Texas Gov. Greg Abbott started his fourth run for the governor’s mansion as a potential Republican kingmaker, thanks in part to a gusher of campaign money from the oil and gas industry.
His primary record was strong last week, if not spotless: One of the candidates he endorsed lost, and two are headed to runoffs. Democrats, meanwhile, had their strongest turnout in a primary since 2008 and picked state Rep. Gina Hinojosa to face Abbott this fall.
But Abbott won his Republican primary with more than 80 percent of the vote against 10 challengers — and is in a powerful position headed toward the general election in November. The governor’s main political action committee, Texans for Greg Abbott, started the year with $105 million, bolstered by big donations from well-known energy executives such as pipeline operator Kelcy Warren of Energy Transfer and West Texas oilman Javaid Anwar, according to campaign records analyzed by the nonprofit Transparency USA.
“His record is not perfect when it comes to picking winners, but his influence, his money and his ability to rally the party is still profound and one of the strongest we’ve seen in Texas political history,” said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston.
