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I. Introduction & Method

The “Wild West” of campaign finances, Texas imposes no limits on how much an individual, business or PAC can give candidates for state office. George W. Bush set new fundraising records within Texas, raising an eye-popping $41 million for his two gubernatorial campaigns (1994 and 1998).  In the 1998 campaign, Bush raised $5 in campaign funds for every dollar raised by his opponent.

Even as he sets new fundraising records in his presidential campaign, Bush’s Texas gubernatorial money is crucial for several reasons:

In an era where professional handlers control access to candidates and choreograph their campaigns, money is the truest indicator of what makes politicians tick;

 

Many of Bush’s biggest gubernatorial donors have direct special interests in the outcome of government decisions (see the “Bush Profiteers”);

 

Unlike the presidential primary race (which imposes contribution limits), Bush’s Texas campaigns provide insight into what might be expected if Bush goes on an unlimited “soft-money” fundraising binge for the general election; and

 

Bush has advocated a federal elections system with no contribution limits and his gubernatorial fundraising offers a glimpse of how such a system would operate.

Contribution information for this report was gathered from disclosure reports that the Bush campaigns filed with the Texas Ethics Commission for the 1994 and 1998 Texas Gubernatorial elections. Texans For Public Justice attempted to classify the occupation, employer and primary economic interest of each individual contributing at least $1,000 to Bush’s gubernatorial races. Similarly, the interests of each business or PAC contributing $500 or more were classified.  These large individual, business and PAC contributions amounted to $30 million, or 73 percent of the $41 million Bush raised for his gubernatorial races. Of this $30 million, Texans for Public Justice successfully classified the donors of $27.7 million.

The interest categories used in this report are adapted from the system developed by Larry Makinson at the Center for Responsive Politics.

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