Republicans outraise Democrats by 126% in Texas Senate races


Campaign finance requirements govern how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations, how often they must report those contributions, and how much individuals, organizations, and political entities may contribute to campaigns.

While campaign finance is not the only factor in electoral outcomes, successful fundraising can provide a candidate with advantages during a campaign. Fundraising can also indicate party momentum.

This article lists top fundraisers in the Texas State Senate, overall and by party. It is based on campaign finance reports that officeholders in and candidates for the State Senate submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission. It includes activity between January 1, 2021, and February 19, 2022.

Top fundraisers in the Texas State Senate by party

The top fundraisers in Texas State Senate elections are shown below. Individuals are presented with the office that they are on the ballot for in 2022, if applicable.

In the Democratic Party, the top fundraisers were:

  • John Whitmire (District 15) – $505,196
  • Royce West (District 23) – $414,698
  • Judith Zaffirini (District 21) – $313,071
  • Nathan Johnson (District 16) – $283,286
  • Morgan LaMantia (District 27) – $246,275

In the Republican Party, the top fundraisers were:

  • Mayes Middleton (District 11) – $2,014,767
  • Dawn Buckingham – $1,755,669
  • Kevin Sparks (District 31) – $1,204,386
  • Peter P. Flores (District 24) – $1,033,830
  • Phil King (District 10) – $936,332

Fundraising totals

Overall, Democratic officeholders and candidates raised $3.27 million in this period. Republican officeholders and candidates raised $14.40 million. Combined, all State Senate fundraisers in the January 1, 2021, through February 19, 2022, filing period raised $17.67 million.

The five largest Democratic fundraisers were responsible for 54 percent of all Democratic State Senate fundraising. The five largest Republican fundraisers were responsible for 48 percent of all Republican State Senate fundraising.

The table below provides additional data from the campaign finance reports from the top ten fundraisers during this period.

TOP TEN FUNDRAISERS – TEXAS STATE SENATE (January 1, 2021, through February 19, 2022)

NameParty AffiliationRaisedSpent
Mayes MiddletonRepublican Party$2,014,767$1,897,663
Dawn BuckinghamRepublican Party$1,755,669$2,447,281
Kevin SparksRepublican Party$1,204,386$1,190,819
Peter P. FloresRepublican Party$1,033,830$877,928
Phil KingRepublican Party$936,332$1,017,324
Angela PaxtonRepublican Party$838,760$323,331
Tan ParkerRepublican Party$822,571$1,039,875
Kelly HancockRepublican Party$542,910$323,792
John WhitmireDemocratic Party$505,196$6,052,058
Charles SchwertnerRepublican Party$503,829$359,302

Campaign finance reporting periods

The data above are based on campaign finance reports that candidate PACs submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission. Candidate PACs represent individuals who have run for state or local office at any point, including past and present officeholders. This article does not include non-candidate PACs. In 2022, Transparency USA will publish campaign finance data after the following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.

Report NameReport Due Date
2022 Jan Semiannual1/18/2022
2022 Pre-Primary (30 Days)1/31/2022
2022 Pre-Primary (8 Days)2/22/2022
2022 Primary Runoff5/16/2022
2022 Jul Semiannual7/15/2022
2022 Pre-General (30 Days)10/11/2022
2022 Pre-General (8 Days)10/31/2022
2022 Semiannual Data1/17/2023

This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.