LaMantia Could Have Inside Lane
Despite Donations to Republicans

Capitol Inside
November 4, 2021

McAllen attorney Morgan LaMantia could be an early frontrunner if she enters the race for the seat the longtime Democratic State Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. is giving up as a result of her family name, money and built-in political network as the largest beer distributors in South Texas.

But a potential Democratic primary fight in the newly-designed version of Senate District 27 could also feature State Rep. Alex Dominguez of Brownsville as a potential anti-Lucio candidate if he shifts his sights from a re-election race to the open contest for the Texas Legislature's upper chamber.

Lucio put speculation on his political future to rest on Thursday when he confirmed that he would not ballot for another term in the east wing of the Capitol where he's served for three entire decades. Lucio joined Republican State Senator Dawn Buckingham of Lakeway, Jane Nelson of Flower Mound and Kel Seliger of Amarillo on the list of members who aren't running again in 2022.

Sara Stapleton Barrera, a lawyer in San Benito, could take another shot at SD 27 after an unsuccessful attempt to unseat Lucio last year. Stapleton Barrera forced the veteran Rio Grande Valley solon into overtime when she held him to slightly below 50 percent in the Democratic primary election in 2020 when she garnered almost 36 percent of the first round vote. Lucio eliminated Stapleton Barrera from the competition in a primary runoff election that he won with almost 54 percent of the vote last summer.

Stapleton Barrera could end up competing for the Democratic base vote and splitting it in a development that could boost LaMantia's odds as a potentially centrist contender based on a history of contributing to Texas candidates on both sides of the aisle.

LaMantia's family has long been viewed as one of the most prominent forces in Democratic politics in South Texas. But the LaMantia who has her eye on a Senate bid could face some backlash among hardline Democrats as a consequence of campaign cash that she's dished out to several Republicans including State Senator Charles Schwertner of Georgetown and Buckingham.

According to Texas Ethics Commission records, Morgan LaMantia contributed $5,000 to Buckingham less than a month before the 2020 general election. LaMantia had given Schwertner $1,000 two years before that.

But the number one beneficiary of LaMantia's generosity has been Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller - a Republican who's close to Donald Trump. LaMantia gave Miller $10,000 a week before the general election in 2018. LaMantia has donated about $25,000 to Democrats at the state level according to TEC.

LaMantia also contributed to then-Governor Rick Perry when he was a candidate for president in 2015. She has donated to U.S. Senator John Cornyn as well.

The LaMantias run L&F Distributors with branches stretching from Laredo to Corpus Christi with the RGV as the home base.

GOP leaders and lawmakers in Austin approved a new Texas Senate map last month that made SD 27 more competitive on paper with a boost in white residents and corresponding drop in Hispanics.

But Democratic President Joe Biden carried the new version of SD 27 in 2020 with almost 52 percent of the vote.

more to come ...