Campaign finance reports released by the Federal Election Commission last week show that the condition of the Republican Party of Texas has deteriorated significantly compared to the same time during the 2020 election cycle.
This latest report, which covers the Party’s federal account through the end of March, showed the Party with a cash-on-hand balance of just over $1.36 million. According to sources, a significant portion of these funds were raised by Senator Ted Cruz’s political operation and are earmarked for efforts to support his re-election campaign rather than general Party operations.
During the same period during the 2020 election cycle, the Republican Party of Texas reported having more than $2.94 million on hand. This leaves the Party with 53.7% less cash in its federal account than during the same point in the 2020 election cycle.
The number of Party employees reflected on these campaign finance reports indicates that the Party’s efforts for the 2024 general election are minuscule compared to the Party’s efforts in 2020. On its campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission in April 2020, the Republican Party of Texas reported having 57 employees on its payroll. The campaign finance report filed by the Party last week showed just five employees, a decrease of 91% compared to the same point in the 2020 election cycle.
While the Republican Party of Texas had a robust field program during the 2020 election, it does not appear that the Party will replicate those efforts for the 2024 election.
The Republican Party of Texas’ federal account is the only account that the Party can use in connection with federal races, including Cruz’s re-election campaign and Donald Trump’s Presidential campaign. Under federal campaign finance laws, 36% of certain administrative expenses shared between the Party’s state and federal accounts must be paid out of the Party’s federal account. According to the Federal Election Commission, these administrative expenses include “rent, personnel, overhead and other day-to-day costs” of running the Party.
The most recent campaign finance report filed by the Republican Party of Texas with the Texas Ethics Commission reflected $305,119.74 in the Party’s state account as of February 24, 2024. This is a 28% decrease compared to the $423,323.36 reported in the Party’s state account as of February 22, 2020. While the Party’s state account can be used to assist in state and local races, it cannot be used for federal races.
The Party’s fundraising woes and crippled infrastructure comes as George Soros and other prominent liberal donors from across the country have made massive financial investments in building permanent political infrastructure in Texas. The Texas Voice has previously reported that Soros alone donated over $2.5 million to Democratic organizations and liberal political action committees last year. This figure does not include donations made by Soros and others to politically active leftist nonprofit organizations that are not required to disclose their donors publicly.
This network of politically engaged, far-left nonprofit organizations in Texas is currently staffing up ahead of the 2024 general election.
The Texas Organizing Project currently lists job openings for 15 different positions on its website. These jobs include community organizers, political canvass managers, statewide political data coordinators, statewide political directors, and political field coordinators. Last year, Fox San Antonio reported that the Texas Organizing Project bailed inmates out of jail and hired some to perform political canvassing work. News 4 San Antonio has also reported on how many inmates bailed out of jail by the Texas Organizing Project had lengthy criminal records.
Jolt Texas, a left-wing nonprofit that lists “climate justice,” “healthcare for everyone,” “education for all,” “respect for immigrant families,” and “democracy for all” among its key issues, currently lists six openings on its website. These include voter registration canvasser, quality control coordinator, and student coordinator.
The Workers Defense Project, which has supported some of the most liberal politicians in Texas, including Congressman Greg Casar, Beto O’Rourke, and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, is currently advertising openings for campaign organizers in Houston and Austin. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee, led by former Obama Attorney General Eric Holder, announced plans earlier this month to target the Texas Supreme Court
