A 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, charitable organization, 1100 13th Street, NW, Suite 800 Learn more. He is an amateur triathlete, enjoys playing and watching soccer, traveling and hanging out with his wife. Kathy Hochul raked in big campaign bucks over the last six months to the tune of $21.9 million from a well of donors who also used to give generously to disgraced ex-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. Separate from discussion of the virus outbreak, some have wondered whether Houston-area GOP congressman Dan Crenshaw, whos seen nationally as a Republican comer, might jump into a race against Abbott. Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren is one of Abbotts top donors. According to its website, OPUC represents the interests of residential and small commercial consumers, as a class, in utility proceedings in Texas. Thats what allows Gov. As Gov. Polling data suggests a large percentage of voters might agree with O'Rourke on increasing abortion access and gun reform. Recession. Oliver told KSAT that he was also unaware of any recent criticism levied toward ERCOT by Abbott. This gives us time to analyze the contributions and categorize them by industry and The Legislature ultimately passed a bill shepherded by Paddie in the House and state Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, in the Senate that requires power generation companies to prepare to withstand extreme weather conditions. Updated: Feb. 10, 2023. reports from the FEC or state campaign finance agencies that reach applicable itemization thresholds. "The nearly 113,000 contributions illustrates that Gov. their contributions as being related to the "First National Bank" since that's the source of the family's income. ORourke and Abbott will compete separately in their own party primaries on March 1, but many are already looking ahead to a general election between the former Democratic House representative and the current Republican governor. DeSantis, who frequently tangles . These generous contributions from people all across Texas show just how excited Texans are for this campaign, Abbott said in a statement. While summary numbers are reported almost immediately by the Abbott's Chart-Topping Donors for 2020 - Transparency USA That's more than twice the $207,000 they gave during the same period when the legislative session ended in in 2019, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. Since the beginning of last year, Abbotts campaign has raised about $5.5 million from at least 17 billionaires and 3 spouses of billionaires. Dan Patricks Senate. Texas Gov. 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. Billionaire money manager Ken Fisher, who lives in Dallas, donated $25,000 to Abbotts campaign, plus $100,000 to the Defend Texas PAC. Of the $44.8 million already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 21.9 percent came from the top 10 donors. As CNBC reported, Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Republicans in a speech on. And talk of a primary challenge from Lt. Gov. Abbott, who has held a commanding lead in cash on hand during the race, touts $46 million in his campaign coffers. Heres how they compare. His campaign accepted more than $12 million in political contributions from oil and gas companies and executives this election cycle. why: Summary numbers for federal officeholders - specifically "Total Raised and Spent" and "PAC/Individual Split" - are The state of Texas imposes no limits on how much money you can give to your local representative, your senator, your governor, said Wheat. Absent that storm, his contributions would have been different, said Bill Miller, a longtime Texas political consultant and lobbyist. Cobos was appointed chief executive and public counsel of the Office of Public Utility Counsel (OPUC) by Abbott in March 2019, three months after donating $1,050 to Abbotts campaign, state contribution records show. 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. The figures in federal profiles are taken from databases uploaded by the FEC on the first day of every month. contributor provides it. Usually, state candidates in Texas get the majority of their donations from Texans. Do you value our journalism? Karnei, the CEO of a Central Texas power cooperative, is an abounding donor to politicians and energy-related political action committees, campaign finance records show. Abbott's campaign said it received nearly 113,000 contributions and that 86% of the campaign contributions came from within Texas. Abbott and ORourke have easily surpassed the combined $95 million Gov. Through Nov. 30, even with federal fundraising constraints, Crenshaw in the last two-year cycle raised a whopping $19 million. Get immediate access to organizations and people The amount of money the senator fundraised from energy interests jumped from $1,000 to $44,500, the Tribune found. Officials with ERCOT, which ordered local utility companies to shed load from the power grid as energy demand exceeded supply, are expected to answer questions during the hearing. The other organizations on the list include law firms, teachers groups and liberal political action committees. Visit us at Ballotpedia.org, or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Board member Mark Carpenter, a senior vice president with Dallas-based Oncor Electric Delivery, has contributed $10,000 to Texans for Greg Abbott, Abbotts campaign war chest, since October 2018. Those donations have added up, bringing in about $9.7 million for Abbott and $37.8 million for ORourke. In April, Abbott had been ahead of O'Rourke by 11 points. Greg Abbott, who is heading into a re-election year. The PUC has largely avoided blame for last weeks power issues, so far, despite providing oversight to ERCOT. grand total of contributions Greg Abbott has reported in 2022Number of Contributions from Individuals (above itemization threshold): 292,180. 