Opposed state and legislative candidates were required to file 8-day-out campaign finance reports yesterday (Monday). These reports include contributions received and expenditures made between September 28 and October 27. We are in the process of updating our Crib Sheets. Here we focus on key House races. Our look at statewide and Senate races can be found here.
In general, Democratic challengers and open seat candidates’ totals were lackluster given the overall political climate and the strong fundraising efforts of the party’s congressional challengers. Several candidates seeking seats that rate highly on our “index” of potentially flippable seats are underfunded relative to the opportunity. We have previously discussed how money was not necessarily chasing opportunity this cycle, and today’s results do little to change that analysis.
Notable exceptions are John Turner in open HD114, Julie Johnson in HD115 and Gina Calanni in HD132. Turner out-raised Lisa Luby Ryan by nearly $50K, and Calanni out-raised Rep. Mike Schofield (R-Katy) by more than $75K. Johnson was out-raised by Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving) for the period but has out-raised him over the election cycle. One other exception is Vikki Goodwin in HD47, who raised $200K for the period, $100K less than Rep. Paul Workman (R-Austin). Goodwin’s contribution total was the third highest for a House challenger, trailing only Turner and Johnson. Several other challengers, such as Alex Karjeker in HD129, were not far behind the incumbents, but the incumbents’ contribution totals were relatively low figures for contested seats. Challenger Joe Rosenthal out-raised Rep. Gary Elkins (R-Houston) in HD135, but Rosenthal’s contribution total was just $41K.
Four Democratic seats are highlighted below. In HD107, challenger Deanna Metzger’s contributions were within $1K of Rep. Victoria Neave’s (D-Dallas). In open HD118, former Rep. John Lujan (R-San Antonio) out-raised the Democratic nominee by $16K. All four seats have been won by a Republican this cycle, two of them in part because of low turnout in gubernatorial elections in those districts, and one in part because of low turnout in special elections.
HD45 open: Republican nominee Ken Strange out-raised Democratic challenger Erin Zwiener, $301K to $65K, and outspent her, $53K to $26K. He has a $63K to $29K advantage in cash on hand (COH).
HD47: Rep. Paul Workman (R-Austin) out-raised Democratic challenger Vikki Goodwin, $300K to $200K, and outspent her, $273K to $129K. Workman has a $154K COH advantage. His largest contributors for the period were Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($60K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($53K), Texas House Republican Caucus ($40K), Associated Republicans of Texas PAC ($19K) and the Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC ($10K). Goodwin’s largest contributors were House Democratic Campaign Committee ($108K), Annie’s List ($10K) and Planned Parenthood PAC ($10K).
HD52 open: Republican nominee Cynthia Flores out-raised Democratic challenger James Talarico, $332K to $143K, but was narrowly outspent, $80K to $71K. Flores has a slight COH advantage, $101K to $82K. Flores’s largest contributors for the period were Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($150K), Associated Republicans of Texas PAC ($100K) and the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($40K). Talarico’s largest contributors were Texans for Insurance Reform PAC ($56K) and the House Democratic Campaign Committee ($23K).
HD102: Rep. Linda Koop (R-Dallas) out-raised Democratic challenger Ana-Maria Ramos, $458K to $69K, and outspent her, $239K to $49K. Ramos holds a narrow COH edge, $61K to $54K.
HD105: Rep. Rodney Anderson (R-Grand Prairie) raised $340K and spent $163K. He has $92K on hand. Democratic challenger Terry Meza’s report was not available. Two years ago, Meza raised $147K and spent $42K during this same period, and she received a $30K contribution a day after the period.
HD107: Rep. Victoria Neave (D-Dallas) barely out-raised Republican challenger Deanna Metzger, $150K to $149K, and was outspent by Metzger, $96K to $78K. Neave has a $155K to $62K COH advantage. Metzger’s largest contributors for the period were Empower Texans PAC ($50K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($26K), Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($21K), Cisco energy executive Dan & Staci Wilks ($20K), Joanne Wilks ($15K) and Texas Right to Life PAC ($12K).
HD108: Rep. Morgan Meyer (R-Dallas) out-raised Democratic challenger Joanna Cattanach, $133K to $89K, and outspent her, $343K to $42K. Meyer has a $201K to $107K COH advantage.
HD112: Rep. Angie Chen Button (R-Garland) out-raised Democratic challenger Brandy Chambers, $201K to $75K, and outspent her, $291K to $36K. Button has a $555K COH advantage.
