Democrats challenging Republican incumbents are doing pretty well this year on the campaign finance front. It’s very hard to win a big political race without that kind of success. But money alone is not the key to victory.
campaign finance
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Politics
Wendy Davis, Battleground Texas sanctioned for delayed campaign disclosures in 2014
Citing “a somewhat complicated and novel fundraising operation not explicitly contemplated by Texas law,” the Texas Ethics Commission fined Battleground Texas and Wendy Davis’ gubernatorial campaign $3,000 each for late disclosures in 2014.
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Texas Elections 2018
With candidates in every U.S. House race, Texas Democrats see fundraising boom
The growth in fundraising reflects candidates in many traditionally Republican areas running professional campaigns that party faithful hope will have a long-term impact.
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Texas Elections 2018
Lance Gooden’s biggest donor in the Texas Legislature is now spending big to get him into Congress. The two go way back.
Monty Bennett has spent generously to help state Rep. Lance Gooden win a Republican runoff for a seat in Congress. The pair own property together and, as a state legislator, Gooden passed special interest legislation benefiting Bennett.
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Texas Elections 2018
Lupe Valdez bounces back in fundraising but Andrew White has more to spend ahead of runoff
In the Democratic runoff for governor, Lupe Valdez raised $208,000 from Feb. 25 through Saturday, while White received $179,000, according to new filings with the Texas Ethics Commission.
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Graphics and data reporting
Here’s how much Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke have raised in their midterm Senate race
In recent months, U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke has galvanized supporters by posting bigger fundraising numbers than U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. But a deep dive into the campaign finance reports shows something even more striking: with his recent hauls, O’Rourke has overtaken Cruz in cash raised over the entire election cycle.
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Politics
Steve Stockman, former Texas congressman, awaits verdict in federal fraud trial
Stockman, a Republican who represented the Houston suburbs twice in the U.S. House before losing a longshot bid for the U.S. Senate in 2014, is accused of funneling more than $1 million of charitable donations toward personal and campaign expenses.
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Guides
A Texas Democrat’s campaign just unionized. Here’s why so few campaigns do that.
Labor groups are praising Democrat Laura Moser’s campaign for its collective bargaining agreement. But some argue campaigns are too unpredictable to guarantee workers the benefits that come with unionizing.
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Guides
Without competitive primaries, some Texas politicians choose to donate to their colleagues
Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton are all heavy favorites to win their Republican primary races next week. Texas law allows them to give their campaign funds to other politicians in more precarious positions.
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Guides
Gun rights groups are powerful in Texas — but not because of money
The National Rifle Association contributed thousands of dollars to Texas politicians in recent years. But that’s not nearly enough to make it one of the most prolific political donors in the state.
