TEXAS HOUSE RACES TO WATCH CASH

GOP Nominees Reclaim House Cash Lead
Amid Stunning $26 Million Two Party Haul

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor
October 27, 2020

A grand total of two Republicans had raised slightly more than $1 million at this point in time on the Texas House battlefield in 2018 when Democrats flipped a dozen seats in a general election night shocker. Nine of the GOP nominees in the hottest House races on the ballot next week cracked the seven-digit mark in the past month alone.

But the Republicans had been blindsided by a flood of national Democratic money during the summer when they'd been consumed by infighting over their inability to cope with the coronavirus pandemic as easily as the Democrats in the state's largest cities have done.

So now with Democrats just nine seats and six days away from an epic west wing coup, Governor Greg Abbott the Republicans are throwing record-gorging sums of money into a desperation majority salvation bid that's appears to be a low percentage shot at best with President Donald Trump leading the ticket this year.

The GOP contenders in the 16 House districts that appear to be most vulnerable rounded up an astonishing $14.8 million combined between September 24 and October 24 based on campaign reports that Secretary of State Ruth Hughs' office made public on Tuesday.

But the Democrats in the most competitive contests pulled in almost $11 million collectively - a more than sufficient amount on a playing field where they won the money derby during the three months of summer when the virus had the GOP in total disarray and sleeping at the wheel. The Democrats spent that time getting armed in advance with an unprecedented show of support from donors sending two or three dollars a pop in the most elaborately choreographed coordinated campaign ever witnessed in the battle for a legislative majority at the state level.

GOP State Rep. Jeff Leach of Allen had the largest score for an incumbent in the past month with contributions of more than $1.7 million. But Republican State Reps. Steve Allison of San Antonio and Angie Chen Button of Garland were close behind with of $1.65 million and $1.5 million respectively in the same span of time.

State Rep. Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, Brad Buckley of Salado and Sam Harless of Houston raised more than $1 million apiece as well.

Sugar Land Republican Jacey Jetton led the field on both sides of the aisle with $1.9 million in donations between late September and last weekend in a battle for an upcoming opening in a Fort Bend County district that had been viewed as safely red until the last blue wave rolled through two years ago. Two other Republican nominees in open House races - David Cook of Mansfield and Lacey Hull of Houston - each corralled more than $1.1 million in the past month.

House hopeful Lorenzo Sanchez of Allen has had the largest war chest for a Democrat in a top-tier contest this fall with contributions of almost $2.1 million since launching a bid to unseat Leach in the suburbs of Collin County north of Dallas. Sanchez, who the incumbent has portrayed as a police hater, raised more than $1.2 million in the past month after faring better in the campaign cash chase this summer than Leach.

Democrats Brandy Chambers of Garland and Elizabeth Beck of Fort Worth rounded up $1 million and $921,000 respectively during the past four days for November duels with GOP incumbents Button and Goldman in districts where the Democrats appear to have the edge.

more to come ...