House GOP Nominee Plays Both Sides
with Big Sums from Casinos and Right

Capitol Inside
October 31, 2024

Patrick and GOP Senators Cash In on Casinos That They Won't Let Texans Enjoy Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and the Texas Senate Republicans have found a way to capitalize on the casino gambling industry while denying Texans the right to reap its benefits as well. Patrick has accpeted $400,000 in the past two years from the Texas Sands PAC that's tied to Las Vegas-based casino mogul Miriam Adelson. Ten Patrick allies - GOP State Senators Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Donna Campbell of New Braunfels, Brandon Creighton of Conroe, Pete Flores of Pleasanton, Bryan Hughes of Mineola, Phil King of Weatherford, Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, Tan Parker of Flower Mound and Angela Paxton of McKinney - also have taken campaign cash from the bipartisan Texas Sands PAC in the same span of time. The donations to GOP senators ranged from $5,500 to $14,000. Flores got $64,000 from the Texas Sands PAC in 2022 for a successful comeback bid. Patrick refused to let the Senate vote last year on a casino measure that had substantial support among Republicans in the House. Patrick is widely perceived to be the final roadblock to the advent of casino gambling in Texas. Patrick has opposed an expansion of wagering here mostly on strict religious grounds. But sought to pin the blame for the Senate's resistance to casinos in 2023 on the individual GOP members. But the Republican Senate president has been able to cash in on the casino business nonetheless with the Texas Sands PAC largess. Patrick received $200,000 from the group in 2022 before accepting that sum again in March. The Texas Sands PAC donated $200,000 to Governor Greg Abbott as well two years ago. Abbott had been against casinos in Texas as well before Adelson emerged as a major contributor to his re-election campaign in 2022.

San Antonio Republican Marc LaHood has fueled a Texas House bid this year from an extensive slate of donors that's created a curious bond between Las Vegas casino interests and hard-right Christian conservatives who've fiercely opposed the establishment of casinos in the Lone Star State.

A criminal attorney who's facing Democrat Laurel Swift in an open race in the Alamo City, LaHood received about $220,000 from the Texans United for a Conservative Majority for the House District 121 fight. But LaHood is the only major Texans United beneficiary who scored even more from gambling advocates after taking more than $500,000 from the Texas Defense PAC that's controlled by Las Vegas Sands owner Miriam Adelson.

1 Morgan Meyer $3,367,483 2 Marc LaHood $3,034,735 3 Angie Button $2,715,412 4 Kristian Carranza $2,394,844 5 Janie Lopez $2,141,226 6 Lacey Hull $1,695,173 7 Don McLaughlin $1,458,684 8 Averie Bishop $1,334,817 8 Caroline Harris $1,274,133 9 Ben Bumgarner $1,022,116 10 Denise Villalobos $1,018,746 11 Mihaela Plesa $1,009,289

The Texas Defense PAC has given only to Republicans while the Texas Sands PAC has contributed to long lists of GOP candidates and Democrats alike. The Texans United PAC has been funded primarily by far-right titans Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks. The Dunn-Wilks group contributed to at least 16 Republicans who are nominees for the GOP in House races on the upcoming general election ballot.

LaHood unseated State Rep. Steve Allison in the March primary election when Swift beat a first-round rival easily to advance to the fall. LaHood pounded Allison for a vote against school vouchers and his support for Speaker Dade Phelan.

But LaHood - in the event of a victory in a race that could be extremely close despite the Republican's massive money edge - could have conservatives holding breaths on whether they got played based on the half-million dollar boost that he reaped from the Adelson partisan PAC so far this year.

LaHood ranks third behind only GOP State Reps. Angie Chen Button of Garland and Morgan Meyer of Dallas in funding from the Texas Defense PAC for targeted fights with Democrats.

The Texas Defense PAC spent about $650,000 on both Button and Meyer this fall in battles with Democrats Averie Bishop of Richardson and Elizabeth Ginsberg of Dallas respectively. GOP State Rep. Janie Lopez of San Benito reaped contributions of $280,000 from the Texas Defense PAC for another highly-competitive contest in the Rio Grande Valley where she's trying to stave off Democrat Jonathan Gracia of Harlingen.

Republican State Rep. Lacey Hull of Houston has taken $43,000 from the Adelson group while landing donations of $107,000 from the bipartisan Texas Sands PAC for the primary and a general election clash with Democrat Stephanie Morales of Houston. Meyer and Button have both accepted close to $50,000 from the Texas Sands PAC as well.

Phelan has been the largest beneficiary of casino gambling donations with nearly $700,000 from the Texas Defense PAC for a primary runoff that he barely won amid historic opposition from Donald Trump, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Texas Sands PAC has given the House speaker about $515,000.

State Rep. Janie Lopez of San Benito and House nominee Shelley Luther of Sherman both accepted small donations from the Texas Sands PAC after taking $25,000 and $210,000 respectively from the Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC. Luther, Lopez and LaHood all reported donations of $4,000 from the Texas Sands PAC.

The Texas Sands PAC donated $25,000 to Democratic challenger Kristian Carranza of San Antonio for a House District 118 race she has a good chance to win against GOP State Rep. John Lujan at the polls five days from now. Lujan - like LaHood - has been opposed to an expansion of gambling here.

Abbott donated $133,000 to LaHood for the general election after giving $730,000 for the primary vote. The governor had been a roadblock to casinos before Adelson emerged as one of his largest donors in recent years.