The Houston Chronicle reported last week that just 48 wealthy Texas families provided more than half the campaign funds for the major Republican candidates this fall. The Dec. 22 report by R.G. Ratcliffe, based on an analysis of campaign finance filings with the Texas Ethics Commission, found that $34 million of the $64 million spent by Republicans in the top races and political action campaigns were provided by that small group. The campaigns analyzed included governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, state Rep. Tom Craddick, R-Midland, and the related PAC funds of Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Associated Republicans of Texas, and the Republican Party of Texas.

The top donor ($3.8 million) was Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, who described the contributions as “just another voice in the cacophony of public debate.” Texas GOP executive director Wayne Hamilton said such campaign funding is simply an exercise of free speech, adding, “Obviously the Democrats are bought and paid for by five individuals or five law firms — the tobacco five cartel,” referring to the five major lawyers who represented Texas in its lawsuit against the tobacco companies.

Since it included only major races and is complete only through October, the Chronicle analysis did not include all money spent on every campaign. Final campaign filings are not due until Jan. 15. In addition to Perry, others on the top donors list (spending more than $400,000) were San Antonio businessman James Leininger; Dallas real estate and oil investor Albert Huddleston; Pittsburg (Texas) poultry tycoon Lonnie “Bo” Pilgrim; Houston petrochemical investor William McMinn; Dallas telecommunications executive Kenny Troutt; Dallas (and everywhere else) developers Trammell and Harlan Crow; and Houston Texans owner Bob McNair. Said Common Cause Executive Director Suzy Woodford, “We’ve now got a government by and for the wealthy few. When we have every branch of Texas state government controlled by these wealthy few, then the interests of the average Texan are going to be lost.”

This article appears in 2002.

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Contributing writer and former news editor Michael King has reported on city and state politics for the Chronicle since 2000. He was educated at Indiana University and Yale, and from 1977 to 1985 taught at UT-Austin. He has been the editor of the Houston Press and The Texas Observer, and has reported and written widely on education, politics, and cultural subjects.