Texas will be a green state for Clinton

AUSTIN — Hillary Clinton will rake in campaign cash in Texas on Friday as she works to seal the Democratic presidential nomination against Sen. Bernie Sanders and move on to the general election race against presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“I know you’ve been watching all of this sometimes unbelievable campaign, uh, well, let’s just call it ‘fun.’ In my view, we need to double down on Hillary and assure that some of that ‘fun’ doesn’t end up in the White House,” Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, wrote in an email touting the Clinton fundraisers in Austin, Dallas and Houston.

“It’s about more than the money — it’s about putting some skin in the game during this race. It’s about supporting the most qualified candidate for president, someone who will work her heart out every day fighting for all of us,” Watson said.

The cost to attend ranges from $2,700 to $500. The lowest-price tickets are sold out.

Battling Sanders

People can be designated as hosts if they raise $27,000 and co-hosts if they raise $10,000 for the Hillary Victory Fund.

The fundraisers are hosted in Dallas by attorney Lisa Blue, a Democratic fundraiser; in Houston by attorney Richard and Ginni Mithoff, noted philanthropists; and in Austin by Mayor Steve Adler and his wife, Diane Land.

The Austin fundraiser includes performances by musicians Ben Kweller, Kelly Willis and Bruce Robison.

The fundraisers come as Clinton remains far ahead of Sanders in delegates and is expected to win the nomination.

Still, she is contending with his never-say-die campaign effort.

‘Better candidate’

Billionaire Trump, meanwhile, has improbably vanquished a field of experienced politicians to emerge as the likely GOP standard-bearer.

“I wouldn’t have predicted either half of it. I really thought Secretary Clinton was going to put this to bed long before now. Sen. Sanders has turned out to be one of the strongest challengers in my memory. And give him his due, he has fought hard,” said Democratic strategist Harold Cook.

“I would guess that some of his supporters would make the claim he has laid bare Hillary Clinton’s shortcomings and weaknesses as a candidate. Some of that may be true, but I also don’t have any doubt that his race has made her a better candidate,” Cook said.

Asked whether he was attending Clinton’s fundraiser, Cook quipped, “If I had that kind of money, I’d be a Republican.”