Unlimited Influence: |
October 03, 2006 |
85 Donors Dropped $28 Million
Into Texas’ 2006 Elections
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Super Donors Gave From $100,000 To $4.6 Million Apiece.
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They Account for 26 Percent of All Money From Individuals.
Twenty-six percent of all the money that individuals contributed to Texas PACs and candidates in the first 18 months of the 2006 election cycle came from just 85 wealthy people (sometimes aided by spouses) who contributed anywhere from $100,000 to $4.6 million apiece. These mega-donors collectively dumped $27,819,821 into the state political system from January 2005 through June 2006.
Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, who is best known for bankrolling Swift Boat attack ads on John Kerry, topped the list. So far this election cycle he has written $4.6 million worth of state political checks that principally benefit Republicans. Perry gave $270,265 of this money to Attorney General Greg Abbott, $235,000 to Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst and $130,000 to Governor Rick Perry (no relation). Since Governor Perry’s election in 2002, Bob Perry has contributed a total of $590,000 to the governor’s reelection campaign.
San Antonio hospital bed magnate James Leininger ranked No. 2 among mega-donors. Leininger gained notoriety during the March GOP primary for his exorbitant attempt to rub out five moderate Republican lawmakers. Leininger bet $2.5 million of his own money that he could elect five handpicked challengers who would advance his school-voucher agenda. Voters in three of these districts rejected Leininger’s power grab, which nonetheless succeeded in the other two.
Wealthy individuals with Democratic or Independent leanings also made the mega-donor list. These include eight trial lawyers who have long bankrolled Texas Democrats. This time, however, half of them are backing Carole Keeton Strayhorn’s independent challenge of Governor Perry. Shampoo magnate John McCall also poured $850,000 into the Independent gubernatorial campaign of his friend Kinky Friedman. While McCall has disavowed any interest in selling the state shampoo, people who do have a political agenda dominate the mega-donor list.
Texas is one of just a few remaining states that allow wealthy tycoons to buy controlling interests in public officials. Because Texas imposes no limits on what individuals can contribute to a state political campaign, Texans are entitled to as much political representation as they can afford.
A coalition of Texas reform groups is pushing to limit mega-donors from giving an aggregate total of more than $100,000 to state PACs and candidates in each election. Reps. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) and Mark Strama (D-Austin) have pledged to introduce such a bill—backed by Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston)—in the next session. Federal law already imposes a similar cap on individual contributions to all federal PACs and candidates. Texas needs $100,000 caps. Enough is enough.■
Texas’ $100,000 Donor Club
(Individual Donations to State PACs & Candidates, January 2005 through June 2006)
Amount |
Contributor |
City |
Business |
|---|---|---|---|
$4,569,265 |
Bob & Doylene Perry | Houston | Perry Homes |
$4,011,875 |
James Leininger | San Antonio | Kinetic Concepts, Inc. (hospital beds) |
$999,321 |
Fred & Lisa Baron | Dallas | Baron & Budd law firm |
$901,348 |
T. Boone Pickens, Jr. | Dallas | BP Capital (oil, water investing) |
$851,000 |
John Herschel McCall | Spicewood | Armstrong McCall Beauty (shampoo magnate) |
$767,021 |
Charles C. Butt | San Antonio | HEB Grocery Co. |
$654,400 |
Harold Simmons | Dallas | Contran Corp. (investing, nuke waste) |
$653,329 |
Mikal C. Watts | Corpus Christi | Watts Law Firm |
$615,354 |
George & Amanda Ryan | Dallas | Ryan & Co. (tax consulting) |
$509,860 |
Walter Umphrey | Beaumont | Provost & Umphrey Law Firm |
$481,090 |
John Eddie Williams, Jr. | Houston | Williams Bailey Law Firm |
$386,300 |
David & Martha Alameel | Dallas | Jefferson Dental Clinics |
$371,894 |
John L. & Barbara Nau | Houston | Silver Eagle Distributors (beer) |
$360,239 |
Lonnie 'Bo' Pilgrim | Pittsburg | Pilgrim's Pride Poultry |
$345,100 |
Geoffrey Raynor | Fort Worth | Q Funding (investing) |
$327,812 |
Louis A. Beecherl III | Dallas | Beecherl Co's (oil fortune) |
$307,934 |
Harlan Crow | Dallas | Crow Holdings (real estate) |
$297,250 |
Michael Stevens | Houston | Michael Stevens Interests, Inc. (apartments) |
$281,000 |
Alice L. Walton | Mineral Wells | Wal-Mart |
$274,500 |
