Operation Vouchsafe: |
November 16, 2006 |
Dr. Leininger Injects $5 Million Into Election;
Many Candidates Fail On His Life Support
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Doc supplies 79% to 96% of six candidates’ total war chests.
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He quadruples his dosages of previous cycles.
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Democrats get zip.
Texas’ No. 2 individual political donor, conservative Republican activist Dr. James Leininger, injected more than $5 million into Texas state politics this election cycle—none of which went to a Democrat. This spending quadrupled what Leininger pumped into previous state elections.
Leininger Spending Quadruples
Election Cycle |
Leininger Contributions |
2001-2002 |
$1,346,850 |
2003-2004 |
$1,311,142 |
2005-2006 |
$5,044,006 |
Leininger spent heavily going into the primaries to promote conservative challengers to moderate Republicans who had stiffed his school-voucher agenda. Yet his aggressive checkbook politics flunked this year’s primary and general elections. The next legislature looks even less receptive to vouchers than its predecessor.
Meanwhile, Leininger’s meddling has fostered support for a pending bill (HB 111) that would bar any individual from dumping more than $100,000 into an election cycle.
Leininger moved $1,819,564 of his money directly, while funneling $3.2 million more through three pet PACs that depended on him for 98 percent of their funds. To track the final destination of Leininger’s money, this report treats contributions made by these three Leininger-controlled PACs (Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, Future of Texas Alliance and Texans for School Choice) as if they came directly from Leininger himself.
Leininger contributed $1,557,531 of his $5 million total to 14 general-purpose PACs that he does not control. These conservative PACs bolster Texas’ Republican majority, push vouchers, seek weaker tort laws and oppose gay unions and abortion.
Leininger-Controlled PACs
Political Action Committee | Total Raised In ’06 Cycle |
Total From Leininger |
Leininger's Share of Total |
TX Republican Legislative Campaign Comm. | $2,360,807 |
$2,358,707 |
99% |
Future of TX Alliance | $682,445 |
$620,000 |
91% |
Texans for School Choice | $181,190 |
$180,000 |
99% |
TOTALS: | $3,224,442 |
$3,158,707 |
98% |
Leininger's Other Favorite PACs
Amounts of Contributions |
Recipient PAC | Description |
$425,102 |
Republican Party of TX | Republican |
$390,000 |
Texans For Lawsuit Reform | Weak tort laws |
$300,000 |
Associated Republicans of TX | Republican business PAC |
$135,000 |
Stars Over TX | Backs House Republicans |
$100,000 |
Texans FOR Marriage | Anti-gay marriage |
$91,100 |
TX Opportunity PAC | Backs conservative Republicans |
$89,244 |
All Children Matter, TX | Vouchers |
$13,000 |
TX Club for Growth | Backs conservative Republicans |
$12,000 |
TX Right To Life PAC | Anti-Abortion |
$1,000 |
TX Alliance for Life | Anti-Abortion |
Leininger gave his remaining $3.5 million to 64 Republican candidates, with 90 percent of this money going to House candidates. Twenty losers accounted for 59 percent of Leininger’s total candidate contributions.
Leininger Contributions By Outcome
Outcome |
Leininger Amount |
Number of Recipients |
Average Contribution |
% of Money |
Winners | $1,431,443 |
43 |
$33,289 |
41% |
Losers | $2,050,032 |
20 |
$102,502 |
59% |
No ’06 Election | $5,000 |
1 |
$5,000 |
<1% |
TOTALS: | $3,486,475 |
64 |
$54,476 |
100% |
Candidates who lost in the GOP primary ate up 47 percent of all the money that Leininger gave to candidates in the 2006 cycle. Of the 10 House candidates that received $50,000 or more from Leininger, five perished in the primary and just two survived the general. These two winners, Nathan Macias and Wayne Christian, may not have survived with their independence intact.
Both candidates amassed war chests of more than $500,000 apiece, with Leininger providing 84 percent of Macias’ total and 85 percent of Christian’s. Leininger also bankrolled a stunning 96 percent of the $542,130 that Mark Williams raised for his failed primary challenge to incumbent Tommy Merritt of Longview.
Doctored Candidates:
Leininger Underwrote Major Shares of These Campaigns
House Candidate | Office |
Total Raised In ’06 Cycle |
Amount From Leininger |
Share From Leininger |
Incumbency Status |
Outcome |
Mark Williams | H-7 |
$542,130 |
$519,030 |
96% |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
Van Wilson | H-83 |
$578,982 |
$503,366 |
87% |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
Nathan Macias | H-73 |
$542,422 |
$461,464 |
85% |
Challenger |
Winner |
Wayne Christian | H-9 |
$537,186 |
$452,804 |
84% |
Challenger |
Winner |
Chris Hatley | H-99 |
$324,837 |
$255,478 |
79% |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
Dale Hopkins | H-54 |
$310,025 |
$249,816 |
81% |
Open Seat |
Primary Loser |
George Antuna | H-118 |
$695,543 |
$165,000 |
24% |
Open Seat |
Loser |
Talmadge Heflin | H-149 |
$631,970 |
$83,000 |
13% |
Challenger |
Loser |
Kent Grusendorf | H-94 |
$466,098 |
$54,122 |
12% |
Incumbent |
Primary Loser |
Michael Esparaza | H-35 |
$296,484 |
$50,000 |
17% |
Challenger |
Loser |
Nelson Balido | H-125 |
$181,448 |
$40,000 |
22% |
Challenger |
Loser |
TOTALS: | $5,107,125 |
$2,834,080 |
55% |
Leininger Contributions By Incumbency Status
Status | Amount of Contributions |
Number of Recipients |
Average Contribution |
% of Money |
Challenger | $2,421,142 |
11 |
$220,104 |
69% |
Open Seat | $542,938 |
15 |
$36,196 |
16% |
Incumbent | $522,395 |
38 |
$13,747 |
15% |
TOTALS: | $3,486,475 |
64 |
$54,476 |
100% |
The heavy attrition rate of Leininger’s candidates reflects his high-stakes strategy of trying to replace incumbents who resisted his voucher agenda with candidates who will play his game. Challengers accounted for almost 70 percent of all the money that Leininger gave to candidates.
