Big party money rolling in for Texas House primaries

A notorious Republican political financier was the largest single donor to two South Texas Democratic incumbents last year.

Bob Perry — a homebuilder from Houston who spent $4.45 million during the 2004 presidential campaign to finance the anti-John Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth — gave at least $11,000 to state Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, D-Palmview, and $10,000 to Rep. Aaron Peña, D-

Edinburg, in the latter half of 2007. Flores and Peña are facing heavily self-financed challengers in March’s Democratic primary.

Perry’s name, or that of a political action committee he supports, has been found on the donation lists of multiple “Craddick Democrats” — those who have supported Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, a Republican from Midland.

“I’m in the middle of a war,” Peña said. “If somebody wants to hand me a load of bullets, I’m not going to turn them down.”

Perry’s donations highlight the difficulties South Texas Democrats face in Austin.

Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office since 1994, but the growing population of Mexican-American voters tends to support Democrats, said Jerry Polinard, a professor of political science at the University of Texas Pan-American. To win more influence in the state Legislature, many Democrats find they must reach across party lines.

Big bucks may come to the Rio Grande Valley to either upset or maintain the state House’s Republican leadership, but local voters are more likely to focus on issues and results than on the balance of power in the Capitol.

Sandra Rodriguez, who is challenging Flores for the Democratic nomination, has been attacking him for violating what Polinard calls “core principles” of the party, saying Flores did not fight hard enough for children’s healthcare funding in last year’s special session.

South Texas voters are looking for results, Polinard said, but “if the allegation can be raised and substantiated that by working with the other side you are violating the core principles that you claim to represent,” aisle-crossing Democrats could be more vulnerable.

Flores said he is unconcerned.

“’Craddick D’ stands for deliver,” he said. “That’s the way I view it — I deliver for my district.”

Balancing the books

Flores received $11,000 in direct contributions from Perry and another $10,000 from the HillCo PAC, which is associated with Perry and other Republican moneymen.

Recent campaign finance reports filed by Hidalgo County Democrats running for state rep show sharp differences in fundraising and spending between the candidates in the two most hotly contested primary campaigns.

Eddie Saenz, who is challenging Peña again after running against him in 2006, has significantly outspent the incumbent while raising only half as much money, making up the difference with $105,000 in personal loans.

“Eddie Saenz is running for positive change against that failed status quo and is willing to put his money where his mouth is,” Saenz campaign consultant Kelly Fero wrote in an e-mail.

And while Rodriguez, Flores’ opponent, has spent 17 percent of what Flores has thus far, $14,000 of her local donations have come from her husband, former district judge Fernando Mancias, and from his Edinburg law firm, where she has located her campaign office.

Rodriguez said she filed $11,000 in direct donations from herself and her husband under Mancias’ name to show the contributions were not loans to the campaign.

“My husband and I, we’re committed to this race, and we’re not looking to get paid back,” she said.

From near and far

Peña and Flores have also each attracted donations from a range of lobbyists, attorneys and other Austin players, bolstering their fundraising totals.

If only Valley donations are taken into account, Peña has raised $6,000 more than Saenz.

Flores, meanwhile, has raised twice as much as Rodriguez, and spent every penny, while she has thus far spent less than half of her donations.

Rodriguez has attracted $28,000 in donations from Annie’s List and individual donors through the Massachusetts-based political contribution Web site ACTBlue.

Annie’s List calls itself a “statewide political network that raises money for Democratic women candidates so that they are credible contenders.” Valley resident and local IBC banker Sonia Falcon sits on its board.

Flores’ local financial support comprises just one third of his total contributions from July through December’s end.

Rodriguez has raised nearly 67 percent of her money from the Valley, but if her husband’s contributions are removed, that number drops to 53 percent.

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Sara Perkins covers Mission, western Hidalgo County, Starr County and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4472.