Fresh off his convincing victory over three primary opponents, Texas Senate candidate and local talker Dan Patrick will be getting a little help from Texas lobbyists to retire his campaign debt. The Chronicle‘s Clay Robison reports:
State Senate nominee Dan Patrick, who blasted an opponent in the recent Republican primary for taking contributions from lobbyists, is having a fundraising reception in Austin next week, hosted by lobbyists for a range of special interests, including casinos.
Lobbyist Steve Bresnen, whose clients include the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Texas State Association of Fire Fighters and the Bingo Interest Group, said he organized the Thursday event at the private Austin Club.
[snip]
It is not unusual for newly elected legislators or legislative candidates to have Austin fundraisers, but Patrick, campaigning before the primary as a political outsider, all but condemned the lobby.
In a campaign television spot, he urged voters to help him “take our state back from the special interests and the lobbyists.”
“It’s time for change,” he said.
In an interview Thursday, Patrick said his principles haven’t changed. He said he still isn’t soliciting special interest money but would take some donations if they were offered with the understanding that no strings were attached.
“I have a lot of debt (more than $300,000) to retire,” he said.
It is probably not a coincidence that the amount of money that the wealthy Patrick personally loaned his campaign was in the neighborhood of $300,000.
And so, as we’ve pointed out before, the “insurgent” continues his transition to ordinary politician. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, as they say.
PREVIOUSLY: Patrick makes quick transition from insurgent to politician, Patrick continues transition from insurgent to pol.
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