SUMMER SALE! 3 Months for Only 25¢Wherever you go, stay connected with access. Sale Ends July 27 |
Note: The Legislature reconvenes next week for a special session to address priorities set by Gov. Abbott, including response to the July 4 floods, redistricting and regulations for THC products. Sign up for Texas Lege [Simplified] to get updates throughout the session texted directly to you.
There is no doubt about who is the top fundraiser in the Texas Congressional delegation these days.
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas, has become a fundraising juggernaut, raising $3.8 million for her re-election campaign in 2026 within the last six months, according to the latest campaign finance reports released this week. No other incumbent among the 38 members of the U.S. House from Texas has raised more than $2 million.
Crockett’s totals make her the 5th-best fundraiser among all Democrats in the U.S. House. The top spot goes to U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, who has raised more than $15 million.
Cockett, who earned her law degree at the University of Houston, is in her second term in office, but has become well known for taking on Republicans during congressional debates and on cable television talk shows. It helped make her a featured speaker during last year’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago and build a national fundraising network.
She’s had notable public bouts with U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, and more recently, President Donald Trump has been targeting her directly, calling her a “low IQ person.”
Crockett has used the president's verbal shot aggressively in fundraising emails since March, calling Trump a "thin-skinned crybaby."
“I have thick skin. He can call me any names he wants — it won’t deter me from my mission: Holding him accountable and defeating his cronies in Congress,” Crockett, 44, said in a June fundraising pitch to supporters.
So far, Crockett has one Democrat and three Republicans who have filed to challenge her next year in the 30th Congressional District in Dallas, which heavily favors Democrats. None of the challengers has raised much money or ever held elective office.
Here are the top 5 fundraisers from Texas in the U.S. House this year.
1. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas: $3.8 million
2. Jake Ellzey, R-Midlothian: $1.8 million
3. Monica De La Cruz, R-Edinburg: $1.6 million
4. August Pfluger, R-San Angelo: $1.5 million
5. Jodey Arrington, R-Lubbock: $1.4 million
 | Jeremy Wallace, Texas politics reporter |
Who's Up, Who's Down
A daily stock market-style report on key players in Texas politics.
Up: Morgan Luttrell.
While most members of Congress from Texas have been to Kerrville to see the destruction left by the horrific flooding, U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell, a Republican who represents much of Montgomery County, has been a lot more hands-on. Luttrell, 49, and his twin brother Marcus are both retired Navy SEALs who have been putting on diving gear to help search and rescue teams along the Guadalupe River to find victims. Luttrell confirmed he and his brother have been helping with the effort, but said he’s doing it as a private citizen and wasn't seeking publicity given how much people are suffering.
Down: Flooded Property Owners.
Less than 5% of residential properties in high-risk areas in Kerr County were covered by flood insurance before the July 4 storm, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis, highlighting a growing problem for inland regions in Texas that are experiencing stronger and more frequent rainfall. The county has nearly 3,000 residential properties that fall within the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s 100-year floodplain. Yet fewer than 150 of those properties were insured through the federal government's flood insurance program on July 4. Homeowners in Kerr County without flood insurance will receive far less recovery assistance than if they had coverage, and may be left to rely on savings or donations to rebuild.
What do you think? Hit reply and let me know.
What else is going on in Texas
|
|
|
|
|
Pick of the day
Photo by: Susan Barber
The Texas Take Podcast is back with new faces and new voices. A powerhouse of reporters from around the state help me break down the political response from President Donald Trump and others to the tragedy in the Hill Country, plus we get you ready for the special session of the Texas Legislature that starts on Monday. We also explore the future of THC products in Texas and question whether a divorce on “biblical grounds” will impact the U.S. Senate race. Check out the new episode here or wherever you get your podcasts.
What else I'm reading
Construction of more than 6 miles of so-called secondary border wall has begun in the desert of southern New Mexico, just over the border from El Paso. The area is considered a key smuggling route, according to The Border Report.
|
Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences
Houston Chronicle
4747 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77027
© 2025 Hearst Newspapers, LLC