Federal campaign finance reports covering the month of July show the Texas Democratic Party with a significant fundraising advantage over the Texas GOP, in large part due to a joint fundraising committee with James Talarico’s Senate campaign.
During July, the Texas Democratic Party’s Federal account reported total receipts of nearly $1.4 million while the Republican Party of Texas’ Federal account received just over $436,000. The Texas Democratic Party reported cash on hand of $1,084,367.49 at the end of July, with Republicans showing $591,347.93.
The Republican Party of Texas also reported outstanding debts of $221,938.85, including $191,428.60 owed to a law firm that represents the Party in ongoing litigation seeking to allow closed Primary elections and $20,000 owed to the Party’s outside auditing firm. The Texas Democratic Party did not report any outstanding debts.
The Texas Democratic Party’s coffers were boosted by $1 million it received on July 27 from the Talarico Victory Fund – a joint fundraising committee that includes James Talarico’s Senate campaign and the Texas Democratic Party.
The largest source of funding for the Republican Party of Texas’ Federal account last month was the Republican National Committee, which contributed $143,150. Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne’s campaign donated $70,000 to the Texas GOP last month, while Congressman Jake Ellzey’s campaign donated $10,000.
New Republican Party of Texas State Chairman D’Rinda Randall, who took office in June, has raised concerns about the Party’s financial condition going into the November election. In a July 21 e-mail to Party activists, Randall wrote:
“Less than a month ago, you entrusted me with the honor of serving as Chair of the Republican Party of Texas. You elected me with a clear mandate to bring our Party together, rebuild our organization, and prepare Republicans to win in November. Since taking office, my team has focused on my first priority: understanding exactly where we stand financially so we can move forward with complete transparency. Here’s the reality: The Republican Party of Texas is not in a healthy financial position. As you may have seen in preliminary reports, we have significant unpaid obligations. One of the largest is the outstanding legal fees associated with the Closed Primary lawsuit.”
In an interview with KXAS-TV earlier this month, Randall said she was focused on stabilizing the Party’s financial condition and was using the upcoming national Republican midterm convention in Dallas as a fundraising opportunity for the Party.
