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As discussed above, the Ideological and Single Issue category ballooned to account for 37 percent of all 2006 PAC spending. Although Labor and Business PACs also increased their expenditures significantly, these sectors did not approach the 108 percent increase of Ideological PACs.
Interest Category |
No. of Active
2006 PACs |
2006 PAC
Spending |
Share of ‘06
Spending |
’04-‘06
Change |
Agriculture |
30 |
$2,084,858 |
2% |
69% |
Communications |
17 |
$2,411,297 |
2% |
19% |
Computers & Electronics |
6 |
$546,948 |
<1% |
17% |
Construction |
78 |
$5,632,354 |
6% |
22% |
Energy/Nat’l Resources |
57 |
$7,422,147 |
8% |
34% |
Finance |
41 |
$4,902,570 |
5% |
55% |
Health |
54 |
$6,700,991 |
7% |
19% |
Ideological/Single Issue |
522 |
$37,003,201 |
37% |
108% |
Insurance |
26 |
$2,101,473 |
2% |
23% |
Labor |
100 |
$5,116,613 |
5% |
13% |
Lawyers & Lobbyists |
48 |
$12,207,989 |
12% |
6% |
Miscellaneous Business |
61 |
$4,162,216 |
4% |
71% |
Real Estate |
40 |
$6,180,524 |
6% |
29% |
Transportation |
27 |
$2,400,946 |
2% |
-10% |
Other & Unknown |
25 |
$293,511 |
<1% |
|
TOTALS: |
1,132 |
$99,167,646 |
100% |
42% |
Top Ideological and Single-Issue PACs
PAC |
2006
Spending |
2006
Rank |
2004
Spending |
2004
Rank |
’04-‘06
Change |
Texans For Lawsuit Reform |
$4,224,428 |
1 |
$3,105,386 |
1 |
36% |
TX Republican Leg. Campaign Committee |
$2,726,907 |
3 |
|
|
NA |
Republican Party of TX |
$2,604,523 |
4 |
$1,927,676 |
3 |
35% |
TX Democratic Trust |
$2,256,378 |
6 |
|
|
NA |
TX Democratic Party |
$1,553,206 |
9 |
$1,922,185 |
4 |
-19% |
Associated Republicans of TX |
$1,472,061 |
10 |
$1,688,087 |
7 |
-13% |
Harris Co. Republican Party |
$1,397,049 |
11 |
|
|
NA |
Annie's List |
$1,098,083 |
13 |
$454,177 |
30 |
142% |
Stars Over TX |
$1,085,121 |
14 |
$956,675 |
12 |
13% |
House Democratic Campaign Committee |
$1,051,894 |
15 |
$366,512 |
36 |
187% |
Future of TX Alliance |
$655,655 |
26 |
|
|
NA |
Dallas Co. Democratic PAC |
$641,775 |
27 |
|
|
NA |
Dallas Co. Republican Party |
$616,554 |
28 |
|
|
NA |
TX Federation of Republican Women |
$523,562 |
36 |
$347,460 |
40 |
51% |
TX Parent PAC |
$492,799 |
38 |
|
|
NA |
Friends of Phil Gramm |
$473,039 |
39 |
$514,274 |
23 |
-8% |
TX Values in Action Coalition |
$467,473 |
41 |
|
|
NA |
TX Opportunity PAC |
$395,419 |
48 |
|
|
NA |
Republican Party of Fort Bend Co. |
$393,306 |
49 |
|
|
NA |
Travis Co. Democratic Party |
$375,270 |
53 |
$156,987 |
98 |
139% |
TX Progress Council |
$340,138 |
62 |
|
|
NA |
TX 2020 PAC |
$337,892 |
64 |
$80,553 |
172 |
319% |
Friends of The University |
$326,921 |
67 |
$330,247 |
42 |
-1% |
Texans for School Choice |
$211,757 |
98 |
|
|
NA |
Houston PAC |
$207,212 |
99 |
|
|
NA |
Campaign For Republican Leadership |
$201,585 |
104 |
$26,297 |
357 |
667% |
After Ideological PACs, the Miscellaneous Business sector grew the fastest, increasing its spending 71 percent from 2004 to 2006 (nonetheless this sector accounted for just 4 percent of all 2006 PAC spending). Republic Beverage’s BG Distribution Partners was one of Texas’ fastest-growth PACs, more than quintupling its spending from 2004 to in excess of $1 million. Meanwhile the Licensed Beverage Distributors PAC more than doubled its spending, clearing $300,000. In 2006 the wholesale liquor industry made a large play (HB 2266) to repeal rules that force bars and restaurants to buy hooch from package liquor stores. Package stores retaliated by urging the legislature to allow liquor manufacturers to sell directly to package stores—thereby bypassing the wholesalers (HB 2525). Hung up—or over—by such a wicked mix of drinks, lawmakers never uncorked either bill from the House Licensing Committee.
The top-spending sectors after Ideological and Single-Issue PACs were four business PAC categories: Lawyers & Lobbyists (accounting for 12 percent of 2006 PAC spending), Energy & Natural Resources (8 percent), Health (7 percent) and Real Estate (6 percent).