HD113 open: Republican nominee Jonathan Boos out-raised Democratic challenger Rhetta Bowers, $166K to $97K, and outspent her, $169K to $36K. He holds a $67K to $41K COH advantage.
HD114 open: Democratic nominee John Turner out-raised Republican nominee Lisa Luby Ryan, $312K to $264K, and outspent her, $425K to $383K. Ryan has a $162K to $33K COH advantage. Ryan’s largest contributors for the period included Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($103K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($39K) and Dallas executive Brint Ryan ($10K). Turner’s largest contributors were the campaign of former U.S. Rep. Jim Turner ($100K), Texas Trial Lawyers Assoc. PAC ($75K), Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC ($24K) and the House Democratic Campaign Committee ($17K).
HD115: Rep. Matt Rinaldi (R-Irving) out-raised Democratic challenger Julie Johnson, $382K to $222K, and outspent her, $346K to $198K. Johnson has out-raised Rinaldi, $877K to $823K, over the entire two-year election cycle. She has the COH advantage, $274K to $202K. Both of those figures are high for such a hotly contested House race. Rinaldi’s largest contributors for the period were Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($135K), Empower Texans PAC ($45K), Texas Right to Life PAC ($37K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($30K), Cisco energy executive Farris Wilks ($25K), Irving businessman Larry Causey ($20K) and Cisco energy executive Dan Wilks ($13K). Johnson’s largest contributors were Texas Trial Lawyers Assoc. PAC ($75K), Texans for Insurance Reform ($40K), Dallas attorney Tracy Todd ($20K), Texas House Democratic Committee ($12K) and San Antonio grocer Charles Butt ($10K).
HD117: Rep. Philip Cortez (D-San Antonio) out-raised Republican challenger Michael Berlanga, $106K to $30K, and outspent him, $58K to $2K. Berlanga has less than $1K on hand. His largest contributor was the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($28K).
HD118 open: Former Rep. John Lujan (R-San Antonio) out-raised Democratic nominee Leo Pacheco, $39K to $23K, and outspent him, $30K to $13K. Neither has more than $10K on hand. Lujan’s largest contributor was the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($22K).
HD121 open: Republican nominee Steve Allison out-raised Democratic challenger Celine Montoya, $77K to $40K, and outspent her, $43K to $19K. He has a $28K to $10K COH advantage.
HD129: Rep. Dennis Paul (R-Webster) narrowly out-raised Democratic challenger Alex Karjeker, $56K to $44K, and even more narrowly outspent him, $48K to $46K. Paul has a nearly $50K COH advantage.
HD132: Democratic challenger Gina Calanni more than doubled up Rep. Mike Schofield (R-Katy), out-raising him, $139K to $61K, and outspending him, $61K to $33K. Schofield has a $135K COH advantage. Calanni’s largest contributors for the period were Houston attorney Jason Webster ($50K), the Houston Trial Lawyers Assoc. 7th Amendment PAC ($38K) and the House Democratic Campaign Committee ($23K).
HD134: Rep. Sarah Davis (R-Houston) out-raised Democratic challenger Allison Sawyer better than 10-to-1, $388K to $36K, and outspent her, $107K to $13K. Davis has a nearly 20-to-1 COH advantage.
HD135: Democratic challenger Joe Rosenthal narrowly out-raised Rep. Gary Elkins (R-Houston), $41K to $39K, but was outspent, $73K to $13K. Elkins has a $334K to $48K COH advantage.
HD136: Rep. Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park) out-raised Democratic challenger John Bucy, $405K to $116K, and outspent him, $198K to $57K. Dale has a $128K to $51K COH advantage. Dale’s largest contributors for the period were Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($145K), Associated Republicans of Texas PAC ($73K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($47K), Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC ($32K) and the Texas House Republican Caucus ($30K). Bucy’s largest contributors were the House Democratic Campaign Committee ($61K) and the campaign of former Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer ($10K).
HD138: Rep. Dwayne Bohac (R-Houston) out-raised Democratic challenger Adam Milasincic nearly 5-to-1, $146K to $30K, and outspent him, $177K to $24K. Bohac has a nearly $150K COH advantage.
HD144: Rep. Mary Ann Perez (D-Houston) out-raised Republican challenger Ruben Villarreal, $64K to $44K. She spent $45K, and his report indicated no expenditures, which may be erroneous. Perez has an $88K to $20K COH advantage. Villarreal’s largest contributors for the period were Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC ($10K), the Gov. Greg Abbott (R) campaign ($6K) and Associated Republicans of Texas PAC ($5K).
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