Tag Archives: fundraising

An in-depth look at the Beto-Cruz race

Posted on November 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good long read from the Trib about the Senate race, which they published after I was well into my county vote analysis. There’s too much to summarize here, but I want to focus on a couple of points. Organizationally, O’Rourke … Continue reading →

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Seven suggestions for Senate 2020

Posted on November 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Someone has to run against Big John Cornyn in 2020. I feel reasonably confident we can get someone higher up on the political food chain than David Alameel this time around. Here are my thoughts as to who that might … Continue reading →

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An under the radar pickup opportunity

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s an open seat in the SBOE. Suzanne Smith says she has tried to run a nonpartisan campaign in her low-profile bid for a place on the State Board of Education. But she stands to benefit from the current contentious … Continue reading →

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Two possible straws in the wind

Posted on November 6, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Ken Paxton seems a little nervous. Less than 36 hours before Election Day, the race for attorney general is showing signs of competition that have been absent in just about every other statewide contest. Republican incumbent Ken Paxton, who was … Continue reading →

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Another reminder that the judicial elections are important

Posted on November 5, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Trib: Across the country, many public defender’s offices are overwhelmed with cases. But the public defenders in Harris County’s juvenile division are in an unusual situation: They say that they aren’t getting assigned enough cases. And advocates say … Continue reading →

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Top to bottom Congressional fundraising prowess

Posted on November 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Standing before a packed crowd at the Austin City Limits Music Festival earlier this month, Julie Oliver delivered an impassioned speech highlighting her support for marijuana legalization and universal health care. “Are … Continue reading →

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October 2018 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on October 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. It’s not just Beto. Newly filed campaign finance reports show that money flooded into Democratic congressional campaigns all across the state over the last three months. Along with Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s blockbuster $38 million haul in his bid against … Continue reading →

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O’Rourke raises $38 million in Q3

Posted on October 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a lot. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-El Paso, raised $38.1 million for his U.S. Senate campaign in the third quarter, a new record for the largest fundraising quarter ever in a U.S. Senate race, according to his campaign. The … Continue reading →

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A little effort for redistricting reform

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a start. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, the group led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, is making a quarter-million-dollar investment in Texas to help Democrats here flip a number of state House seats in November. The money … Continue reading →

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Henry Cuellar does his thing

Posted on September 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And it’s annoying as usual. A new report has left many Democratic House insiders perplexed and frustrated with one of the most powerful Texas Democrats in Congress: U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo. Politico reported Tuesday that Cuellar had”invited supporters to … Continue reading →

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Yes, Republicans really are worried about Ted Cruz

Posted on September 13, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Their actions speak volumes. With a string of polls showing GOP Sen. Ted Cruz’s lead slipping, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick showed up in Washington on July 25 to deliver an urgent plea to White House officials: Send President Donald … Continue reading →

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Beto and the downballot Dems

Posted on August 29, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t sweat this too much, but there are a couple of points to address. “If there’s $20 in a room, $10 of it is going to Beto. That’s just happening right now,” said [Joanna] Cattanach, who’s challenging Republican state … Continue reading →

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On giving to “longshot” candidates

Posted on August 26, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

I have three things to say about this. Thara Narasimhan, who hosts an Hindu radio program in Houston, has already given $1,200 to a Democrat running against Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, who once drove around his solidly conservative Texas … Continue reading →

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July 2018 campaign finance reports: HCC

Posted on August 22, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We come to the end of the campaign finance reports for July. I’ll try to do the 30 day finance reports for Congress and the Lege, but in the meantime here are reports for the HCC Trustees: Adriana Tamez Carolyn … Continue reading →

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July 2018 campaign finance reports: HISD

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Every level of government requires finance reports in January and June, whether or not there is an active election cycle in that year. That includes HISD and HCC, which are the last two groups I’ll be examining. I didn’t get … Continue reading →

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July 2018 finance reports: City of Houston

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Every level of government requires finance reports in January and June, whether or not there is an active election cycle in that year. That includes the city of Houston, whose january report data we inspected here. Our next election is … Continue reading →

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Trump’s Texas beneficiaries

Posted on August 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. Six Texas Republican in Congress received a show of financial support from their party’s leader this week. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign announced Thursday that it was donating the maximum contribution possible to around 100 House and Senate Republican … Continue reading →

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July 2018 campaign finance reports: State House

Posted on August 9, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

We’e seen a lot of very good campaign finance reports, all of which speak to the enthusiasm and engagement of Democrats this cycle. This batch of reports is not as good. These are July reports from State House candidates, take … Continue reading →

