Latest news with #MayesMiddleton
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Big money shaping GOP primaries for Texas attorney general, comptroller
Texas' first open GOP primaries for attorney general and comptroller in a decade are on the horizon, and both races are shaping up to be big money battles. In the race for attorney general, former Department of Justice lawyer Aaron Reitz raised $2.1 million in the first three weeks of his campaign, outpacing the combined haul of his two GOP primary rivals, state Sens. Joan Huffman and Mayes Middleton. But Middleton, an oil and gas businessman, kicked in $10 million of his own money, giving him a massive financial edge to start the race. Huffman raised nearly $764,000, mostly from her establishment Republican base in Houston, leaving her with $3 million in her campaign account. For comptroller, Republican Texas Railroad Commission Chair Christi Craddick outraised Kelly Hancock, the interim comptroller, by almost $1.5 million — though Hancock reported having more cash on hand. A third contender, former state senator Don Huffines, previously announced an eye-popping $15 million haul for the fundraising period, but his filing with the state ethics commission was not yet available Wednesday morning. The reports provide the first glimpse of the financial and political fault lines that will shape these hotly contested races. The filings outline each candidate's fundraising and spending activity over the first six months of the year, though current elected officials were under a fundraising moratorium during the legislative session that lifted June 23, giving them just eight days to raise money before the end of the reporting period. The attorney general and comptroller seats have been held by incumbents for a decade. Three-term Attorney General Ken Paxton is leaving the office to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary, leaving a critically important vacancy for the conservative legal movement, which has relied on Paxton's agency as its battering ram to advance right-wing causes through the courts nationally. Former comptroller Glenn Hegar, meanwhile, was named chancellor of the Texas A&M University System in March and left his longtime elected post on July 1. The comptroller's office, a sprawling agency that handles the state's finances, has become even more politically important after lawmakers gave it authority to administer a new $1 billion school voucher program. Paxton and Hegar each took office in 2015 alongside Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, both of whom have announced plans to run for reelection in 2026. Neither is expected to face a competitive primary, but that didn't stop Abbott from flexing his prodigious fundraising skills. He raised more than $20 million in just over a week, leaving him with a formidable $86 million cash on hand. Patrick raised $5 million over the same period and has about $37 million in his campaign account. Attorney general When Middleton announced his candidacy for attorney general, he vowed to spend $10 million of his own money on his 'campaign kickoff,' indicating he might kick in more over the course of the campaign. This first campaign finance report shows the oil and gas executive and longtime GOP donor has made good on that promise. It's not the first time Middleton has self-funded a campaign: He spent $2 million of his own money to unseat an incumbent House member in 2018. He was elected to the state Senate in 2022, where he's earned a reputation as one of the body's most conservative members. Despite being the first serious candidate to declare, Middleton raised the least money after the moratorium lifted, bringing in just over $165,000. But he has the most money on hand, thanks to his $10 million loan, and a slew of endorsements from other members of the Legislature. Reitz, meanwhile, came out strong with a fundraising haul of more than $2 million, fueled by several high-dollar donations from major GOP donors. He entered the race with deep connections among conservative legal circles in Texas and Washington, having previously served as Paxton's deputy attorney general for legal strategy and GOP Sen. Ted Cruz's chief of staff. Most recently, he led the Office of Legal Policy at the Department of Justice as an appointee of President Donald Trump. His biggest donations included $250,000 from Pennsylvania billionaire and GOP megadonor Jeff Yass, who previously kicked in $12 million to help bankroll Abbott's efforts to unseat Texas House Republicans who opposed private school vouchers. Also among Reitz's top donors were Gary Heavin, founder of the Curves chain of fitness centers, and Jonathan Knutz, the CEO of a medical device company. While Reitz has less name recognition in Texas than his opponents, he's generated vocal support from his former colleagues in the Trump administration. Close to 15% of his donors are from Washington or its suburbs, including a $75,000 donation from Keller Postman, a law firm Paxton has tapped to handle two major Texas lawsuits against tech companies. As the only candidate not currently in office, Reitz had a two-week fundraising advantage over his opponents, helping him significantly outraise both Middleton and Huffman. Huffman, a 17-year senator and chair of the powerful Senate finance committee, raised about $764,000 in the week after the moratorium. A former Harris County prosecutor and judge, Huffman is running on a law and order platform — focusing on her work stiffening Texas' bail, immigration and election laws — as well as her experience overseeing the state budget and redistricting in the Texas Senate. Her recent fundraising came from just 29 donors, primarily from Houston and its suburbs. Her largest backers were Alan Hassenflu, a commercial real estate developer who previously served on the board of the