Republican donor Wall to run for Congress again

After Houston Republican donor Kathaleen Wall poured $6.2 million of her own money into a failed attempt to win a congressional seat in 2018, she’s taking another shot at it, but in a different section of the Houston area.

On Tuesday, she filed an official statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission to run in the 22nd Congressional District to replace U.S. Rep. Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land. Olson announced this month that he will not seek re-election in the district that is primarily in Fort Bend County, but includes parts of Brazoria County and the southeast corner of Harris County.

Wall’s $6.2 million spent is the most any self-funding candidate from Texas has spent on a U.S. House seat in the past 20 years.

Wall, who lives near Memorial Park in Houston in the 2nd Congressional District, becomes the fourth Republican to file to run for the seat since Olson announced he would not seek re-election. Three Democrats have filed to run for the seat, including 2016 Democratic nominee Sri Preston Kulkarni, who came within 5 percentage points of beating Olson in a fast-diversifying district.

Wall competed in 2018 in the 2nd Congressional District in a crowded Republican field that included former state Rep. Kevin Roberts and retired Navy SEAL Dan Crenshaw, who ultimately won the primary. Wall spent millions on television ads and mailers that tried to align her closely with President Donald Trump on immigration issues and gun rights.

Wall, 53, and her husband, Holloway Frost, are well known in fundraising circles and Republican politics. She grew up on a ranch near Centerville, and studied engineering technology at Texas A&M University. Now she is an investor and consultant for small hightech startup companies.

Just since 2009, Wall has donated more than $700,000 to local candidates for U.S. House and Senate candidates around the nation and to several presidential campaigns. She gave at least $77,000 to Trump's 2016 campaign.