A new campaign finance report filed by the Republican Party of Texas with the Federal Election Commission last week painted a bleak picture of the Party’s financial and organizational situation ahead of the November general election.
The report, which covered the month of August, showed that the Party’s federal account raised just $75,221.93 from individual donors during the month. This figure represents an 88.5% decrease from the $652,862.72 raised by the Party’s federal account from individuals during August 2020.
The Party reported bringing in $364,856 in federal receipts last month, the bulk of which came from other political committees. This includes a $200,000 donation from the campaign committee of Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne, who was named by the Texas GOP as its new Victory Chair earlier this month.
In August 2020, the Republican Party of Texas brought in $3,059,321.72 in federal receipts. The Party’s latest campaign finance report reflects an 88% decrease in total federal receipts compared to four years ago.
Going into the final weeks of the election, the Texas GOP has less than half as much cash on hand as it did at the same time during the last Presidential election cycle. At the end of August 2020, the Party reported having $6,175,107.43 on hand in its federal account. The Party’s latest report showed $2,747,728.42 on hand in its federal account at the end of last month, a decrease of 55.5% compared to four years ago.
The latest campaign finance report showed that the Party continues to work with a staff that is a tiny fraction of the size it was in 2020. The Party’s campaign finance report from four years ago showed a staff of 94, while the newly filed report reflected ten employees on the Party’s payroll- a decrease of 89%.
Meanwhile, the Texas Democratic Party posted substantial fundraising numbers for last month.
The latest campaign finance report filed by the Texas Democratic Party with the Federal Election Commission shows that they raised $206,960.26 from individual donors in August- nearly three times as much as the Republican Party of Texas raised from individual donors. The Texas Democratic Party also reported total federal receipts of $1,658,548.18 in August, which is more than four and a half times as much as the Republican Party of Texas’ total federal receipts last month.
This new data comes as a group of Republican County Chairs from across the state have sounded the alarm about the state party’s “unpreparedness” for the upcoming election.
In an open letter first published on September 12, a group of 28 County Chairs called on the State Republican Executive Committee to conduct an independent audit of this year’s state convention, which lost $382,614, asked State Chairman Abraham George to provide a “comprehensive fundraising update,” and called on the Republican Party of Texas to provide details regarding the Party’s “Get Out the Vote” and early vote by mail programs by September 15.
Travis County Republican Party Chairman Matt Mackowiak, who organized the open letter, told The Texas Voice, “RPT’s financial situation is gravely concerning at this point. Abraham George and his financial backers during his campaign for chair made big promises and up until now they have not delivered. By any measure RPT is unprepared for the most consequential Presidential election in our lifetimes and it is our candidates who will pay the price. We need RPT to raise their game immediately.”
Mackowiak also confirmed that the State Party had not provided any of the information requested by him and the other concerned County Chairs.