tort reform group Texans for Lawsuit Reform; beer distributor John Nau; Houston philanthropist Jan Duncan; and horseracing magnate Herbert Graham. State Sen. Nathan Johnson, who became the first major Democrat to declare for the race on Tuesday, reported about $58,000 raised and $435,000 on hand. Comptroller In the comptroller's race, Craddick — in the middle of a six-year term as railroad commissioner — raised $2.9 million, with big donations from Brint Ryan, a Republican megadonor, and Texas oil mogul Javaid Anwar. She reported having $3.2 million cash on hand. Hancock, who until last month served in the Texas Senate before stepping down to become acting comptroller, raised $1.5 million and had $6 million in the bank. His contributions came from a variety of Abbott allies and establishment-aligned Republican donors, including a quarter-million-dollar contribution from Nau, $50,000 from Dallas pipeline billionaire Kelcy Warren and another from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow. The source of the $15 million reported last week by Huffines' campaign was not yet clear. In 2022, Huffines — a businessman and GOP donor — unsuccessfully challenged Abbott for governor, during which he self-financed part of his campaign. The comptroller of state accounts serves as the state's chief executive officer, treasurer and revenue estimator — and will be tasked with rolling out the state's new private school voucher program, which was Abbott's top priority during this year's legislative session. Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin, who has said she's considering a run for the seat, reported raising $4,400 and about $24,000 cash on hand. Disclosure: Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Texas A&M University and Texas A&M University System have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. The lineup for The Texas Tribune Festival continues to grow! Be there when all-star leaders, innovators and newsmakers take the stage in downtown Austin, Nov. 13–15. The newest additions include comedian, actor and writer John Mulaney; Dallas mayor Eric Johnson; U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; New York Media Editor-at-Large Kara Swisher; and U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-El Paso. Get your tickets today! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
CBS News
06-07-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
The race for Texas Attorney General is wide open and other changes ahead at the Capitol
For the first time in more than a decade, there will be a vacancy at the Texas Attorney General's Office. Now that Ken Paxton is running in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate against incumbent John Cornyn, multiple candidates have either announced their campaigns to become the state's top prosecutor while others have said they're strongly considering jumping into the race. Three Republicans have entered the race so far: State Senator Mayes Middleton of Galveston, who's pledged to spend $10 million dollars of his own money. Another State Senator, Joan Huffman of Houston, a former criminal court judge, is also in the race, and Aaron Reitz, who worked briefly in the Trump administration, and has worked for Paxton is running as well. In the Democratic primary, reports indicate State Senator Nathan Johnson of Dallas and former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski, who ran four years ago, may run for Attorney General. As we've reported, the race for Texas Comptroller next year is accelerating as well. Three candidates are running in the Republican primary: Hancock will face former State Senator Don Huffines of Dallas and Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick. Glenn Hegar, who served as Comptroller for a decade, is now the Chancellor of the Texas A&M University System. The Texas Tribune reports that State Representative Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin, is considering running in the Democratic primary for that office. The political dominoes are also falling inside the Texas Senate. In North Texas, there are two openings in Republican-held seats. Party activist Leigh Wambsganss is running for State Senate District 9 in Tarrant County after Senator Kelly Hancock resigned to become the Acting Texas Comptroller. Initially, State Representative Nate Schatzline, R-Fort Worth, announced he was running for the special election to fill that seat, but he changed his mind, and instead is running for re-election. Governor Abbott called for a special election on November 4. In Senate District 22, Republican State Representative David Cook announced he is running to succeed Senator Brian Birdwell who announced he won't run for re-election. Earlier this year, Cook ran unsuccessfully for Speaker of the House. While Cook received a lot of support from House Republicans, he was defeated by Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. Speaker Burrows has been endorsed by President Trump for his seat next year.
USA Today
10-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
Texas moves to ban sodas and candy from SNAP purchases as restrictions grow
Terri Langford The Texas Tribune For years, Texas lawmakers have tried to stop food stamp recipients from purchasing snack food. With support from the federal government, Texas' first step to root out unhealthy foods from the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, will become reality after Senate Bill 379 from state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, made it through in the last week of the legislative session. It comes just four months after fellow Texan and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signaled to states that the agency would green light measures that prohibit SNAP recipients from using their subsidies to buy certain foods.
