Checks & Imbalances: Method

Checks & Imbalances:

How Texas Supreme Court Justices Raised $11 Million

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II. Method

This report analyzes the money raised by the nine current Texas Supreme Court justices in their most recent election cycles. Since Texas voters elect justices to staggered, six-year terms, the report covers the 1994, 1996 and 1998 election cycles. Incumbent Justices Hecht and Owen, now in the midst of reelection campaigns, last faced voters in 1994. Voters last elected Justices Baker and Phillips in 1996. Four sitting justices—Abbott,* Enoch, Hankinson and O’Neill—were last elected in 1998.

Appointed to fill a vacant but unexpired Supreme Court term by Governor Bush in January 1999, Justice Alberto Gonzales will face his first general election in November 2000. State judicial campaign finance laws allowed Justice Gonzales to raise campaign funds in the 60 days following his appointment. This report just analyzes the money that Justice Gonzales raised in that 60-day window in 1999.

The contribution data in this report come from disclosure reports that the justices filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. Researchers attempted to classify the occupation, employer and primary economic interest behind each individual, business and PAC contribution of $100 or more. The contributions of $100 or more on which this report is based account for 98 percent of the total money that the justices raised.

* After Governor Bush appointed him to fill an unexpired term on the Supreme Court, Justice Abbott faced voters in November 1996. This report only analyzes the money Justice Abbott raised for his most recent general election, which was in November 1998.

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