Interactive: Texas Health Care Lobbying
Ahead of the 83rd legislative session, the state’s 10 leading health care associations gave more than $4.6 million to Texas candidates. This interactive shows how much — and to whom — health care associations donated in 2011 and 2012.
This story is part of an ongoing series that 2013 Dennis A. Hunt Fund for Health Journalism Grantee and National Health Journalism Fellow Becca Aaronson will write for the Texas Tribune on women's health care in the state. For a complete look at Aaronson's extensive coverage, click here.
Ahead of the 83rd legislative session, the state’s 10 leading health care associations gave more than $4.6 million to Texas candidates. This interactive shows how much — and to whom — health care associations donated in 2011 and 2012.
House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, received more than any other single candidate from the state’s health care lobbies, nearly $360,000. Sen. Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa, D-McAllen, was second with $233,250, more than $200,000 of which he received from the Border Health PAC, which advocates for medical professionals in South Texas.
More than 74 percent of the contributions went to Republican candidates, and more than 70 percent went to current elected officials.
View the total amounts health care associations donated to current elected officials or select an individual PAC from the drop-down menu. The lists of top recipients also include past candidates. For example, Steven Nguyen, an optometrist in North Texas who lost the Republican primary for House District 115, received the most money from the Texas Optometric Association, more than $105,000.
(Click here to view the interactive on the Tribune's website.)