1.  Governor Greg Abbott ($10,091,875) had quite the haul, raking in more than $10 million in campaign contributions in just twelve days, despite the fact that he has no likely Republican primary challenger or significant Democrat opponent in sight. And he certainly didn’t need the cash – Governor Abbott’s war chest was already one of the largest in the nation; it now registers over $41 million, more than double what he had when he first ran for governor in 2013.

It is a common practice for former members of the legislature, following their retirement or defeat at the ballot box by voters, to return immediately to the Capitol as lobbyists. Such an immediate return ensures that the influence the former member built up while in office is still valuable. Most of the players are still around, and the former members are now part of the even-more-powerful Capitol lobby crowd.

During the Texas legislative session, state law prohibits campaign contributions to legislators. This is designed to prevent donors and PACs from currying favor with legislators while they are casting votes. For example, if you wanted to donate to the campaign of your House representative, you are not allowed to do so until after the session ends in late May. Theoretically, this prevents you from using campaign cash to influence how your representative votes.