The state government of Texas, the national trust since the fall of the Alamo, is now being bought on the cheap by mega-rich donors who want the Republican-led government to satisfy their esoteric motives.
These aspiring billionaires spend a manageable portion of their sustainable wealth every year to secure the first-class seat next to constitutional power. In effect, they are outperforming those of us who naively believe that a “one person, one vote” level playing field exists in the dying Texas democracy.
What do these wealthy donors want? That much is clear. They want to defund public schools. Biblical interpretation to inform government policy. And women must give birth every time they become pregnant, regardless of the circumstances. There is much more on their wish list that will be revealed in the upcoming 89th Congress.
Their chosen statewide Republican candidate is elected by only 3% of the Texas population, but it will be difficult to overcome a well-funded incumbent, and Democrats have not won a statewide race since 1994. Historically, they continue to win in November.
Gone are the days when careerist politicians balanced the interests of wealthy donors with the interests of the people. Now, the Texas Republican Party has completely sold out to its core base, adopted unsustainable extremist policies, extorted exorbitant campaign contributions, and created a corrupt and authoritarian energy that darkens the heart of Texas. There is.
Texas, along with eight other states, allows unlimited campaign contributions to candidates in all nonjurisdictional states. That means there are no limits to the checks that wealthy people can write to influence legislative and executive elections.
For example, last December, Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania billionaire interested in promoting school vouchers in Texas, hired Greg Abbott to help Abbott defeat local legislators who opposed the bill. Sent the governor a check for $6 million. A PAC led by Tim Dunn, a Midland billionaire lay preacher who has bankrolled several of Attorney General Ken Paxton's statewide campaigns last summer, has announced that Lieutenant Governor Patrick will preside over Paxton's impeachment trial in the Senate. Six weeks ago, it paid Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick $3 million.
Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelsey after the 2021 winter storm devastated Texas, causing tens of billions in property damage and economic losses, and hundreds of deaths. Warren is a natural gas producer and pipeline owner whose company made significant profits by selling fuel at unprecedented prices during the power outages. , gave Abbott a check for $1 million.
There are many such stories. It is past time to reform the scandalous state government. The best way forward is to introduce campaign finance limits.
Similar to federal elections, a super majority of states impose limits on campaign finance. Candidates for Congress can receive up to $3,300 each per election cycle. Florida's statewide candidates are capped at $3,000 per donor per election, and Congressional candidates are capped at $1,000 per donor per election. Wisconsin limits contributions to $20,000 per incumbent statewide representative over a four-year term. Connecticut limits individual donors to $1,000 per state Senate candidate and $250 per state House candidate per election. In Hawaii, out-of-state donations are limited to 30% of a candidate's contributions. Oregon, which has allowed unlimited donations for decades, is the most recent state to do so, after Gov. Tina Kotek signed the landmark bill on March 20, allowing individuals to donate 3,300 to their campaigns. Limited to $.
So, what about Texas?
With 20 television markets and a population of 31 million people, Texas is huge by any measure. The Dallas-Fort Worth market is her fifth largest market in the United States, with approximately 2,713,380 television households. With 22 million Texans of voting age, legislative and statewide candidates want to get as many people registered to vote as possible. Advertising on broadcast and cable TV and communicating with voters digitally, by mail, by phone and by text message is expensive, an experience shared by all candidates across Texas. What is unfair is that wealthy sponsors choose who wins by giving their districts excess funds to safely cross the finish line. It is no wonder that some voters feel that their vote is meaningless.
It is perverse to lavish candidates with grotesquely excessive campaign contributions and expect them to rein in government spending if elected. I'm confident that once campaign finance limits are in place, anyone brave enough to challenge the election will find a way to appeal to Texas voters on a reasonable budget. The U.S. and Texas constitutions allow lawmakers to set maximum limits on campaign contributions, and in particular, the Texas Constitution prohibits citizen-led statewide efforts, so the Texas Legislature This cause should be taken up in the next Congress, debated thoroughly, passed quickly, and passed. Brings forward the reasonable campaign contribution limits signed by the Governor in time for the 2026 election.
Joe Jaworski is a Texas attorney, mediator, and former mayor of Galveston.
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