Lawyers & Lobbyists
Lawyers & Lobbyists, the biggest Business PAC sector, accounted for 12 percent of all 2006 PAC spending ($12 million), despite that fact that this sector expanded by a comparatively modest 6 percent from 2004 to 2006. The trial-lawyer financed Texans for Insurance Reform PAC led this sector, spending $2 million. Most of the top recipients of this PAC’s funds were Democratic House candidates. Corpus Christi trial lawyer Mikal Watts, who plans to challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn next year, runs the Good Government PAC, which doubled its spending to $931,233. Meanwhile the Texas Trial Lawyer Association cut its PAC spending in half to $833,547.
Top Lawyers & Lobbyists PACs
PAC |
2006
Spending |
2006
Rank |
2004
Spending |
2004
Rank |
’04-‘06
Change |
Texans for Insurance Reform |
$2,015,611 |
7 |
$1,911,888 |
6 |
5% |
HillCo PAC |
$1,010,227 |
18 |
$705,343 |
15 |
43% |
Good Government PAC |
$931,233 |
19 |
$465,915 |
26 |
100% |
Vinson & Elkins |
$918,700 |
21 |
$970,289 |
11 |
-5% |
Texas Trial Lawyers Assn. |
$883,547 |
22 |
$1,665,284 |
8 |
-47% |
Texas Assn. of Mortgage Attorneys |
$794,263 |
23 |
$647,500 |
17 |
23% |
Fulbright & Jaworski |
$718,666 |
24 |
$805,250 |
13 |
-11% |
Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld |
$587,827 |
29 |
$461,951 |
28 |
27% |
Andrews & Kurth |
$528,250 |
35 |
$516,813 |
22 |
2% |
Baker Botts |
$471,772 |
40 |
$435,167 |
31 |
8% |
Winstead, Sechrest & Minick |
$458,133 |
43 |
$310,950 |
47 |
47% |
Bracewell & Giuliani |
$425,796 |
44 |
$483,421 |
25 |
-12% |
Hughes & Luce |
$396,643 |
47 |
$312,098 |
45 |
27% |
Haynes & Boone |
$330,045 |
65 |
$238,950 |
63 |
38% |
Jackson Walker |
$280,781 |
73 |
$250,622 |
60 |
12% |
Gardere Wynne Sewell |
$248,375 |
84 |
$261,524 |
56 |
-5% |
Thompson & Knight |
$228,500 |
90 |
$129,250 |
117 |
77% |
Brown McCarroll |
$140,850 |
151 |
$168,100 |
89 |
-16% |
Texas Assn. of Defense Counsel |
$112,250 |
179 |
$69,037 |
196 |
63% |
Jenkens & Gilchrist |
$107,900 |
185 |
$99,820 |
141 |
8% |
HillCo Partners lobby firm’s PAC cleared $1 million in expenditures, getting more of its money from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry than any other source. The Texas Association of Mortgage Attorneys, a major backer of House Speaker Tom Craddick, increased its PAC spending significantly to $794,263. Led by Vinson & Elkins and Fulbright & Jaworski, corporate law firms accounted for most of the remaining top Lawyers & Lobbyists PACs.
Energy & Natural Resources
Energy & Natural Resources PACs spent $7.4 million—up 34 percent from 2004. Awash in profits, the oil and gas industry pumped up its PAC spending, led by Valero Refining, which boosted its spending significantly to $2.3 million. After Valero came Texas Oil & Gas PAC, ConocoPhillips and the Bass family PACs: the Good Government Fund and PSEL PAC. Several oil and petrochemical PACs also made the accompanying list of the fastest-growing PACs. These include ExxonMobil (which quintupled its spending), Lyondell and ConocoPhillips.
