AUSTIN — A special election for a Tarrant County state Senate seat has attracted the attention – and money – of casino magnate and Dallas Mavericks owner Miriam Adelson.
Adelson’s pro-gambling PAC, Texas Sands, has given $1.2 million to Republican former Southlake Mayor John Huffman, accounting for a little more than 85% of his total campaign cash raised. An organization related to the PAC has also plowed more than $2 million into the race by advertising on behalf of Huffman.
Huffman has staked out a pro-gambling stance in the special election for a Senate seat that came open after former Sen. Kelly Hancock resigned to become acting Texas comptroller. His Republican rival, Leigh Wambsganss, has said she is strongly opposed to bringing gambling to Texas.
“He is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sands,” Wambsganss campaign chief Allen Blakemore told The Dallas Morning News. “Whether you are for or against casinos, this just goes beyond that. I don’t think there is any precedent in modern Texas history.”
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Huffman campaign consultant Mitch Carney said in a text message that the election is not about legalized gambling.
“Despite what the Austin insiders and political pundits might say, this race has always been about three simple things: putting Texas on the path to eliminate property taxes, making sure our law enforcement and first responders are fully funded and supported, and ensuring our kids and grandkids can experience the same Texas miracle we’ve been blessed with,” Carney said. “That means being able to afford a home, raise a family, and live the American dream right here in Texas.”
Adelson’s donations turned what many expected to be a sleepy special election into a hotly contested race for a state Senate seat that represents most of the northern half of Tarrant County, including downtown Fort Worth.
Texas Sands said in a statement that the organization is committed to supporting candidates who see the economic opportunity of destination resorts.
“Texans overwhelmingly want the opportunity to decide on this issue and the benefits they will bring to Texas, including tens of thousands of jobs, the opportunity for lower property taxes, and billions in new revenue.”
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Democrat Taylor Rehmet, a labor organizer, is also in the race, which could be decided in Tuesday’s election.
Wambsganss also has taken a sizeable amount of money from some of Texas’ top political donors, including about $200,000 in cash and in-kind donations from an organization largely funded by far-right West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn and $200,000 from a PAC associated with Panhandle businessman Alex Fairly.
While those megadonors have largely pushed a broad conservative agenda, Adelson has spent millions of dollars in the past decade solely to move the needle on legalizing casino gambling in Texas. Many in the gaming industry see Texas as a major prize.
However, their efforts have been bottled up by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who has endorsed Wambsganss and gave $250,000 to her campaign via a third-party PAC. The Republican leader of the Senate has said he will not allow a vote on casino gambling unless there are enough Republicans in the Senate to support the issue.
If Huffman is elected, it likely would not be enough to reach that threshold. But Adelson could count some progress toward legalizing gambling in Texas.
Rehmet, a Fort Worth Democrat in the race, also criticized Huffman on Tuesday over the large amount of money his campaign has taken from Adelson.
“Teachers are buying pencils out of their own paychecks while Huffman cashes checks from casino lobbyists,” Rehmet said in a text message. “If there’s a jackpot to be won in Texas, it ought to go to our kids, our veterans, our workforce, property-tax breaks not to the developers bankrolling politicians like Huffman.”
The three candidates are facing off in a “jungle primary” special election in which all candidates who file to run for the seat will appear on November’s ballot, regardless of party affiliation. Tarrant County political experts on both sides of the aisle believe that the election is headed toward a December runoff.
Wambsganss was the presumptive frontrunner in the race after receiving numerous prominent endorsements, including one from President Donald Trump. However, the influx of casino cash to support Huffman might affect the electorate in what is expected to be a low-turnout election.
The campaign has seen accusations of photo tampering as well, with Wambsganss and Patrick accusing Huffman of creating a website that depicted Wambsganss wearing an inverted cross – often considered a satanic symbol. Huffman has denied any involvement, and the website states that an out-of-state organization created it.