As the filing period closes, incumbent Republican state officeholders pick up a string of challengers, including 10 Democrats seeking the governorship.

Incumbents face many challengers for state offices

AUSTIN — As the filing period closed Monday for who’s in and who’s not as candidates for next year’s elections, incumbent Republicans picked up a long string of challengers, most of them Democrats.

Incumbent Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has 10 Democrats vying for his job, a recent state record, plus one little-known Republican. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has one Republican and two Democrats who want his job.

Now, the hard part begins — raising money and boosting name recognition.

Officials with the various campaigns say they expect a frenetic threemonth run-up to the March 6 primary with a larger-than-usual number of candidates who will be vying for attention and campaign contributions as they scramble to make the cut to make it to November’s general election.

“It’s going to be an unbelievably difficult fundraising environment, with 2025 people running in urban areas and with all the open congressional seats,” said Matt Mackowiak, an Aus-

tin political consultant who is working on Austin lobbyist Trey Blocker’s GOP primary challenge of incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller. “People are going to have a much tougher time this year raising money, especially down ballot.”

Consultants also said Monday they expect that the way the filings have shaped up with primary battles — where cashstrapped challengers will have to spend money to get their name out — much of this season’s political cash may be spent in the primary, as a prelude to statewide elections next fall that could cost less than in years past.

Most races contested

Four years ago, campaign finance tallies compiled by the Austin-based watchdog group Texans for Public Justice show that nearly $163.7 million was raised by statewide candidates for the primary and general elections. A whopping $92.5 million was raised by the two top candidates in the governor’s race, with Democrat Wendy Davis bringing in more than $47 million and Abbott, who beat her by 20 points, raising nearly $45.5 million.

Abbott is reported to have well over $45 million in his campaign war chest so far, which he is widely expected to spend strategically to help drive turnout for down ballot Republicans and GOP legislative candidates.

In the primary, Abbott will face Arlington communications contractor Larry SECEDE Kilgore, whose middle name says much about what his past political platform has focused on.

The Democratic Party primary will feature former Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez, Houston entrepreneur Andrew White, Dallas businessman Jeffrey Payne, San Antonio businessman Tom Wakley, Dallas financial analyst Adrian Ocegueda, Houston electronics businessman Joe Mumford, former Balch Springs mayor Cedric Davis Sr., retired school teacher Grady Yarbrough of Flint, Austin resident James Jolly Clark and Houston businesswoman Dimitra Smith.

Patrick will face former Rockwall councilman Scott Milder in the GOP primary, and retired Kingwood accountant Mike Collier and Fort Worth auto sales manager Michael Cooper will face off in the Democratic primary.

Most consultants and political scientists say the chances are good that the top two Democrats in that primary will end up in a runoff, another election that will cost them money but could help their name ID some against Abbott in the general election — though likely not enough to win.

Two other incumbent Republican statewide officials face GOP primary opponents.

Land Commissioner George P. Bush will face his predecessor, Jerry Patterson, Decatur land surveyor Davey Edwards and retired school teacher Rick Range of Sherman. The primary winner will run against Austin energy lawyer Miguel Suazo, a Democrat.

In the agriculture commissioner race, the winner of the primary fight between Miller and Blocker will face Democrat Kim Olson, a retired Air Force colonel from Mineral Wells.

Democrats put up candidates for every statewide elected post, except one open seat on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, an initial tally of filings showed Monday night.

Money matters

“It costs money to win, and a lot of money to win the top of the ticket,” said Craig McDonald, director of Texans For Public Justice. “It costs money to get your name and message out there, and doing that is not cheap.”

While Bush has around $2.5 million in the bank, Patterson said Monday he plans to raise $500,000 for his primary run — contrasting the $1.3 million he raised in his unsuccessful campaign for lieutenant governor in 2014. Patrick raised $16.7 million and won.

“In past years, the Republican primaries have always been where the excitement is, and this year we have the Democratic primary for governor — with more candidates running than we’ve seen in many years,” said Mark Jones, a political scientist at Houston’s Rice University who has followed Texas politics for years. “I’m telling people to watch the March and May elections because after they are over, the die will be set for November, when whichever Republicans get into the general election will probably win.”

In all, the Democratic Party said 28 candidates filed for 13 statewide positions, from governor to the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and Railroad Commission.

Aside from the fact that Texas is still solidly Republican, Jones and others predict that Democratic candidates may have trouble raising significant money for statewide and down ballot races since much of Democrats’ political capital will go to trying to gain control of the U.S. Senate and Congress.

“After what happened four years ago with Wendy Davis ... it will look like money wasted to many national donors,” Jones said.

In addition, Paul Hartmon, a retired Houstonarea executive and political activist, said that while the party attracted a growing number of challengers, most of them are relatively unknown across the state. Outside of Houston and Dallas, most people don’t know who they are — and still probably won’t know after the election.”

Chairmen optimistic

For their part, Democratic Party officials say they remain hopeful that anti-Trump, anti-incumbency trends in other states will help them create a blue wave that will overtake Republicans in at least some races in other races, including a handful of Texas House seats.

In at least two Texas Senate races and a dozen other House races, the primary fight will be between moderate and conservative wings of the Republican Party — including Houston’s House District 134 in West University Place, where incumbent GOP Rep. Sarah Davis is facing businesswoman Susanna Dokupil, who was endorsed weeks ago by Abbott.

Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey has said he remains confident that GOP candidates will be victorious statewide next November, as they have since 1994. “Regardless of who is chosen as the Democratic nominee, I am confident Texans will continue to choose liberty, opportunity and prosperity by confidently casting their vote for Republicans,” he said.

Not surprisingly, Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa predicted a different outcome.

“A blue wave is rising in the Lone Star State. Texas Democrats are marching, organizing, and stepping up to serve,” he said Monday night. “We are so excited to have a conversation about who we are and where we want to go as a party. I’m proud that such an accomplished, diverse set of statewide candidates are dedicating themselves to fight for Texans.”