On May 1, voters in Lubbock will be deciding the fate of Proposition A, which would declare the City of Lubbock as a “sanctuary for the unborn.” A hot-button issue from the start, Lubbock is experiencing a heightened level of outside interest in this local election. Proposition A was placed on the ballot in response to the opening of a Planned Parenthood clinic, and the subsequent petition and City Council rejections of the sanctuary ordinance that opened the door for a vote. 

Here is a look at the groups invested in Lubbock’s Proposition A campaign, and what the data reveals about the money in this election.

What’s on the ballot?

While voters in Lubbock will be deciding three bond issues for Lubbock-Cooper Independent School District worth up to $420 million, most of the attention in this year’s election has been paid to City of Lubbock Proposition A.

According to the sample ballot for the election, the ballot item will read as follows:

The code of ordinances of the City of Lubbock shall be amended by enacting an ordinance outlawing abortion within the City of Lubbock, declaring Lubbock a sanctuary city for the unborn, making various provision and findings, providing for severability, repealing conflicting ordinances, and establishing an effective date.

The item was placed on the ballot after a successful petitioning effort to require the Lubbock City Council to take up the issue. The Lubbock City Council unanimously rejected the proposed ordinance twice, according to KCBD, which allowed citizens the opportunity to request a citywide vote on the issue.

Who are the groups involved?

Three political action committees (PACs) have formed locally to push their positions in this closely-watched race. According to the Lubbock City Secretary’s office, Project Destiny Lubbock is supporting the measure, while Protect Lubbock Taxpayers and Lubbock Coalition For Healthcare Access are both opposing it.

From the numbers reported by the committees, Lubbock Coalition For Healthcare Access has been the top fundraiser so far in the Proposition A race, with $411,350 in total contributions. Project Destiny Lubbock, on the other side of the issue, has raised $110,774. Finally, Protect Taxpayers Lubbock took in $2305.

Here is a more detailed breakdown of the numbers from each group’s finance statements that were filed 30 days and 8 days before Election Day. 

Campaign Finance Report Totals, 30th and 8th Days Before Election

PAC	Reporting Period	Amount Raised	Amount Spent	Cash-on-Hand
Lubbock Coalition For Healthcare Access	30th Day Report (1/1/21 – 4/1/21)	$121,048	$1,441	$0
	8th Day Report (4/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$290,302	$155,420	$398,298
	Total (1/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$411,350	$156,861	$398,298
Project Destiny Lubbock	30th Day Report (1/1/21 – 4/1/21)	$120,199	$26,651	$90,990
	8th Day Report (4/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$21,666	$20,774	$110,774
	Total (1/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$141,865	$47,425	$110,774
Protect Lubbock Taxpayers	30th Day Report (1/1/21 – 4/1/21)	$1,800	$1,526	$274
	8th Day Report (4/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$505	$708.91	$69.58
	Total (1/1/21 – 4/23/21)	$2,305	$2,235	$69.58

Lubbock Coalition For Healthcare Access

According to the finance reports, Lubbock Coalition For Healthcare Access has reported $168,139 in monetary contributions (primarily contributions from individuals), alongside $183,500 in contributions from corporations or labor unions, and $59,138 in in-kind contributions. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, various local Planned Parenthood organizations, ACLU Texas, and Dallas philanthropist Cecilia Boone were among the notable top donors. 

Project Destiny Lubbock 

Project Destiny Lubbock, nearly even with the Lubbock Coalition for Healthcare Access as of the 30th Day Report, raised an additional $21,000 in the following three weeks while their opponent received a late influx of over $390,000. Paul Stell has been the group’s top contributor, donating $20,000. Stell is followed by Carl Pepper, Barry Weaver, and Ric Canup, who each gave $10,000. The donor list for this committee includes several other individuals likely notable to Lubbock residents, including State Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), who contributed $5,000 to the effort to support Proposition A.

Protect Lubbock Taxpayers

The third group in the race, Protect Lubbock Taxpayers, features a few smaller donations. None of the PAC’s contributors gave over $1000. The group reported expenditures to PayPal for processing fees and to TownSquare Media for social media and radio advertising.

Other PAC Expenditures

In addition to the three PACs included in the chart, other groups including the Texas Freedom Network and Students for Life Action filed 8th Day reports for expenditures related to Proposition A. You can find all available finance information for the City of Lubbock here.

How does the money in the Proposition A race compare to past elections?

While Lubbock does not typically have May elections in odd-numbered years, the money flowing in the Proposition A race exceeds what most campaigns have reported ahead of previous elections.

When Lubbock held its mayoral election in November of last year, incumbent Dan Pope and his challenger, student and musician Stephen Sanders, raised a combined $34,049 in their 30-day reports. Between reports filed at the 30-day mark and eight days before election day, Pope and Sanders raised an additional $119,918, for a total of $153,967. Over the same time period, the groups fundraising in this year’s race have raised $555,520. 

Early voting is currently ongoing in Lubbock and Election Day is May 1.