Texas Candidates and Campaign Contributors

Most Americans agree that money in politics is a problem in that special interests all too often get their way in regard to the laws passed by Congress and state legislatures in spite of what’s good for the people. There is plenty of evidence to backup that position such as studies showing that the issues that the average voter cares about are given short shrift by our legislators while matters of interest to major corporations and billionaires get plenty of attention. We may disagree on the steps to reduce the influence of money in our political system but we generally agree that it’s a problem.

Reducing the influence of money in politics is an issue being taken on right now in two important races in Texas right now. In the US Senate race Beto O’Rourke has pledged not to take campaign donations from corporations and political action committees (PAC’s) his opponent has not. Beto O’Rourke has raised millions from thousands of individual donors making donations from as little as $3 to a few hundred dollars while Ted Cruz is getting most of his campaign donations from major corporations and the political action committees that they and their lobbyists have organized to channel their money into the campaigns that favor their interests. Who do you think is going to listen to your concerns and act accordingly once in office, the guy who spent all his time talking to billionaires and their lackeys begging for money or the guy who raised a record $38 million in three months from folks like you and me?

In the Texas House District 44 race right here in Guadalupe County John Rodgers has made a similar pledge and all his campaign donations have come from individuals in amounts from $27 to $150 aside from the few thousand dollars he personally put up. The incumbent, John Kuempel on the other hand has taken more than 95% of his campaign donations, tens of thousands of dollars from special interest PACs like: the Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC, Merck & Company Employees Political Action Committee of Washington, D. C., Advance America Cash Advance Centers PAC from South Carolina, Eli Lilly and Company PAC (pharmaceuticals manufacturer) out of Indiana, and UPSPAC out of Georgia. Kuempel took in $10,000 just from the Texas Association of Realtors PAC and is sitting on over $600,000 cash on hand. You’ll notice that many of the examples aren’t even from here in Texas let alone Guadalupe County or Wilson County where the constituents of House District 44 live. All the campaign contribution information I’ve mentioned is available for your review from the Texas Ethics Commission website which is where I got it.

So again the question is who is more likely to listen to your concerns and act in your best interests the candidate taking money from out of state business interests or the one who accepts donations only from voters like you and me?

It’s clear to me that regardless of your feelings about hot button issues, the candidates who are going to work for the interests of the people are the ones who don’t give their ear to special interests who fund their campaigns and that means I’ll be voting for Beto O’Rourke and John Rodgers. I hope you will too.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - October 19, 2018