Yes, ten million. That’s how much money Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus has in the bank. As of the most recent reports, Speaker Straus has approximately $10,039,844 in his campaign account. Straus announced today he will not seek re-election as Speaker or to the Texas House of Representatives. More than 75 county GOP …

To prevent the appearance (or reality) of politicians getting paid to vote a certain way, they are not allowed to accept campaign donations during the biennial regular legislative sessions. But it’s not uncommon for political donations to pour into campaign accounts after a legislative session. As usual, legislators raised vast amounts of money from individual …

Would you be surprised to find out the Chief of Staff for one of the most conservative governors in the nation gave money to a group dedicated to helping elect Democrats? We were. At Transparency Texas, we routinely examine the political giving (and taking) of elected officials. And for good reason – these men and …

The amount of power or influence wielded by a particular elected official is not based solely on the office he or she holds. Often the strongest indicator of political staying power is the amount of money a politician has in the bank. Like it or not, money talks, especially in politics. The more money, the …

Taking a look at which Texas PACs are receiving the most cash can tell you which political tribes and which politicians are currently in the strongest positions as we approach the all-important Texas primaries. It’s important to understand that political power in Texas is not divided simply between Democrats and Republicans, but among four tribes …