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. Democratic gubernatorial challenger Beto O'Rourke raised $27.3 million from Feb. 20 to June 30, while Republican Gov. "I'm grateful for everyone who helped us raise $27.63. The Past 30 Days column represents the last 30 days of donations, starting with the date of the most recent contribution for that race. disclosures vary. Energy Industry Showers Abbott, Other Texas Politicians With Campaign for data entry). As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the . Abbott has long been considered a prolific fundraiser and O'Rourke garnered a similar reputation during his 2018 bid for the U.S. Senate, when he raised more than $80 million for his campaign. He did not respond to a request for comment. The Texas House Committee on State Affairs is scheduled to hold a joint hearing Thursday morning with the House Energy Resources Committee to examine what led to statewide electrical blackouts. In addition, Abbott has received donations from deep-pocketed donors in the real estate industry like Edward Roski Jr., president of Majestic Realty in California, who gave $1.5 million, as well as three donations of $1 million each from supporters in finance and casinos. AUSTIN Since a deadly winter storm hit Texas earlier this month Governor Greg Abbott has repeatedly heaped criticism on ERCOT, the operator of the states electric grid, claiming the entity was woefully unprepared for the dangerous weather that has killed a still-untold number of people. 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 . Heading into the 2022 campaign season, Gov. Texas Gov. Given more time, Gov. Abbott's campaign said his roughly $25 million in donations from the most recent filing period came from nearly 45,000 contributors, which is 1/10th of the number of donors reported by his. We are going to defeat him and ensure Texas finally leads in great jobs, world-class schools, the ability to see a doctor, keeping our kids safe and restoring a womans freedom to make her own decisions about her own body.. Texas Gov. Abbott reports record fundraising ahead of 2022 elections Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. I wouldnt count him out., Last fall, Abbott gave money and shared his campaigns detailed voter information database with GOP hopefuls in several of the key Texas House contests. ORourkes 2019 presidential run created some problems, she acknowledged. As Texas voters go to the polls next week, it is clear which candidate billionaires are backing in the gubernatorial primary: current Gov. These are the latest numbers ahead of Election Day. Texans deserve answers about why these shortfalls occurred and how they are going to be corrected, and Texans will get those answers.. A bill proposed by San Antonio Republican state Rep. Lyle Larson in 2017 would have prohibited the governor from appointing a political donor to a position if he or she had contributed more than $2,500 in a year. We dont take anything for granted, he said. How many donations came from within Texas? However, both candidates have national profiles, with Abbott regularly appearing on Fox News and ORourke running for president in 2020. The money came from159,000 total contributions with an average contribution of roughly $119, his campaign said Tuesday. contributions may be completely unrelated to the organization. If enough contributions came in from people connected Earlier, he was a statehouse reporter for three newspapers, including the Dallas Times Herald. 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. We will secure the future of Texas." Email * Zip Code * Still, in the 2019 legislative session, Abbott successfully appealed to GOP leaders and lawmakers to tend to bread-and-butter issues such as improving public schools and lowering property taxes. Abbott is bought and paid for by his billionaire donors, a spokesperson for ORourkes campaign told Forbes in an email. Join us Sept. 20-25 at the 2021 Texas Tribune Festival. The Abbott campaign is eyeing aggressive advertising strategies ahead of the November 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. sectors) can be seen in each candidate and race profile, and in the Industry Profile section of the OpenSecrets Of all the statewide elections in Texas, the attorney generals race is expected to be the most competitive. Dan Patrick received millions in contributions from the energy industry, a new Texas Tribune report shows. That has resulted in both candidates receiving a large number of donations from outside Texas. Texas Gov. Thanks to our generous supporters, our campaign helped secure Republican victories across the state of Texas this election cycle, he said. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. He knows how to walk that fine line between moderate Republicans and those that are very right of center, she said. may affect those organizations or their industries. Washington, Robert T. Garrett, Austin Bureau Chief. with that same employer, the organization's name winds up on the Top Contributors list. Donors who give more than $200 to any federal candidate, PAC or party committee must list their occupation and Florida Gov. Power companies were in the hot seat, as millions of Texans who endured a week of subfreezing temperatures with no power demanded sweeping, multibillion dollar improvements to prevent another deadly disaster and lawmakers promised action. Abbott wants to deny undocumented kids a public education The O'Rourke campaign said nearly all of the more than 511,000 contributions to the campaign, at an average of $54, came from online donors and that teachers contributed more than people from any other occupation. contributions from corporate PACs, employees and owners as well as their immediate families. He covers Gov. That far exceeds the $6.8 million in cash on hand that ORourkes committee, Beto For Texas, reported as of the same date. Abbott's campaign said his roughly $25 million in donations from the most recent filing period came from nearly 45,000 contributors, which is 1/10th of the number of donors reported by his challenger over the same time period. 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. As Gov. The O'Rourke campaign has not yet released how much cash on hand it has. Dave Carney, Abbott's chief political strategist, said Wednesday that he expected O'Rourke to have strong fundraising numbers. George W. Bush was heavily funded by his familys well-established energy network, his successor, former Gov. In the past two cycles, national Democrats have shown their willingness to pour millions into once-forbidding Texas. Learn more about our work here. Connect with needs and opportunities from. useful after the election, as issues come before Congress, presidential administrations and state governments that Find a complete list of them here. In the final half of 2020, Abbott collected contributions from 22,598 donors, 10,116 of whom were new, his campaign announced Wednesday. "As we move into the heat of the summer campaign, were well positioned to fund all our campaign efforts, Texans for Greg Abbott Campaign Chairman Gardner Pate said