor of Texas since 2015. 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. Greg Abbott, gives an update on an investigation into the massacre in Uvalde, Wednesday, May 25, 2022. This is up from 19% after the 2019 session. Abbotts potential opponents next year include former Democratic presidential hopeful Beto ORourke as well as several fellow Republicans who have criticized COVID-19 executive orders as overreach. Ron DeSantis, viewed as the greatest GOP threat to former President Trump's 2024 White House campaign, is visiting Southern California this weekend to promote his new book and curry favor as he raises money for Republicans in conservative strong-holds. corporations and unions can give directly to campaigns in many jurisdictions. Oil grew to become the states signature industry, rich oilmen and companies started showering politicians with money and a romance blossomed. 2022 campaign season: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott raises almost $19 Million Governor Greg Abbott's 2022 Re-Election Campaign Raises $19M In Late Warren has given Abbott $250,000 donations almost every year since he won the governors office in 2014. Gov. Join us Sept. 20-25 at the 2021 Texas Tribune Festival. Energy Industry Showers Abbott, Other Texas Politicians With Campaign Disclosure: Calpine, CenterPoint Energy, NRG Energy, Oncor, University of Texas at Austin and University of Houston have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Texas is already guaranteed record-setting spendingfor a governor's race this year, and the numbers keep climbing. A lot of things can happen. Political strife: The Texas Legislatures toughest 2021 challenges, A day after powerful thunderstorms, North Texas surveys the damage, 3 children killed, 2 wounded at Ellis County home; suspect in custody, How a Texas districts reaction to school shooting fears highlights discipline concerns, Carrollton man advertised pills on social media to entice teens to buy fentanyl, feds say. West Texas energy billionaires make 7-figure wager against Abbott in Other lawmakers who saw some of the largest spikes in funding from the energy industry were those who authored the power grid legislation and chaired the committees that heard the bills. We dont take anything for granted, he said. But none has reaped campaign contributions on the scale of Abbott, who in six years in office has raised more than $150 million from donors, more than any governor in U.S. history. State requirements related to itemization thresholds and employment disclosures vary. In some cases, a cluster of contributions from people associated with the same organization may indicate a 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. such as textbooks, contact OpenSecrets: info[at]crp.org. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas "In Texas, anything is possible. state officeholders may be subject to longer time lags, as OpenSecrets aggregates this information from many sources Last Christmas, Governor Greg Abbott bussed and dumped migrant families in the freezing cold in Washington, D.C. Political contributions link ERCOT board to Abbott and the state - KSAT Greg Abbott has $38M in his campaign bank, but is it enough to scare off 2022 challengers? Ballotpedia is the digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. Beto O'Rourke out-raises Greg Abbott in campaign contributions - MSN The figures in federal profiles are taken from databases uploaded by the FEC on the first day of every month. The Republican governor raised 26% more in last years final six months than the $9.1 million he raised in late 2016 the comparable period in his first term. 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. During the same stretch after the two subsequent . 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. Greg Abbott said his campaign raised nearly $19 million in the last six months of 2021, a total that brought his campaign war chest to a staggering $65 million in December. Warren spent more than $10 million to try to get Trump reelected in 2020. Abbott signed into law last year an abortion ban excepting cases when the life of a pregnant patientis in danger that takes effect later this summer. Using previous figures reported by the Texas Ethics Commission, O'Rourke has now raised more than $65 million in what has become one of America's most expensive races of the 2022 midterms. 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). Connect with needs and opportunities from. Tribune: Texas Leaders Raked in Millions After Electric Grid Collapse Gov. By signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, Stand with us in our mission to discover and uncover the story of North Texas. Washington, 2022 campaign contributions: Who's backing Texas political candidates Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Democratic challenger Beto O'Rourke has had $47,177,963 contributed to his campaign. Just 6%, or $1,141, of his overall campaign contributions in the brief June fundraising period after the 2015 legislative session came from the energy industry. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 50th attorney general of Texas from 2002 to 2015 and as a member of the Texas Supreme Court from 1996 to 2001.. Abbott was the third Republican to serve as attorney general of Texas since the . If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241. 