Axios
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Axios
DOJ sues Texas over in-state tuition for undocumented students
The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday sued Texas over a decades-old law letting undocumented students receive in-state tuition, despite about half of the other states offering the same eligibility. Why it matters: The challenge could reshape access to higher education for thousands of undocumented Texans — and could intensify legal scrutiny of similar tuition policies in other states. Driving the news: The DOJ alleges the state's in-state tuition law is unconstitutional and violates federal immigration law. Federal law prohibits undocumented immigrants from getting "tuition benefits that are denied to out-of-state U.S. citizens," the complaint states, also citing Trump-era executive orders directing agencies to block such policies. State of play: The lawsuit comes just after the state Legislature adjourned without passing a bill to repeal the statute. Senate Bill 1798, authored by Sen. Mayes Middleton (R-Galveston), would have repealed the policy and also prohibited universities from providing financial aid to undocumented students. How it works: Texas has granted in-state tuition to undocumented students since 2001, when it became the first state to extend eligibility. To qualify, students must live in the state for three years, graduate from a Texas high school, and sign an affidavit promising to seek legal status. About 19,000 students have signed the affidavit, per state officials, the Texas Tribune reports. Zoom out: 24 states, including the District of Columbia, offer in-state tuition to undocumented students, according to the Higher Ed Immigration Portal — though Florida repealed the policy this year. What they're saying: "The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country," U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement Wednesday. The other side: Supporters say the policy signed by then-Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, helps students succeed, fuels the economy, and strengthens the workforce. "This lawsuit would eliminate states' abilities to have these clearly beneficial tuition policies. It would push higher education further out of reach and roll back decades of progress in expanding opportunity and supporting students who are already part of our communities," Todd Schulte, president of immigration nonprofit said in a statement.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sodas, candy to be banned from Texas food stamp purchases
For years, Texas lawmakers have tried to stop food stamp recipients from purchasing snack food. With support from the federal government, Texas' first step to root out unhealthy foods from the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, will become reality after Senate Bill 379 from state Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, made it through in the last week of the legislative session. It comes just four months after fellow Texan and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins signaled to states that the agency would green light measures that prohibit SNAP recipients from using their subsidies to buy certain foods. The measure is likely to be signed quickly by Gov. Greg Abbott, who has already notified Rollins' office he wants a waiver from federal rules to keep junk food from SNAP purchases. Indiana, Iowa and Nebraska have filed similar legislation and have been granted waivers. But opponents of such measures say keeping unhealthy foods from only SNAP recipients — and not all Americans — ultimately penalizes poverty. 'On its face, it sounds fine, right? … Let's restrict soda. Sodas are bad for everyone,'' said Amber O'Connor, food policy analyst for Every Texan, a left-leaning nonprofit research group. 'Exactly. Sodas are bad for everyone. So, if we want to make Texas healthy again, let's talk about those ingredients.' Middleton's original bill covered a wide range of snacks including sweetened drinks, cookies, chips and candy. But lawmakers from both chambers negotiated it down to only sodas and candy. A banned sweetened drink is defined as "a nonalcoholic beverage made with water that contains five grams or more of added sugar or any amount of artificial sweeteners,' but excludes fruit juices and milk beverages. 'The USDA's stated purpose for the SNAP program is nutritious food essential to health and well being,' Middleton said when he presented the bill before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee in March. 'The bottom line is that taxpayer-funded junk food turns into taxpayer-funded health care.' Once signed, the measure can go into effect Sept. 1, but Texas Health and Human Services Commission and retailers are expected to bear the heavy lift to set up the state's Lone Star card system to reject such purchases. According to the latest data available, 3.5 million Texans received $616 million in SNAP benefits in April. The average Lone Star card user was allotted $378 in SNAP benefits. SNAP is fully funded by federal taxpayer dollars. States participating in the USDA program must pay 50% of the cost to administer the program's administrative costs. Last year, Texas taxpayers funded about $215 million of that cost, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. For months, Republicans in Washington have proposed dramatic cuts to SNAP. While nothing has been passed yet, one suggestion is that states pay for a larger portion of the food assistance program. That federal willingness to cut SNAP has unleashed several proposals from states to restrict what is purchased. More cuts to the SNAP program, whether they be restrictions on food stamps or changes in who can qualify, would increase demand on food banks, something many are bracing for right now. Federal food assistance programs have been around since the 1930s. The modern food assistance program most Americans still refer to as the food stamp program was created when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964. Since then, it was renamed the Supplemental Nutrition and Assistance Program, or SNAP, and electronic debit cards replaced the old coupon-like food stamp booklets many Americans recall from the 1970s Historically, people have pushed back against regulating SNAP purchases because they say such policies discriminate against poor people. Eliminating more prepared food items, in particular, fails to take into consideration the limited access poorer Texans have to electricity, a refrigerator, stove and an oven, they say. 'Sometimes, there's a kid at home alone in a house that has no electricity,' O'Connor said. 'They have no experience cooking. Is it more important that they get calories to get through until tomorrow or is it more important that they spend their $6 allotment on a $3 bell pepper?' Most of the opposition to the original version of SB 379 was its vagueness, which could have made it harder on the 21,000 SNAP retailers statewide to police. Retailers who stand to profit off SNAP payments have typically opposed placing restrictions. Walmart, which registered as opposed to the bill, declined to comment to The Texas Tribune on Tuesday. Paring down the list of restricted foods under the bill will also help ease the transition for SNAP recipients, according to food banks, which help Texans sign up for the benefits. 'We're pleased to see that the scope of the bill has been narrowed and now closely aligns with the guidance outlined in Governor Abbott's letter,' said Celia Cole, CEO of Feeding Texas, the state association of food banks. 'This clarity will ease implementation and reduce confusion for SNAP participants.' Disclosure: Every Texan and Feeding Texas have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here. First round of TribFest speakers announced! Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Maureen Dowd; U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio; Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker; U.S. Sen. Adam Schiff, D-California; and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas are taking the stage Nov. 13–15 in Austin. Get your tickets today!
