Get to know your Houston-area Republican donors

Where are local business PACs spending their money?

While we’re all simmering in rage waiting for some kind of cathartic release in November, I thought it might be a fun activity to look into where Houston-area business PACs are donating their money.

I didn’t know that there were corporate PACs until I worked for CenterPoint Energy, where a couple of times per year all employees would receive an email asking us to donate to their PAC so that they could spend the money on candidates that would best align with the utility’s goals.

Republicans, mostly.

It always made me feel queasy. It served to remind me that even though I was working for a utility that provides infrastructure for the public good that this company was still working hard to make rich people richer.

Well, I don’t work there anymore, so let’s take a look at what candidates the CNP PAC is putting their money behind. Going back to before the primaries, they sunk $5,000 in Jim Wright for Texas Railroad Commissioner, who would go on to lose his incumbency to Bo French.

Bo French — I cannot stress this enough — is one of the worst people on the planet and has no place in government. He isn’t qualified and his only goal is to turn Texas’ oil and gas industry into some kind of MAGA anger machine. So it makes sense that CNP would invest in Wright’s campaign.

I will be watching coming reports to see if they end up sending any money to French or if the staid, upstanding Republicans running this PAC believing themselves to be serious people can understand that bolstering Jon Rosenthal’s campaign is the best thing to do for Texas. Or will they be cowards and not donate to anyone at all because they cannot imagine a Democrat — despite being an engineer who worked in the oil and gas industry for more than two decades — holding statewide regulatory office and not turning all oil and gas workers trans because woke.

One last note about CenterPoint’s PAC is that last month it send a $10,000 donation to Greg Abbott (who, with $100 million in campaign money, doesn’t need it) AND Houston mayor John Whitmire (he’s not even up for reelection until 2028, though I am saddened to report that he has already announced that he is running again.)

Good luck beating those allegations that you’re a secret Republican, John.

ExxonMobil’s PAC was also hoping for the more the less insane Republicans to win in the primaries, sending money to both Dan Crenshaw (beaten by Steve Toth) and John Cornyn (lol.) Will be interesting to see what they donate to next.

Chevron’s PAC appears to donate to a broader diversity of candidates, but still tried to prop up Jim Wright and has given a stupid amount to Greg Abbott.

Let’s get away from the O&G companies (there are simply too many headquartered here) and look at Waste Management this cycle. While their most recent donation is to BOLD PAC (Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Democrats), they’ve sent $6,000 to election denier Paul Bettencourt this year and $5,000 to Jim Wright.

Service Corporation International, which is the craziest name for a funeral powerhouse, donated $25K to both Greg Abbott and Dan Patrick last year.

Finally, while not a PAC, it gives me no pleasure to report that the president of Spec’s, John Rydman, is a Republican, sending $25K to John Cornyn, but somehow worse, sending a few piddling hundred dollars to Mike Johnson.

I will be watching this space as monthly filing reports come in.

Haven’t done this in a while, so, three good things:

1. My garden is full of dragonflies and damselflies right now. It’s amazing!

2. Widow’s Bay!

3. I finished reading a novel for the first time in years!