Top Energy & Natural Resources PACs
PAC |
2006
Spending |
2006
Rank |
2004
Spending |
2004
Rank |
’04-‘06
Change |
Valero Refining & Marketing PAC |
$2,347,879 |
5 |
$1,607,132 |
9 |
46% |
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. |
$402,694 |
45 |
$488,886 |
24 |
-18% |
Reliant Energy, Inc. |
$356,111 |
56 |
$361,574 |
38 |
-2% |
TX Oil & Gas PAC |
$354,000 |
58 |
$311,500 |
46 |
14% |
TX Employee PAC of TXU Corp. |
$296,385 |
71 |
$349,935 |
39 |
-15% |
American Electric Power |
$286,619 |
72 |
$111,300 |
129 |
158% |
Lyondell Petrochemical Co. |
$275,918 |
74 |
$59,624 |
215 |
363% |
ConocoPhillips SPIRIT PAC |
$220,580 |
93 |
$61,780 |
206 |
257% |
Electric Delivery PAC of TXU Corp. |
$217,103 |
94 |
$209,358 |
70 |
4% |
Power & Energy PAC of TXU Corp. |
$182,619 |
114 |
$230,418 |
65 |
-21% |
Employees of Dow Chemical Co. |
$173,689 |
118 |
$78,411 |
179 |
122% |
Good Government Fund |
$170,250 |
120 |
$147,920 |
105 |
15% |
PSEL PAC |
$167,500 |
122 |
$110,000 |
133 |
52% |
Occidental Petroleum Corp. |
$163,683 |
127 |
$127,759 |
120 |
28% |
Rural Friends of TX Electric Co-ops |
$159,050 |
131 |
$108,400 |
135 |
47% |
El Paso Corp. |
$156,682 |
135 |
$35,416 |
295 |
342% |
Mirant Corp. |
$135,402 |
158 |
$3,719 |
624 |
3,541% |
Atmos Energy Corp. |
$121,356 |
171 |
$30,478 |
325 |
298% |
Halliburton Energy Services |
$107,240 |
188 |
$129,075 |
118 |
-17% |
Exxon Mobil Corp. |
$106,000 |
192 |
$17,000 |
414 |
524% |
Electricity PACs formed this sector’s other bastion of power. Yet the top electricity PACs generally eased their spending from 2004 to 2006. CenterPoint, Reliant and three TXU PACs ($696,107 combined) all reduced spending in 2006.4 Atlanta-based electric wholesaler Mirant Corp., on the other hand, topped the accompanying list of the fastest-growing PACs, increasing its PAC spending from less than $4,000 in 2004 to $135,402. Other power PACs that doubled or tripled their PAC spending were: El Paso Corp., Atmos Energy and American Electric Power.
Health PACs
Led by the Texas Medical Association (TMA), Health PACs ranked No. 3 among Business PACs. Yet this sector’s overall spending increase of 19 percent fell short of that of the Business category as a whole. Spending by TMA, the Texas Optometric PAC, the Texas Dental Association and the Texas Hospital Association declined since the 2004 cycle, when this industry spent heavily to cap its legal liability in medical malpractice cases. The newly formed Texas Border PAC led 2006 growth in this sector. Harvesting $6,000 apiece from dozens of physicians along the Texas-Mexico border, this PAC made its largest contributions to Governor Perry and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst (approximately $50,000 apiece). Two leading medical-specialty PACs—the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists and the Texas Opthalmological Association—also increased spending by approximately 20 percent apiece.
Top Health PACs
PAC |
2006
Cycle
Spending |
2006
PAC
Rank |
2004
Cycle
Spending |
2004
PAC
Rank |
‘04-’06
Spending Change |
TX Medical Assn. |
$1,896,648 |
8 |
$1,919,026 |
5 |
-1% |
Border Health PAC |
$667,787 |
25 |
|
|
NA |
TX Optometric PAC |
$576,721 |
32 |
$598,844 |
18 |
-4% |
TX Dental Assn. |
$367,009 |
54 |
$593,590 |
19 |
-38% |
TX Society of Anesthesiologists |
$216,283 |
96 |
$181,095 |
80 |
19% |
TX Opthalmological Assn. |
$212,069 |
97 |
$175,763 |
85 |
21% |
TX Hospital Assn. |
$206,733 |
100 |
$239,932 |
62 |
-14% |
Real Estate PACs
Real estate PACs increased spending 29 percent to $6.2 million. The Texas Association of Realtors and its affiliated Issues Mobilization PAC accounted for two-thirds of this spending, with the Issues PAC increasing its expenditures by more than 600 percent since 2004. The Issues Mobilization PAC made its largest expenditures on media buys and on payments to HillCo Partners lobby firm. It paid $50,000 to Texans for Taxpayer Relief, a business group running ads supporting the school-finance plan proposed by Governor Perry’s Texas Tax Reform Commission (a proposal that did not seek to tax real estate transactions). The PAC also gave $20,000 to It’s About Time Corpus Christi, a business group that sought to ban vehicles from driving on part of the beach on North Padre Island.
Top Real Estate PACs
PAC |
2006
Cycle
Spending |
2006
PAC
Rank |
2004
Cycle
Spending |
2004
PAC
Rank |
’04-‘06
Spending
Change |
TX Assn. of Realtors |
$3,334,075 |
2 |
$2,967,081 |
2 |
12% |
TX Assn. of Realtors Issues Mobilization |
$929,600 |
20 |
|
115 |
609% |
TX Apartment Assn. PAC |
$382,732 |
52 |
$324,000 |
43 |
18% |
Houston Apartment Assn |
$230,660 |
88 |
$268,608 |
54 |
-14% |
Houston Realty Breakfast Club |
$185,073 |
111 |
|
127 |
54% |
Apartment Assn. of Greater Dallas |
$170,347 |
119 |
|
126 |
42% |
Apartment Assn. of Tarrant Co. |
$103,506 |
197 |
$154,452 |
99 |
-33% |
4 When the money spent by the three TXU PACs listed here is combined with the $94,577 spent by the smaller TXU Corporate PAC, TXU's four affiliated PACs spent a grand total of $790,684 in the 2006 cycle. For more on TXU PACs, see “TXU’s Patronage Grid Plugs All But Seven Lawmakers,” TPJ’s Lobby Watch, March 1, 2007.
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