The Texas political scene is influenced by more than just the usual two political parties (Democrats and Republicans). It is influenced by four voting blocs or political tribes: Democrats and three groups of Republicans: Liberal Republicans, Moderate Republicans, and Conservative Republicans. Dr. Mark Jones, a well-respected political scientist at Rice University, recognized this political divide …

Texas legislators fall into four political tribes – Democrats, Liberal Republicans, Moderate Republicans, and Conservative Republicans. Interestingly, we found that the big money in Texas politics can also be categorized into the same four tribes. We examined the giving of the most prominent PACs in Texas and found that they consistently gave their largest gifts …

Tribe: Democrat The Texas Trial Lawyers Association (TTLA) is the go-to PAC for plaintiff’s attorneys looking to make an impact on public policy. Because Republicans have held political majorities in Texas for more than two decades, trial lawyers have had a hard time carving out a niche from which to conduct their work. TTLA exists …

Tribe: Democrat Border Health PAC (BHPAC) is the premier supporter of Democrats from the Rio Grande Valley and border region of Texas. They exist to “promote issues of the medical profession along the border of the State of Texas” and spend large amounts of money to do so. Rather than seeking influence on legislation statewide, …

Tribe: Liberal Republican Texas Medical Association (TMA) advocates on behalf of thousands of doctors and physicians across the state of Texas. Specifically, their PAC works to elect legislators who will work with the medical community to increase the level of state spending on medical services and programs, as well as pass legislation capitalizing on federal …