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. motivation for each individual giver. More: Ahead of primary, Gov. by Mitchell Ferman and Carla Astudillo Texans for Public Justice released this week, A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017. Feel free to distribute or cite this material, but please credit OpenSecrets. interest group. Final fundraising figures show that both gubernatorial candidates raised a combined $160 million in the November midterm election. Since then, ORourke received four major fundraising bumps: one right after the primary election; one after he confronted Abbott at a press conference following the school shooting in Uvalde in late May; one after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade in late June; and one at the end of September, a couple of weeks ahead of the voter registration deadline. On Wednesday, Abbott underscored state Republicans delight that they held off the Democrats charge in the election immediately preceding a once-a-decade redistricting of political boundaries. 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. Abbott is running for re-election in 2022. Campaign finance reports by Abbott, Lt. Gov. Abbott's Chart-Topping Donors for 2020 - Transparency USA He is an amateur triathlete, enjoys playing and watching soccer, traveling and hanging out with his wife. Were receiving support from those in every part of this state who are ready to hold Greg Abbott fully accountable for eight years of failing all of us as he continues to put his extreme agenda over the people of Texas. On June 23, Warren cut a check to Abbott's campaign for $1 million, according to the governor's latest campaign finance filing, which covers January through June. Abbott raises $19 million, Beto O'Rourke's fast start nets $7.2 million in race for governor. Robert T. Garrett, Austin Bureau Chief. Texas Gov. Greg) Abbott is taking million-dollar checks from the CEOs who profited off of the grid collapse, were receiving support from people all over Texas who want to ensure that our state finally leads in great jobs, world class schools and the ability to see a doctor," O'Rourke said in a statement. In 2021, the Abbott campaign had out-raised the O'Rourke campaign since the start of their respective campaigns. Still, University of North Texas political scientist Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha said Abbotts $38 million will scare off most of the competition.. 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. Im grateful for everyone who helped raise $25.18 million in just three months as we support the work of our organizers and record-breaking 100,000 volunteers, said ORourke. The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. Caroline Covington contributed to this story. 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. Bank, his wife Matilda lists "Homemaker" and 12-year old Tammy shows up as "Student," OpenSecrets would identify all Speaking of donations he received from Texans in all 254 counties, Abbott said that with such help we will continue to spread the messages of freedom and liberty to every corner of the Lone Star State.. These totals are conservative, as not all of the 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 continued his legislative push for "parental empowerment" in Austin on Wednesday while also expressing support for a bill meant to keep local . But to build a better future for every Texan, I need your help. How much have the candidates raised so far? Greg Abbott raised almost $25 million during the same period, according to. More than a quarter of Hancocks contributions in June came from energy interests, about $53,500 the most he has ever received in a post-legislative session period. A Crenshaw aide, though, said hes not thinking about running for governor. 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. Beto O'Rourke looks to put Greg Abbott on defense in early stages of Texas governor's race, Ahead of primary, Gov. Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and Walker, a non-voting member of ERCOTs board, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Carney also said that while O'Rourke focuses on abortion rights and restricting assault-style weapons, Abbott would continue to emphasize economic issues, including the high inflation rate. A fifth-generation Texan, Bob earned a bachelors degree from Harvard University. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. ORourkes Powered by People PAC gave $1.7 million to his own campaign. The Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November election. 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. 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. Greg Abbott - Governor of Texas Thanks to our generous supporters, our campaign helped secure Republican victories across the state of Texas this election cycle, he said. Dave Carney, Abbotts political strategist, said the governor is unperturbed by the volatile national political environment. All rights reserved. In Texas, Gov. Last year, Abbott wouldve raised more if hed been able to hold in-person fundraisers and hadnt been busy as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Carney said. Updated: Feb. 10, 2023. That amount is up from 12% of his contributions. Kolten Parker is digital executive producer at KSAT. But Luthers star appears to have dimmed after she lost a special election for state Senate last month. But were looking at almost two years until our election. Those donations have added up, bringing in about $9.7 million for Abbott and $37.8 million for ORourke.