James "Doug" Pitcock | Houston | Williams Brothers Construction |
$265,760 |
Thomas Dan Friedkin | Houston | Friedkin Companies, Inc. (auto dealer) |
$255,758 |
Richard Weekley | Houston | Weekley Properties/Texans for Lawsuit Reform |
$241,500 |
Robert Rowling | Irving | TRT Holdings, Inc. (oil/hotels) |
$240,737 |
Russell Kelley | Austin | Public Strategies lobby firm |
$233,250 |
Robert C. McNair, Jr. | Houston | Cogen Technolgies/Houston Texans |
$221,370 |
Russell W. Budd | Dallas | Baron & Budd law firm |
$206,500 |
Peter Holt | Blanco | Holt Co's (construction equipment) |
$200,450 |
Dian Graves Owen Stai | Abilene | Owen Healthcare, Inc. (drugs) |
$200,000 |
Stevan Hammond | Dallas | Marketing Investors Corp. |
$200,000 |
Kenny Troutt | Dallas | Mt. Vernon Investments (telecom) |
$197,000 |
Maconda O'Connor | Houston | Brown & Root (construction) heir |
$192,250 |
Dan L. Duncan | Houston | Enterprise Products Partners (chemicals) |
$182,491 |
Greg LaMantia | McAllen | L & F Distributors (beer) |
$177,600 |
Richard Mithoff | Houston | Mithoff & Jacks law firm |
$176,359 |
John Victor Lattimore | Mc Kinney | Lattimore Materials (concrete) |
$175,088 |
Paul L. Foster | El Paso | Western Refining Co. |
$171,900 |
Ricardo Weitz | Houston | Auto Dealer |
$171,000 |
Ralph Ellis, Jr. | Irving | Belmont Oil & Gas Corp. |
$166,000 |
Gerald Ridgely, Jr. | Dallas | Ryan & Company (tax consulting) |
$159,000 |
Richard Scott | Houston | Trans-Global Solutions (shipping) |
$158,054 |
Michael B. Boylan | Houston | Houston Property Management Corp. |
$156,500 |
William A. Boothe | Dallas | Boothe Eye Care & Laser Center |
$156,197 |
Ned S. Holmes | Houston | Parkway Investments (real estate) |
$155,503 |
Kenneth P. Banks | Schulenburg | International Muffler Co. |
$155,077 |
HB 'Bartel' Zachry, Jr. | San Antonio | Zachry Construction Corp. |
$154,950 |
H. Ross Perot, Jr. | Plano | Hillwood Development Group |
$154,894 |
James D. Dannenbaum | Houston | Dannenbaum Engineering |
$153,829 |
Patrick J. Moran | Houston | Moran Resources (oil) |
$153,000 |
Joseph F. Phillips | Mission | Convenience store chain owner |
$152,500 |
Joseph D. Jamail | Houston | Jamail & Kolius law firm |
$151,000 |
James Trester | Plano | Ryan & Co. (tax consulting) |
$150,250 |
Frank Homer | Paris | Retired Sonic restaurant franchiser |
$150,000 |
Ray L. Hunt | Dallas | Hunt Consolidated, Inc. (developer, oil) |
$149,750 |
B.J. 'Red' McCombs | San Antonio | Red McCombs Automotive Group |
$145,250 |
Edith Jones O'Donnell | Dallas | O'Donnell Foundation (banking) |
$141,000 |
Charles W. Tate | Sugarland | Capital Royalty (investing) |
$140,500 |
Julia Jones Matthews | Abilene | Dodge Jones Foundation (oil) |
$137,100 |
Randall G. Goss | Dallas | U.S. Risk (insurer) |
$135,505 |
Kent R. Hance | Austin | Hance Scarborough Wright … lobby firm |
$133,500 |
John Speer | Houston | Royce Homes |
$131,287 |
W. Mark Lanier | Houston | Lanier Law Firm |
$130,500 |
Charles E. Hurwitz | Houston | MAXXAM, Inc. (investing, gambling) |
$129,000 |
Johnny Baker | Houston | Baker Managers (real estate) |
$128,783 |
Charles B. Lawrence | Houston | Kirby Corp. (shipping) |
$125,750 |
Barkley J. Stuart | Dallas | Glazer's Wholesale (alcohol) |
$124,500 |
Richard Thompson | Lucas | Ryan & Co. (tax consulting) |
$123,000 |
George C. Hixon | San Antonio | Hixon Properties (real estate) |
$120,000 |
A. Earl Swift | Houston | Swift Energy Co. |
$119,185 |
Charles Wood, Jr. | Dallas | Dallas Fire Insurance Co. |
$116,040 |
Thomas W. Pirtle | Houston | O'Quinn & Laminack law firm |
$115,580 |
Robert D. Gillikin | Dallas | Cummins Southern Plains, Inc. (engines) |
$114,496 |
James I. Perkins, Jr. | Rusk | Citizens First Bank |
$112,000 |
Meredith J. Long | Houston | Meredith Long & Co. (art gallery) |
$111,750 |
Gordon T. Graves | Austin | Multimedia Games, Inc. (gambling) |
$111,000 |
W. Marvin Rush | San Antonio | Rush Enterprise, Inc. (truck dealer) |
$107,000 |
Earle A. Nye | Dallas | TXU Energy Corp. (retired) |
$106,000 |
William A. McMinn | Houston | Sterling Group (chemicals) |
$105,350 |
Lowry Mays | San Antonio | Clear Channel Entertainment (radio) |
$101,377 |
Carl F. Raba, Jr. | San Antonio | Raba-Kistner Consultants, Inc. (engineering) |
$101,155 |
Steve W. Sterquell II | Amarillo | American Housing Foundation |
$101,054 |
Larry Anders | Dallas | Summit Alliance Co's (insurer) |
$100,500 |
James L. Huffines, Jr. | Dallas | Huffines Auto Dealerships |
$100,250 |
Robert D. McLane, Jr. | Temple | McLane Co., Inc. (grocery supply) |
$100,000 |
Tim Gill | Denver | Quark software founder, gay rights advocate |
$100,000 |
Dawn Arnall | Los Angeles | Ameriquest Mortgage |
