A few stories worth perusing.
- Greg Abbott outraises Wendy Davis 3-1 in the dash for campaign cash.
Attorney General Greg Abbott is the undisputed money king in the race against Wendy Davis – collecting three times more cash last month than his Democratic foe. Abbott has amassed a sizeable war chest of nearly $30 million for the governor’s race, far ahead of Davis’ $10 million on hand with nearly a full year ahead of them before the November general election.
Davis stunned the Abbott team in January by reporting she raised more money in the second half of 2013. But the Republican attorney general stormed back in January, collecting $3.1 million compared to Davis’ $913,000. Both candidates have spent a lot of time raising money for a contest expected to cost each side at least $45 million. Davis will be in Chicago tonight for a fundraiser co-hosted by the national grassroots director of President Obama’s political group Organizing for America. The event – with tickets ranging up to $500 for a VIP reception and photo with Davis – is being held at the Paris Club.
- Texas Vote-Buying Case Casts Glare on Tradition of Election Day Goads.
In this Rio Grande Valley town of trailer parks and weedy lots eight miles from the Mexico border, people call them runners or politiqueras — the campaign workers who use their network of relatives and friends to deliver votes for their candidates. They travel around town with binders stuffed with the names and addresses of registered voters, driving residents to and from the polls and urging those they bump into at the grocery store to support their candidates.
Despite rumors that some politiqueras went over the line in encouraging voters, the tradition continued in Donna and other border towns and cities, and campaigns for nearly every local office or seat have paid politiqueras to turn out the vote in contested races.
- Cornyn warchest at $6.5 million.
Sen. John Cornyn raised another $1.48 million in the final quarter 2013, leaving him with $6.5 million in the bank heading into the March 4 primary.
“Thanks to tremendous support across Texas and an early, aggressive investment in online, TV and radio advertising, Senator Cornyn holds a commanding lead over all his opponents with less than thirty days to go,” said Cornyn campaign manager Brendan Steinhauser.
Cornyn had just under $7 million in the bank at the end of September.
Of the seven other Republicans Cornyn faces in the primary,none has shown signs of fund-raising anything near that league. Rep. Steve Stockman had $47,207 on hand as of Dec. 31, according to his year end report.
- Report: Texas AG Greg Abbott received more from payday lenders than previously stated.
Attorney General Greg Abbott received 60 percent more in contributions from the payday lending industry last year than an earlier analysis said he did.
Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor, received $88,000 over the six-month period that ended Dec. 31, according to an analysis published Monday by the watchdog group Texans for Public Justice. A preliminary analysis of campaign-finance reports that were released Jan. 15 put Abbott's payday contributions in the second half of 2013 at $55,000.
"We did a more in-depth analysis and found more donors who were connected with the industry," said Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice.
