The candidates for Texas Senate District 9 continued seeing vastly different budgets and backing as they campaigned ahead of the Jan. 31 runoff election, according to their most recent campaign finance reports.
The latest filings show what Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss raised and spent between Oct. 25 and Jan. 21, after they split the majority vote in the Nov. 4 election. The high-profile special election to fill the state Senate seat, which represents much of Tarrant County, is largely ceremonial, as whoever wins on Jan. 31 will have to immediately seek reelection in November.
Election Day is Saturday and the last day to vote early is Tuesday.
Tarrant County residents can check if they live in Senate District 9 here. Voter registration status and sample ballots may be found at Vote411.org.
Wambsganss, a Southlake Republican and chief communications officer of Patriot Mobile, reported raising $893,010 for her already high-dollar campaign mostly bankrolled by political action entities, or PACs. That puts her total raised at over $2.5 million.
Wambsganss’ newest funds come from about 217 donors, who contributed an average check size of $3,705.
Rehmet, a Fort Worth Democrat and machinist union leader, nearly tripled the size of his relatively small-dollar campaign, but still saw mostly individual donors. He raised $255,360 over the latest campaign finance periods, bringing his total donations to $380,626, not including in-kind services.
The latest funds came from about 1,860 donors, who contributed average check sizes of $116. Contributions of $500 or less composed 48% of the funds raised.
“I’m proud to highlight that we haven’t taken a dime of corporate special-interest money,” Rehmet told the Report in a written statement. “I think that matters. It means that when I’m elected, the only people I’ll be accountable to are the people who live and work in Senate District 9.”
Wambsganss told the Report in a statement that she’s proud of the support she’s garnered.
“It is a demonstration of the faith and confidence of the voters and their acknowledgement that I will deliver on conservative legislative priorities important to SD9,” she said.
The Senate District 9 runoff election was triggered after no candidate won more than 50% of the vote in the Nov. 4 election. In that race, Rehmet came about 3,000 votes shy of an outright win, as Wambsganss split the GOP vote with a third opponent.
Wambsganss sees large donations from GOP, business PACs
Wambsganss’ largest donations of $350,000 came from the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, a committee that advertises itself as being devoted to cutting wasteful spending in the legal system and politics.
Before Oct. 25, the PAC donated $200,000 to Wambsganss. The committee is largely bankrolled by billionaires, including real estate tycoon Dick Weekley and Hillwood founder Ross Perot Jr., who individually gave Wambsganss another $10,000.
Wambsganss reported another $150,000 from the Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, a committee started by Republican Texas oil tycoons Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks that donated about $450,000 to her last fall.
She also reported receiving $100,000 from the Texas Senate Leadership Fund, a PAC launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick devoted to “advancing the goals of the conservative majority in the Texas Senate.” Before Oct. 25, the PAC donated $363,250 to Wambsganss.
Other PAC donors include $10,000 from the CenterPoint Energy PAC, $10,000 from the Fort Worth Firefighters Committee for Responsible Government and $10,000 from the Accountable Government Fund, a PAC entirely funded by billionaire Edward Bass, the owner of Sundance Square who frequently donates to Fort Worth City Council and Tarrant County commissioner campaigns.
Wambsganss also reported receiving $900 worth of services. Her in-kind contributions include $400 for block-walking and $500 for campaign texting.
Rehmet received mostly small donations, some Democratic support
Rehmet’s biggest donor since the Nov. 4 election was Daniel Cocanougher, a Wise County native who made his initial fortune investing in the anime “Dragon Ball Z.” Cocanougher contributed $30,000 to the campaign.
Rehmet also reported receiving $11,885.55 from the Harris County Democratic Party and $10,000 from the Machinists Non-Partisan Political League. Democratic state politicians, including U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, state Reps. Chris Turner, Ann Johnson and Ramon Romero Jr.
Apart from cash donations, Rehmet reported receiving $174,408 worth of services.
This included a $141,250 voter turnout program from the Texas Majority PAC, a committee devoted to electing Democrats into office that is significantly funded by George Soros and the federal American Bridge PAC. The committee also gave $2,133 worth of services in the form of dialer and texting efforts.
The state Senate District 9 seat has been red since 1991. It became vacant in June when former Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to become acting state comptroller.
The winner on Jan. 31 will serve the remainder of Hancock’s term, which runs through the end of the year. Candidates have already filed for a prospective rematch in the March primaries.
What is the makeup of the Texas Senate?
The 31-member Texas Senate has 20 Republican seats and 11 Democratic seats.
In November, 16 Senate seats are on the ballot.
Five Republican incumbents, including Hancock, have or will step down from their seats.
Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org or @shawlings601.
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