Placing his biggest electoral bet to date, Leininger largely crapped out. With a couple notable exceptions this appears to leave vouchers to stand—or fall—next session on the merits.■
Leininger Contributions by Office
Office | Leininger Total |
Number of Recipients |
Average Contribution |
% of Money |
House | $3,071,345 |
38 |
$80,825 |
88% |
Senate | $65,000 |
4 |
$16,250 |
2% |
Statewide* | $293,130 |
10 |
$29,313 |
8% |
Judicial* | $57,000 |
12 |
$4,750 |
2% |
TOTALS: | $3,486,475 |
64 |
$54,476 |
100% |
All Leininger-Backed Candidates In the 2006 Cycle
Leininger Total In 2006 Cycle |
Candidate | Office-District |
Incumbency Status |
Outcome |
$519,030 |
Mark Williams | House-7 |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
$503,366 |
Van Wilson | House-83 |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
$461,464 |
Nathan Macias | House-73 |
Challenger |
Winner |
$452,804 |
Wayne Christian | House-9 |
Challenger |
Winner |
$255,478 |
Chris Hatley | House-99 |
Challenger |
Primary Loser |
$249,816 |
Dale Hopkins | House-54 |
Open Seat |
Primary Loser |
$165,000 |
George Antuna | House-118 |
Open Seat |
Loser |
$100,000 |
David Dewhurst | Lt. Governor |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$83,000 |
Talmadge Heflin | House-149 |
Challenger |
Loser |
$60,664 |
Greg Abbott | Attorney General |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$57,466 |
Rick Perry | Governor |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$54,122 |
Kent Grusendorf | House-94 |
Incumbent |
Primary Loser |
$50,000 |
Michael Esparaza | House-35 |
Challenger |
Loser |
$40,000 |
Nelson Balido | House-125 |
Challenger |
Loser |
$35,000 |
Ken Mercer | Education Board-5 |
Challenger |
Winner |
$26,574 |
Betty Brown | House-4 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$25,000 |
Glenn Hegar | Senate-18 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$25,000 |
Martha Wong | House-134 |
Incumbent |
Loser |
$25,000 |
Dan Patrick | Senate-7 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$23,000 |
Gene Seaman | House-32 |
Incumbent |
Loser |
$21,220 |
Scott Campbell | House-72 |
Incumbent |
Primary Loser |
$20,000 |
Ben Bentzin | House-48 |
Challenger |
Withdrew |
$19,949 |
David Swinfold | House-87 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$15,000 |
Rob Beckham | House-71 |
Open Seat |
Primary Loser |
$13,547 |
Brandon Creighton | House-16 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$10,000 |
Don Willett | Supreme Court |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$10,000 |
Jane Nelson | Senate-12 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$10,000 |
Elizabeth A. Jones | Railroad Com. |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$10,000 |
Cynthia Dunbar | Education Board-10 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$10,000 |
Susan Combs | Comptroller |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$8,075 |
Tan Parker | House-63 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$7,920 |
Charlie Howard | House-26 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$7,000 |
Linda Harper-Brown | House-105 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$6,016 |
Dan Flynn | House-2 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,202 |
Anna Mowery | House-97 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Marialyn Barnard | District Judge-225 |
Open Seat |
Loser |
$5,000 |
Karen Angelini | Appeals Court-4 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Victor Carrillo | Railroad Com. |
Incumbent |
NA |
$5,000 |
Bob Deuell | Senate-2 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Rene Diaz | District Judge-224 |
Incumbent |
Loser |
$5,000 |
Nathan Hecht | Supreme Court |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Jim Landtroop | House-85 |
Open Seat |
Loser |
$5,000 |
Jodie Laubenberg | House-89 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Janet Littlejohn | District Judge-150 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
David Medina | Supreme Court |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
David Puryear | Appeals Court-3 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Elvira Reyna | House-101 |
Incumbent |
Primary Loser |
$5,000 |
Alan Waldrop | Appeals Court-3 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$5,000 |
Will Wilson | Appeals Court-3 |
Open Seat |
Loser |
$3,500 |
Joe Straus | House-121 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$3,287 |
Leo Berman | House-6 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,959 |
Joe Crabb | House-127 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,882 |
Fred Hill | House-112 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,500 |
Jerry Patterson | Land Com. |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,500 |
Todd Staples | Agriculture Com. |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$2,000 |
Dan Branch | House-108 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,000 |
Patricia Harless | House-126 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$2,000 |
Bill Zedler | House-96 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$2,000 |
John Zerwas | House-28 |
Open Seat |
Winner |
$1,346 |
Larry Phillips | House-62 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$1,000 |
Phylis Speedlin | Appeals Court-4 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$1,000 |
Diane Rivera | District Judge-45 |
Challenger |
Loser |
$1,000 |
Mike Krusee | House-52 |
Incumbent |
Winner |
$787 |
Rob Eissler | House-15 |
Incumbent |
Winner |