Phillip Huffines has raised twice as much as Angela Paxton in the Republican race to succeed Sen. Van Taylor (R-Plano), but the candidates have been their own biggest sources. Huffines loaned his campaign $2M on June 30, paid $1M of it back and later loaned himself another $1M on December 15. The campaign of Paxton’s husband, Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton, guaranteed a $2M loan for her campaign on January 23.
Huffines’s earlier cash infusion allowed him to outspend Paxton by more than 6-to-1 to date. Taking out that loan repayment puts the practical spending advantage to more than 4-to-1.
Paxton’s later cash infusion gave Paxton a $733K advantage in cash on hand. Combined, the candidates have $3.4M to spend before receiving another contribution, earning this race the title of most expensive legislative primary in the state.
A pair of Democrats, Brian Chaput and Mark Phariss, have combined to raise $114K. Chaput has a $61K loan balance, while the Phariss campaign reported no debt. Like the Republicans, Chaput has provided the majority of his campaign’s resources. He has been out-raised by Phariss, $81K to $33K. This analysis focuses on the Republican primary.
Huffines raised $566K prior to August 25, the day Paxton received her first contribution. Since August 25, he has out-raised Paxton, $669K to $617K. He out-raised Paxton, $169K to $141K, during the first 25 days of January, but Paxton received proceeds from that $2M loan to take the lead in cash on hand (Loan proceeds do not count as contributions.).
Huffines spent nearly $1.5M before August 25, but $1M of that was that loan repayment. Since August 25, Huffines has outspent Paxton, $1.6M to $477K.
More than $2 out of every $5 raised by the Republican candidates, excluding their loan proceeds, came from Dallas-based donors. Huffines has out-raised Paxton nearly 6-to-1 among Dallas-based donors, who have supplied 53% of his contribution total. Dallas (18%) is also the largest single geographic source of Paxton’s contributions, followed closely by Frisco (17%) and Austin (14%). Combined, the two Republicans have received at least $100K from five cities.
Huffines has out-raised Paxton, $266K to $186K, from donors whose zip codes are wholly or partially located within the district, but Paxton has received a higher share of her contribution total from district zip codes (30%) than Huffines (21%). Paxton has received twice as many contributions from individuals in district zip codes (288) than Huffines (141), but those donors have given Huffines bigger contributions on average, $1,480 to $561.
The three largest single donors to the Huffines campaign – Carl Allen ($115K), Sen. Don Huffines ($100K out of personal funds) and Andrew Beal ($50K) – represented 21% of his contribution total. Paxton’s three largest donors – Anthony Ewing ($25K), Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC ($25K) and former Sen. John Carona ($18K) – comprised 11% of her contribution total.
At least two donors have given significant contributions to both campaigns. Dallas businessman Kenny Troutt gave Huffines $10K on June 28 and $25K January 23. He gave Paxton $10K on January 10. Dallas businessman Darwin Deason gave $10K to Paxton on June 25 and $10K to Huffines on June 30. Houston professional sports owner Drayton McLane Jr. gave Huffines $15K on September 21, while his son Drayton McLane III gave Paxton $15K on January 10.
Notably absent from either candidate’s donor list are movement conservative groups like Empower Texans and Texas Right to Life. Neither group has endorsed in this race. Huffines has been endorsed by Texans for Vaccine Choice. Paxton has been endorsed by Texas Home School Coalition and Texas Values Action. None of these groups has contributed to either candidate.
The candidates have received contributions from these group’s significant donors. Huffines has received contributions from Dallas hotelier Monty Bennett ($20K, including $15K from MJB Operating LP), Rep. Jonathan Stickland ($3K) and Cisco businessman Farris Wilks ($20K). Paxton received contributions from Houston retiree Windi Grimes ($5K), former Univ. of Texas regent Wallace Hall ($5K) and Odessa oil businessman Kyle Stallings ($10K).
Expect movement conservative groups to endorse the primary winner against the Democratic nominee.
On the Democratic side, Chaput’s largest contributor is Manchester, N.H., consultant Eric Ratinoff ($18K in kind), who accounted for 54% of his contribution total. Phariss had two contributors each give $5K: Plano businessman Morgan Cox and Texas Equity PAC. Phariss out-raised Chaput, $15K to $6K, from district zip codes. Chaput received more contributions from individuals in district zip codes (49) than Phariss (30). Neither Democrat received more than 20% of their contribution total from district zip codes.
The next campaign finance reports for these candidates is due February 26.
©2018 Texas Election Source LLC
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