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July 2018 campaign finance reports: State Senate

Posted on August 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to having a full slate of Congressional candidates for the first time since the 90s, we have a nearly-full slate of contenders for the State Senate as well. Of the twelve Republican-held Senate seats up for election this … Continue reading →

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Stalking Sessions

Posted on August 4, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It sure would be sweet to beat Pete. The man who engineered the 2010 Republican takeover of the House is racing to save himself in his own election this year — and he admits, in so many words, that President … Continue reading →

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The Trib looks at the AG race

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

There’s case that this is the second-most interesting statewide race on the ballot. Three years ago almost to the day, a Collin County grand jury indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for securities fraud. As the state’s top lawyer turned … Continue reading →

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July 2018 finance reports: Harris County candidates

Posted on July 30, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Let’s take a look at where we stand with the candidates for county office. January report info is here. On we go: County Judge Ed Emmett Lina Hidalgo Commissioner, Precinct 2 Jack Morman Adrian Garcia Commissioner, Precinct 4 Jack Cagle … Continue reading →

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Fundraising: 2018 vs the rest of the decade

Posted on July 23, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

When I posted about the Q2 Congressional finance reports, I said I would try to put the totals in some more context at a later time. This is where I do that. Take a look at this table: Dist 2012 … Continue reading →

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Two views of Democratic fundraising

Posted on July 19, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Positive: For the first time in a generation, there is a Democrat running for Congress in every single district in the state. Most of those candidates vying to unseat Republicans will likely lose. Many are running in districts where President … Continue reading →

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July 2018 campaign finance reports: Congress

Posted on July 18, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

So we know that Texas Democratic Congressional challengers really crushed it in Q2, and that’s on top of three strong quarters before that. How good was it? Let’s quantify. Here are the July 2017 finance reports, here are the October … Continue reading →

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Dems keep posting very strong finance reports

Posted on July 17, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Wow. There are few bigger warning signs for a member of Congress that their re-election may be in doubt than when a challenger outraises them. In Texas, it just happened to seven incumbents, all Republicans. Since last week, when U.S. … Continue reading →

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Monday “day before reports start showing up” campaign finance roundup

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Good things keep happening to MJ Hegar. EMILY’s List, a powerful organization that backs female Democratic candidates who support abortion rights, is putting its support behind Hegar, an Air Force veteran who has shot to national prominence in recent weeks … Continue reading →

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Kulkarni reports $234K raised in Q2

Posted on July 15, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

From the Inbox: Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress, Sri Preston Kulkarni, raised over $400,000 in receipts to date for his campaign to unseat incumbent Pete Olson (R-TX). This is the largest total ever for a Democratic candidate for the current … Continue reading →

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Republican reactions to Beto’s fundraising

Posted on July 14, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

The interesting bits of this story: El Paso Democrat Beto O’Rourke, the underdog challenger to Republican U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, recently burnished his grass-roots credentials by completing a tour of all 254 counties in Texas. Now O’Rourke has proven his fundraising chops as … Continue reading →

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Everyone is giving money in the Senate race

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a marquee attraction. Abby Tannenbaum has never been to Texas. But that hasn’t stopped the 23-year-old digital strategist from Florida from sending $2 a month for the past year to help fuel the campaign of El Paso Congressman Beto … Continue reading →

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The story behind the MJ Hegar video

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Cool little “making of” feature. Mary Jennings “MJ” Hegar, a 42-year-old mother and Republican turned “independent Democrat” running for Congress in Texas, is an Air Force veteran and retired Air National Guard helicopter pilot who didn’t let an abusive biological father, … Continue reading →

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Three more Dems top $1 million in Q2

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

In the morning there was Gina Ortiz Jones. Gina Ortiz Jones, the Democrat running against U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, raised more than $1.2 million over the last three months, a huge haul that far outpaces the fundraising by her … Continue reading →

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Fletcher reports raising $1 million in Q2

Posted on July 7, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Our first story about a strong finance report from the just-ended previous quarter. Lizzie Pannill Fletcher, the Democratic challenger in one of the Texas congressional seats that Democrats hope to flip in November, reported more than $1 million in contributions … Continue reading →

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On enthusiasm and fundraising

Posted on July 3, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

RG Ratcliffe engages the “can Lupe Valdez be competitive” question. Valdez will almost certainly lose to Greg Abbott in November. Yet if she inspires Hispanic voters to turn out, she could help Democratic candidates in tight down-ballot races and make … Continue reading →

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