Why Campaign Finance Reform Is The Key To Ending GOP Corruption In Texas

The billionaire agenda behind GOP policies in the Lone Star State.

Sep 13, 2024

As Texas approaches yet another contentious election cycle, the influence of big money in politics is more evident than ever. With millions of dollars flowing into campaigns, the stakes for public education, voting rights, and the future of democracy in the state couldn’t be higher.

Chris Tackett is a Texas political researcher who tracks campaign finance, focusing on Christian nationalism and its threat to democracy. This week, Tackett mapped the voucher money pouring into this election, which you can see here:

Mapping the Texas “Choice” Money

It’s obscene how many millions of dollars are being poured into Republican pockets. In fact, this year (so far), Republicans have pulled in $210 million in campaign contributions. Democrats in Texas have only pulled in $42 million.

The rules regarding campaign finance are entirely different between the federal and state levels. At the federal level, the Federal Election Commission (FEC) enforces strict limits on how much individuals and PACs can contribute to candidates, with clear caps for each election cycle. Corporations and labor unions are prohibited from donating directly to federal candidates, though they can contribute through PACs (Citizens United).

In contrast, Texas state law imposes no such contribution limits. Individuals, corporations, and PACs can donate unlimited amounts to candidates for state and local offices, creating a landscape where large sums of money flow more freely into campaigns, often without the same level of oversight found at the federal level.

This lack of contribution limits has fueled the widespread corruption within Texas’ Republican ranks.

How corrupt are Texas Republicans?

Governor Greg Abbott has taken over $10 million this year alone to buy “yes” votes for his voucher scheme.
Dozens of Republican candidates for the Texas House took Abbott’s donations in exchange for a “yes” vote on the voucher scheme.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick took $3 million from a Ken Paxton supporter during Ken Paxton’s impeachment trial to throw it in Paxton’s favor.
Over the last five years, two shitty Democrats in the Texas House, Ryan Guillen, and Shawn Theirry, were paid shocking amounts of money to switch parties.
The Texas Railroad Commission is supposed to regulate the oil and gas industry. Yet, the Republican Commissioners, including Christi Craddick and Wayne Christian, have received significant contributions from the companies they regulate.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the last few decades, Republicans from all over America have moved to Texas to get into Texas politics. They move here, throw on a cowboy hat, and millionaires and billionaires quickly fill their coffers, happy to have another flunkey to do their bidding.

It’s a grift, a game, and they all know it. In Texas, Republicans are for sale to the highest bidder. As long as campaign finance remains uncapped, the GOP in Texas will never be anything more than “yes men” for the wealthy elite.

Campaign finance reform is needed now more than ever to restore integrity and accountability in Texas politics.

Unlimited campaign contributions create an environment ripe for corruption. Republican politicians become accountable to their largest donors rather than the voters they should serve. We see this clearly in how Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and others have shaped their agendas based on the interests of major contributors, particularly in sectors like oil, gas, and education.

Unchecked campaign finance has eroded democracy in Texas without limits. When a few key players heavily fund politicians, policies that favor these interests—like deregulation, tax cuts for the wealthy, or cuts to public services—become the norm. This is why everything is broken in Texas.

Texas will never have campaign finance reform under Republican rule.

This isn’t just speculation. We have the vote records that prove it. In the last legislative session, Democrats pushed for campaign finance reform, and Republicans blocked it.

Check it out (3 minute clip):

Representative Vikki Goodwin attempted to add an amendment to a campaign advertising bill that would have capped campaign contributions at $500,000.

Yes, $500,000, as in half of one million.

Here was the vote on that amendment:

Every Republican voted against a $500,000 cap on campaign contributions. Five Democrats (underlined in red) crossed the aisle to vote with Republicans. However, the majority of Democrats voted in favor of this amendment. Not even one Republican voted in favor of the amendment.

So, is campaign finance reform a partisan issue? You bet your ass it is.

