Gillespie County rancher, wife donate $1 million to Abbott re-election effort

Michael and Mary Porter, a retired couple from Gillespie County, contributed $1 million to Gov. Greg Abbott’s campaign at the end of June, an unusually large donation even for a high-profile statewide campaign.

Reached by telephone, Michael Porter said he was a humble rancher, that he and his wife are “very, very, very private people,” that they just like and support Abbott, “and there is really not much more to it than that.”

In a statement, Michael Porter said, “My wife Mary and I care deeply about the future of Texas. We believe Gov. Abbott has » put forth a vision to keep Texas exceptional, and we wanted to do our part in supporting that effort. While we understand the interest this has drawn, we would respectfully decline to comment on further questions.”

The Porters made their contribution on June 30. It was the largest single contribution that Abbott received the last 12 days of June. Abbott collected about $10 million during that span, bringing his campaign kitty to just under $41 million.

The Porters met with the governor, who had been told that they were supporters but didn’t realize just how generous they were until he was presented with the check for $1 million.

The couple is from Doss, an unincorporated farming and ranching community about 100 miles northwest of Austin.