In a three-way primary race to represent Texas Senate District 31, incumbent State Senator Kel Seliger barely held off challenges by former Midland Mayor Mike Canon and Muleshoe Mayor and restauranteur Victor Leal. Seliger squeaked by with 50.5% of the vote to avoid a run-off with Canon.

Here’s a quick look at the numbers:

Entering the 2018 Primary Election Kel Seliger was commonly referred to as conservatives’ #1 target in the Texas Senate. In addition to this, he had two opponents – both with strong in-district ties – a situation that often spells doom for incumbent politicians. But Seliger had a plan, and he executed. Sitting on one of the largest war chests in Texas, Seliger spent big-time, doubling the expenditures of his two opponents combined.

Key Takeaways from the SD 31 Race:

1. Seliger amassed an enormous amount of money from outside his district.
   It clearly helps to be a 14 year incumbent. Need proof that the Austin crowd of bureaucrats and lobbyists like to protect those legislators who do as little as possible to buck the status quo? A quick look at the list of donors to Seliger’s campaign shows more than 100 PACs and lobbyists from outside his district. While Canon’s top donor was Empower Texans, a conservative PAC located in Austin, many of Empower Texan’s top donors hail from SD31. Meanwhile, Leal had the highest percentage of campaign dollars come from inside the district at 27.7%.
2. It’s hard to overcome a $1.8 million-dollar lead.
   At the end of 2017, Seliger reported $1.8 million dollars cash-on-hand in his campaign account, making him one of the most well-funded politicians in Texas. Seliger went on to raise $1 million more during this cycle. Although Canon raised an impressive $570,920 and Leal brought in $199,780, it wasn’t enough. Seliger’s election proved it’s hard for challengers, even those with strong in-district ties, to compete with the mailers and ads millions of dollars can buy.
3. Seliger’s moderate and liberal positions paid off big.
   According to Dr. Mark Jones of Rice University, Seliger consistently ranks as the most liberal Republican in the Texas Senate. Seliger’s liberal positions, including opposing sanctions on sanctuary cities, opposing the so-called “bathroom bill,” and being the only Republican senator to oppose Governor Abbott’s plan to reduce property taxes, raked in the bucks from moderate and liberal PACs. Texas Association of Realtors PAC gave Seliger $72,753, Associated Republicans of Texas donated $42,898, and Texas Association of Business PAC chipped in $15,000.

Before you go…

Seliger represents a wide swath of West Texas, including one of the most oil-and-gas-rich regions in the world. While Seliger is a member of the Natural Resources & Economic Development Committee, according to many energy insiders, he has done little-to-nothing to champion the industry. Interestingly, his lack of effort didn’t seem to slow their support.  The energy industry delivered big for Seliger: he received $20,000 from Exelon Corporation PAC, $10,000 from Pioneer Natural Resources PAC, and $5,000 each from Concho Resources PAC, Conoco Phillips PAC, Valero Energy PAC, and Texas Oil and Gas Association PAC.

Our Race to Raise series takes a deeper look at the most high-profile races of the election cycle, focusing specifically on money raised by those seeking to serve in public office. Stay tuned for the next installment.