Campaign finance reform is even a partisan issue in Washington, DC. Check out the scorecard from End Citizens United. Every Texas Republican got an F, while most Democrats got an A. (Colin Allred received an A+.)

Why was campaign finance reform only presented to the House in an amendment?

Several Democrats filed campaign finance reform bills in the 88th Legislature that never saw the light of day. That includes:

HB47 by Erin Zwiener (D-HD45). This bill would have capped campaign contributions at $5,000.
HB489 by Terry Meza (D-HD105). This bill would have prevented Abbott from giving his donors appointments to public office (which he currently does). It also aimed to prevent such individuals from compensating lobbyists to influence legislative or executive matters related to their appointed office (which happens presently).
HB490 by Terry Meza (D-HD105). This bill would have established contributions, capping the amounts they can donate to candidates for various offices, such as $8,000 for governor and $3,100 for a state House candidate.
HB1245 by Vikki Goodwin (D-HD47). This bill would have capped the campaign finance limits at 50x the federal limit.
HB1296 by Vikki Goodwin (D-HD47). This bill required members of the Texas Railroad Commission to recuse themselves from decisions involving any business entity in which they have a financial interest.
HB4125 by Trey Martinez-Fischer (D-HD116). This bill would have limited how much individuals, political committees, and corporations can contribute to a Texas gubernatorial inauguration.
HB4787 by Rafael Anchia (D-HD103) and Chris Turner (D-HD101). This bill would have restricted Railroad Commissioners and others from accepting political contributions for campaigns except during a specific period.

As you can see, several Democrats filed bills in the 88th Legislative Session related to campaign finance reform, and Republicans killed every single one.

Chris Tackett’s map on the flow of “Texas Choice” money illustrates the corrupting influence of unlimited political contributions in Texas.

His visual breakdown shows how billionaires like Jeff Yass have pumped millions into PACs and pro-voucher candidates, funneling money through Governor Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and others to push a privatization agenda that undermines public education. The connections Tackett maps reveal a deliberate effort by the wealthiest individuals to buy political outcomes that serve their interests, all at the expense of Texas children and families.

This is why campaign finance reform is so critical.

The fact that Republican leaders are for sale to the highest bidder means that policies, like the voucher scheme, are being shaped not by what’s best for Texas but by the desires of a few ultra-wealthy donors. If we want policies that serve the people, not the elite, we need to vote these corrupt politicians out and replace them with Democrats who are willing to work in the best interest of the public.

Unfortunately, even if we flip the Texas House in November, we won’t see true reform until after we flip the Senate and the executive branch (Abbott and Patrick). That could be as soon as 2026 or as late as 2030. But it’s essential that the discussions are had now and that Democrats in the Legislature continue to file and vote on bills and amendments that could end the deep Republican corruption in Texas.

Texas Republicans have embraced a political system where power and policies are up for sale to the highest bidder.

They’re no longer accountable to the people of Texas but to the billionaires and corporate interests lining their campaign coffers. Whether Greg Abbott accepts millions from out-of-state billionaires to push a privatization agenda or Dan Patrick takes massive donations during Ken Paxton’s impeachment, it’s clear that the state’s leaders are driven by money, not by the people’s will.

The depth of corruption is staggering. It’s not just that they take money—they shape entire policies around it, whether it’s the voucher scheme aimed at dismantling public education or deregulating industries that harm everyday Texans. These politicians are more loyal to their wealthy donors than the voters they were elected to serve, and the state’s lack of campaign finance limits makes it all too easy for them to get away with it.

At some point, the people will tire of seeing their children’s education, health, and futures sold off for private gain.

The fight for campaign finance reform isn’t just about leveling the political playing field but also about reclaiming democracy in Texas. For every corrupt Republican that exists, a Democrat running for office is willing to push for reform, end this blatant pay-to-play system, and restore accountability and integrity to the government.

Vote early, vote often, just vote.