October 31, 2006

Republican Candidates' Fundraising
Sizzles in Key Texas House Contests

Welch Becomes First State House Hopeful to Break
Million Dollar Mark But CC Shootout Has Top Price Tag

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

	HOUSE FUNDRAISING $200,000 or More in October	10/2006
1	Bill Welch (R)	$677,837
2	Jim Landtroop (R)	$418,973
3	George Antuna (R)	$452,236
4	Gene Seaman (R)	$381,914
5	Larry Durrett (R)	$360,841
6	Jody Anderson (R)	$289,599
7	Michael Esparza (R)	$262,164
8	Talmadge Heflin (R)	$246,162
9	Ellen Cohen (D)	$246,140
10	Juan Garcia (D)	$239,653
11	Valinda Bolton (D)	$227,820

The eight Texas House candidates who raised the most money this month on reports that have been posted are all Republicans. Seven of those received 84 percent of the cash they reported raising in October from an informal alliance of sources - some might call it a machine - that includes the Texans for Lawsuit Reform, the House speaker's Stars Over Texas, the Associated Republicans of Texas, HillCo Partners, Jim Leininger and Bob Perry.

The seven Republicans who led the pack of state House hopefuls in fundraising during the past month received $2.3 million out of a combined $2.7 million from various combinations of TLR, ART, the Stars, HillCo and the two wealthy businessmen who've spent record-shattering amounts on GOP politics in Texas during most of the past decade.

Austin developer Bill Welch had the biggest October from a fundraising perspective with almost $678,000 in new cash for his campaign coffers as he heads down the stretch for a potential photo finish in a race against Valinda Bolton for an open seat in southwest Travis County. More than 81 percent of the money that Welch raised in October came from the aforementioned alliance.

Welch received cash and in-kind help from the tort reform group worth more than $321,000 this month and donations of $185,000 from the Stars Over Texas PAC. Bolton - the Democratic nominee in the battle to replace outgoing Republican State Rep. Terry Keel - reported raising one-third as much as Welch during the month leading up to the race's final week with contributions of $227,000 this month. Bolton ranked 10th on the House fundraising list for the month of October. Welch's October windfall made him the first candidate in the state to top the $1 million mark in money accumulated for a Texas House race in 2006. Five House battles now have combined seven-figure price tags.

Antuna's number one giver in October was TLR with in-kind contributions valued at $165,000. The school choice group was next with a donation of $100,000 to Antuna's campaign.

Jim Landtroop of Plainview reported the third biggest October total in his fight against former Crosby County Judge Joe Heflin for the seat that ex-Democratic Speaker Pete Laney is giving up in West Texas. Landtroop received almost $419,000 in campaign cash this month - with 88 percent coming from HillCo, Perry, the Stars and TLR. The Stars Over Texas was Landtroop's largest donor in October with contributions to his campaign of $150,000 compared to $138,000 from TLR. Landtroop has raised $805,000 overall for the race while Heflin has had about one-fourth that much to spend on it.

State Rep. Gene Seaman, a Corpus Christi Republican who's fighting for survival in a coastal district, was fourth among House contenders in fundraising in October with contributions of $383,000. Seventy-percent of those were donated by TLR, the Stars and Perry. Seaman's top contributor this month was TLR, which provided in-kind help worth $182,000. Seaman's slugfest with Democrat Juan Garcia now has the distinction of being the second most expensive Texas House race in 2006 with a combined price tag of more than $1.5 million with a week to go before next Tuesday's general election. The Welch-Bolton battle has been the costliest House race so far with a combined price tag of $1.6 million.

Republican state House candidates Jody Anderson of Lufkin, Michael Esparza of Alice and Talmadge Heflin of Houston were fifth, sixth and seventh on the list of contributions by House members during the past month. Anderson, who's gunning for the seat held by Democratic State Rep. Jim McReynolds, received 98 percent of $290,000 from TLR and ART while Esparza had 92 percent of $260,000 that he reported from those two organizations and Leininger as well.

Leininger gave $50,000 to Esparza for his race against State Rep. Yvonne Gonzalez Toureilles and $83,000 to Heflin for his rematch with State Rep. Hubert Vo. Leininger was Heflin's number one donor in October but Esparza reported more from TLR which with in-kind contributions of almost 132000.

Former Jacksonville Mayor Larry Durrett ranked eighth on the House fundraising list in October. But unlike the other Republicans on the list above him, Durrett obtained 85 percent of his new campaign cash with loans from himself. Durrett added $360,000 to his war chest this month - with about $53,000 in donations from others and the rest from his own personal account. The new report for Durrett's opponent, State Rep. Chuck Hopson, had not been posted by the end of the day Tuesday.

Garcia was the only other Democrat on the top ten House fundraising list for the final month of the campaign. The Corpus Christi attorney ranked ninth among House candidates with new contributions of $240,000 during the past month.