Miriam Adelson Rides to Rescue for Phelan
and Republican Reps Who Abbott Targets
Capitol Inside
May 21, 2024
May 28, 2024 Primary Runoff Election
Fundraising February 24-May 18, 2024
Ranked on Total Donations & Loans
|
| |
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GOP Incumbents |
| 1 |
HD 21 |
Dade Phelan (Inc)
$3,388,684
David Covey
$1,676,490
|
| 2 |
HD 33 |
Justin Holland (Inc)
$1,371,581
Katrina Pierson
$473,320
|
| 3 |
HD 44 |
John Kuempel (Inc)
$1,044,804
Alan Schoolcraft
$627,342
|
| 4 |
HD 58 |
DeWayne Burns (Inc)
$971,538
Helen Kerwin
$575,828 |
| 5 |
HD 64 |
Lynn Stucky (Inc)
$793,462
Andy Hopper
$575,472 |
| 6 |
HD 1 |
Gary VanDeaver (Inc)
$492,421
Chris Spencer
$834,325
|
| 7 |
HD 91 |
Stephanie Klick (Inc)
$861,728
David Lowe
$253,088 |
| 8 |
HD 61 |
Frederick Frazier (Inc)
$969,350
Keresa Richardson
$101,427 |
| |
|
Open GOP |
| 1 |
HD 97 |
Cheryl Bean
Not posted
John McQueeney
$1,929,523
|
| 2 |
HD 29 |
Jeffrey Barry
$61,923
Alex Kamkar
$632,794
|
| 3 |
HD 30 |
Jeff Bauknight
$938,842
AJ Louderback
$600,378
|
| 4 |
HD 12 |
Ben Bius
$118,781
Trey Wharton
$776,042 |
| |
|
Democrats |
| 1 |
HD 146 |
Shawn Thierry (Inc)
Not posted
Lauren Simmons
$298,814
|
| 2 |
HD 80 |
Cecilia Castellano
$78,833
Rosie Cuellar
$142,128
|
| 3 |
HD 77 |
Norma Chavez
$55,107
Vince Perez
Not posted
|
| 4 |
HD 139 |
Charlene Johnson
$24,075
Angie Thibodeaux
$43,616 |
| 5 |
HD 37 |
Ruben Cortez Jr.
$42,330
Jonathan Gracia
$104,400
|
| 6 |
HD 97 |
Diane Symons
$4,052
Carlos Walker
$7,801
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A gambling empire owner who's the world's richest Israeli came riding to the defense of Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and three endangered colleagues
with millions of donations this month for primary runoff fights against conservative foes who are favored.
With a new Texas Defense PAC as the conduit, Las Vegas casino magnate Miriam Adelson channeled six-digit sums to the GOP State Reps. Frederick Frazier of Plano, Justin Holland of Rockwall and John Kuempel of Seguin for overtime duels with Keresa Richardson, Katrina Pierson and Alan Schoolcraft respectively.
The Texas Defense PAC contributed $1.2 million to Fort Worth Republican John McQueeney as the underdog in a second-round clash with Cheryl Bean in an open race on the ballot for the runoff vote on May 28.
Conceived on April 18, the Texas Defense PAC raised $9.05 million in May with Adelson was the lone donor. Adelson contributed $50,000 to Phelan directly and more through the Texas Sands PAC, which gave him $100,000 for a showdown with David Covey of Orange on the ballot next week.
The Texas Defense PAC contributed $525,000 to the Texas speaker in May with funds that it received from Adelson. The new group donated $548 to Holland, $498,000 to Frazier and $300,000 to Kuempel in May.
Adelson owns the Las Vegas Sands with casinos around the world. She bought a major interest in the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association. The team has responded by advancing to the Western Conference finals fight with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The state lawmakers who are Adelson beneficiaries through the new PAC will be hoping that she's a good luck charm for them as well.
But Adelson's eleventh-hour intervention through the Texas Defense Fund may not play well with Governor Greg Abbott, who's received $1 million or more from the casino gambling empress in the past two years. Abbott has invested massive political capital in bids to oust Kuempel and Holland along with two other House Republicans in runoffs as revenge for votes to kill his prized school choice bill last year. Adelson's rescue rides puts the Schoolcraft and Pierson campaigns at risk despite first-round leads and Abbott's full-throated endorsements. Abbott stumped for Schoolcraft this week at a rally in the districts where he's taking aim at Kuempel at the polls next week.
The governor appeared to throw Frazier under the bus after issuing a formal endorsement to him last fall for a re-election race in 2024. Frazier had been entangled in an embarrassing legal quandary due overzealous campaign tactics in his first House race in 2022. Abbott bailed on Frazier without comment after he appeared to be destined to lose to Richardson in round two. The governor has remained on the sidelines in the Frazier-Richardson duel.
But Abbott's lost interest didn't stop Frazier was raising almost $970,000 during the past three months with $500,000 coming courtesy of the Texas Defense PAC this month. Richardson was the only Republican in eight runoffs with incumbent House members to raise below a quarter-million dollars for overtime with donations of $101,000 from February 28 to May 18.
more to come ...
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