in the Friday release. Greg Abbott campaign promises 'knock-out, drag-out fight' in race against Beto O'Rourke, according to January campaign finance reports, Governor's race tightens as Greg Abbott's lead over Beto O'Rourke shrinks to 6 points, poll finds, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The organizations that donated the most money to Abbott this reporting period have previously given to the governor. Those In fact, Abbott's campaign said he has raised $95 million this election season. Hancock also has ties to the energy industry in his full-time job as a business owner. Making a million-dollar political donation to reward the government for its light touch and encourage the government to continue turning a blind eye to price gouging and windfall profits while hundreds of people die seems like a good return on investment., Making a million-dollar political donation to reward the government for its light touch and encourage the government to continue turning a blind eye to price gouging and windfall profits while hundreds of people die seems like a good return on investment.. Greg Abbott, the state budget and CPS and foster care. Paddie received contributions from Oncor; Vistra, the states largest power generation company; and NuStar Political Action Committee, an oil and gas group. All other numbers in these Warren has given Abbott $250,000 donations almost every year since he won the governors office in 2014. Open Secrets following the money in politics, OpenSecrets Following the money in politics, Why (and How) We Use Donors' Employer/Occupation Information, Organization unavailable for these records. This means that overall, Abbotts Texas donors gave more than ORourkes Texas donors. A contribution to a candidate may be given an (An Abbott spokesman did not release the campaigns report for the second half of 2020, which is due at the Texas Ethics Commission on Friday.). 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. voters, researchers and others. Walker, a non-voting member of ERCOTs board, did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. requested and disclosed, if provided. That is why Congress and many states have mandated that candidates, political Greg Abbott and Republicans Count on NRA Donations - Market Realist Here's how much. The top California donors in the Texas governor's race, How the biggest Republican stronghold in Texas could cost Gov. Texas Gov. Abbott receives $44.8 million, with a Greg - Ballotpedia Find a complete list of them here. 2023 www.statesman.com. 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. and formats. Abbott reported $37.9 million, with 79.1 percent of all spending going to the 10 payees topping the list. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis makes California pilgrimage to woo The twisted roots between the oil and gas industry and Texas lawmakers is almost as old as the Capitol building itself, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. Last Christmas, Governor Greg Abbott bussed and dumped migrant families in the freezing cold in Washington, D.C. Abbott and ORourke are not the only gubernatorial candidates who have received backing from local Texas billionaires. While some of this money. 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. based on summary reports filed by the candidates with the Federal Election Commission. Final fundraising figures show that both gubernatorial candidates raised a combined $160 million in the November midterm election. Governor Greg Abbott's 2022 Re-Election Campaign Raises $19M In Late Texas has no limits on campaign contributions. Just before the energy donations poured in for Abbott in June, the power grid operator asked Texans, mid-heat wave, to conserve power and turn their thermostats to 78 degrees for a week in order to reduce electricity demand because significant power generation was unexpectedly offline. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. State Rep. Chris Paddie, R-Marshall, chair of the powerful state affairs committee in the House, was among those lawmakers. But by the end of the legislative session, if Texas top power companies were aggrieved by the way they were treated by the Legislature or any of the new laws passed targeting their industry, they didnt show it. Warren's donation is . Greg Abbott - Texas Governor (R) Now showing data for the 2022 election year. And what you want to be able to do is have the ear of the lawmakers, said Andrew Wheat of Texans for Public Justice, an Austin non-profit that tracks money in Texas politics. Carney, the Abbott adviser, dismissed talk that ORourke could pose a threat. 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. have always come from the energy industry, recently acquired by Roskis Majestic Realty. Republican incumbent Greg Abbott, who is seeking his third term in office, has reported huge fundraising hauls in the past, amassing staggering amounts of cash in his campaign coffers. Greg Abbott, who is heading into a reelection year in 2022, benefited most from the flood of June campaign donations from the energy industry. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. 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. Although individual contributions are generally categorized based on the donor's occupation/employer, in some cases According to the most recent campaign finance reports made to the Texas Ethics Commission, the governor received $44,778,653 in total contributions and spent $37,930,300 between January 1, 2021 and February 19, 2022. For his part, Patrick has been pushing the states politics to the rightsince his days as a talk radio host in Houston. Abbott raises $19 million, Beto O'Rourke's fast start nets $7.2 million in race for governor. Just over 40% of the sum of ORourkes donations came from out-of-state donors, compared with 17% of Abbotts. Show us with your support. On Friday, Texans for Greg Abbott announced in a press release the governor raised nearly $25 . The data is from the period between Jan. 1, 2021, and Oct. 29, 2022. Gov. Abbott Reports Raising $25M in Latest Campaign Report First, we apply a code to the contribution, identifying the industry. profiles for state and federal officeholders are derived from contribution records disclosed in campaign finance That amount is up from 12% of his contributions. Cobos salary is $143,000. The oil and gas industry was Abbotts top contributor, accounting for 19% of all funds raised, according to the report. 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.