This Tuesday, January 28, voters will choose three members of the Texas House of Representatives in the first races of the 2020 season. Ironically, the winners in these races may never cast a vote in the Texas Legislature, as they’ll have to run again in the primary (March) and the general election (November) in order to be seated for the next legislative session in January 2021.
Joe Straus III
Former Official (R)
$4,359,233Cash on Hand
$0Total Donations
$3,875,300Total Expenditures
Financial Activity
Top Expenditures
| Total Expenditures | Payee |
|---|---|
| $2,500,000.00 | Texas Forever Forward PAC |
| $214,665.09 | LHP + Company Inc |
| $150,000.00 | Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund |
| $126,000.00 | Gordon Johnson Consult |
| $125,000.00 | Embry Communications |
| $100,000.00 | Republican State Leadership Committee PAC and Individual Account |
| $90,863.00 | US Treasury |
| $81,503.31 | Tara Korstad |
| $74,420.62 | Meredith Brewer |
| $64,609.00 | Chase Card Services |
Top Personal Donations
From reports filed by the recipients of these funds, it appears these transactions originated from personal rather than campaign accounts.
| Total Contributions | Candidate | PAC |
|---|---|---|
| $500.00 | Texas Forever Forward |
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And these numbers may tell only part of the story. The totals don’t include any political donations these men and women have given to candidates in federal races, such as the O’Rourke vs. Cruz battle. Moreover, these numbers don’t reflect any donations given to 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) organizations. Courts have ruled that these groups do not have to divulge their donors in order to protect the donors’ rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
While Abbott has gotten involved in primary races before, it’s usually to give his stamp of approval to incumbent legislators he believes should return to Austin. Rarely, if ever, does a sitting governor endorse against an incumbent member of his or her own party.