Fundraising Quarter Ends in Ten Days!

by: Senate Guru

Sun Mar 21, 2010 at 05:16 PM CDT

As we await the historic vote on health care reform, it's important to remember that we're just ten days away from the end of the first fundraising quarter of 2010.  The fundraising totals reported in this quarter will be pivotal to determining the tenor of many races for the rest of the year.  If there is any time to contribute, now is the time!

Please head over to the Expand the Map! ActBlue page and contribute whatever you are able to these terrific Democratic candidates for Senate.

Remember, the contribution you can make isn't just a donation to a single candidate or political campaign.  It's an investment against Republican obstruction (and conservaDem enabling) and an investment toward achieving that more perfect union.

Bill White Reports $2.2 Million Raised in Last Month, Over $9 Million to Date

by: Phillip Martin

Mon Feb 22, 2010 at 00:13 PM CST

This is simply incredible. Just got this in my e-mail:

As of the end of the last filing period on Feb. 20, nearly 8,700 supporters had contributed to former Houston Mayor Bill White's campaign.

In the month preceding the Feb. 20 deadline, more than 1,500 contributors gave more than $2.2 million to the campaign to elect Bill White as Texas' next governor.

"Our pace has doubled since the last fundraising period," said Scott Atlas, Campaign Finance Chair. "More than 1000 first time contributors joined the team in the last month. The outpouring of support in advance of the primary has been phenomenal."

In the previous fundraising period, White outraised all other gubernatorial candidates.

White ended this period with more than $5.4 million in cash on hand.

The 1,000 first-time contributors is extremely impressive, and should not be overlooked. Yes, the total numbers are incredible -- but the grassroots support Bill White has cultivated in recent months is what will sustain this fundraising clip through the end of November.

Hill Country Ride for AIDS - Going Crazy

by: BeckyH

Tue Jan 26, 2010 at 05:35 PM CST

Well if we've met you know I have 2 big passions besides electing more & better Democrats - AIDS Walk Austin (for which I was the biggest fundraiser last October) and the Hill Country Ride for AIDS, which I'll be participating in for the 11th time in April. I've been the top fundraiser for the Ride before & both the Ride and I have big fundraising goals this year. I want to raise $10,000 which is a crazy big goal for an individual and the Ride has a goal of $700,000.

TX-Gov: Perry, Hutchison Raise Money from Washington

by: David Mauro

Thu Jan 21, 2010 at 09:05 AM CST

It would be expected for Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has been in the U.S. Senate since 1993, to raise a significant amount of money from Washington, D.C. for her gubernatorial campaign.

However, Rick Perry -- the guy who cannot go one speech without blaming all of Texas' problems on "Washington" -- actually raised more money from Washington than Hutchison did in 2009.

From Jason Embry's First Reading:

Kate Alexander, the Statesman’s data guru, ran some numbers and found that, in the second half of 2009, Perry raised $37,500 in Washington, while Hutchison raised $19,900. For all of 2009, Hutchison raised $45,165 from Washington and Perry raised $38,225. (As a sitting governor, Perry was barred from raising money for almost all of the first half of 2009 because of the legislative session.)

Embry notes that Hutchison transfered $600,000 from her senate account and so, if that amount is included, she likely did raise more from Washington in 2009.

There should be no surprise that national Republicans are taking a financial interest in a primary that is billing billed as a battle for the soul of the Republican Party. What is slightly surprising is that Perry leads Hutchison in fundraising in a city that she has spent more than fifteen years working in.

AIDS Walk Austin - this Sunday

by: BeckyH

Fri Oct 16, 2009 at 00:20 PM CDT

The 22nd annual AIDS Walk Austin is this Sunday, October 18. If you are in the Austin area, you really should ome down to City Hall. Registration opens at 12:30, step-off is at 2. As I write this, I am the top second-highest fundraiser for the Walk, and they've raised 68% of their goal amount.

Dining For Life Austin

by: BeckyH

Fri Sep 11, 2009 at 07:47 AM CDT

AIDS Walk Austin

by: BeckyH

Mon Aug 17, 2009 at 03:50 PM CDT

TX-Sen: John Sharp Reports $656,000 in 2Q Receipts

by: David Mauro

Thu Jul 16, 2009 at 10:26 AM CDT

U.S. Senate candidate John Sharp reported just over $656,417 from the last fundraising period, including money he gave himself.

Sharp's campaign says they have $2.8 million on hand. During the last fundraising period, Sharp raised slightly over $500,000 and loaned himself $2 million. His campaign has declined to say how much of the $656,417 is from individuals and how much came directly from Sharp. 

After over $2 million in personal loans, Sharp is second among senate hopefuls in cash on hand, trailing Bill White's $3.4 million. When we have Sharp's actual numbers broken down by contributions and money he gave himself we will post them.  

All in all, it is great news to see Democrats continuing to outpace Republicans in U.S. Senate fundraising.

TX-Sen: John Sharp Raised $515,000 in 1st Quarter

by: David Mauro

Thu Apr 23, 2009 at 02:33 PM CDT

After reporting having over $2.5 million on hand last week, BOR has learned that John Sharp's U.S. Senate campaign raised $515,155 last quarter.

During this same period, Houston Mayor Bill White's campaign raised $1,876,163. White, who filed less than three weeks before Sharp, has raised over $2.6 million total, more than five times the amount Sharp has raised.

Here are the stats for Sharp's fundraising:

$515,155.00 - Total contributions other than loans
$514,955.00 - Net contributions other than loans
$2,001,678.10 - Loans made or guaranteed by the candidate 

Now I think we know why the Sharp campaign did not want to disclose these numbers. It is hard to describe them as anything but disappointing.

Sharp's report not only puts him at less then one fifth of White's total, but it also puts him below recent Democratic candidates for the U.S. Senate in Texas.

In his first fundraising report in 2007, Rick Noriega reported raising $570,000. Mikal Watts, who never even became an offical candidate, raised $1.1 million in his first quarter in 2007.

Hill Country Ride for AIDS

by: BeckyH

Thu Apr 02, 2009 at 00:55 PM CDT

So, I know I haven't been around BOR much lately - sorry about that. But I popped in to tell you that the Hill Country Ride is in a little over 3 weeks, on Apr. 25. I've raised $2091, which is quite good, and includes donations from folks who have donated more than once, and one really gigantic donation (thank you, Karen, you are the best!!). And sfbob & I had quite a nice response to the WGLB diary on DK a couple of weeks ago - that was really a lot of fun. But I really want to do better. (Ideally, I'd love a repeat of last year's "top fundraiser" performance, it was fun & I'd be really proud to do that again) If you have already donated - and many of you have - please pass this message on to any friends you think might be able to donate. The agencies benefiting from the Ride have had their budgets slashed to the bone.