Giuliani and Edwards Top Texas Donations, But Obama Strong in Austin

WASHINGTON — Republican Rudy Giuliani raked in $2 million in the first quarter of the year to top presidential fundraising in Texas, followed by Democrat John Edwards in the already red-hot money chase for the 2008 presidential primaries.

But the first campaign fundraising results for contributor-rich Texas sent mixed messages to both parties.

Republicans, who have long dominated presidential races in the state, barely kept pace with Democrats in total fundraising.

And Democrats, energized by hopes for major gains in the next election, spread their dollars around so much that no clear favorite emerged.

In heavily Democratic Austin, for example, Barack Obama, the Illinois freshman senator who stunned many in the city with a rockstar-like rally last February, took in the most.

What's more, the campaign disclosures indicated some of Austin's top Democratic donors are so pleased with their field of candidates that they are writing checks for more than one campaign.

"It looks to me that there's a lot of the same people going to different (fundraising) events," quipped Garry Mauro, the former Texas land commissioner who is honchoing the fundraising effort for Sen. Hillary Clinton in the state.

Marc Winkelman, a founder of the successful Calendar Club wholesale calendar company, and his wife, Susan, donated the maximum ($2,300 each) to Obama's primary campaign, which came in third among Democrats statewide with just under $700,000.

But the Winkelmans also gave Edwards, who took in $1.5 million statewide. And they donated to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, whose campaign raised $1.2 million from Texans.

"We think highly of the ones we've given to and feel that any one of them would make a good leader for the country," said Winkelman. "But I think it's primarily that we have relationships with these people."

A major contributor to Democrats since 2000, he said he is looking to change policies on the environment and health care.

In his multiple giving, Winkelman joined a number of fellow Austin Democrats. Ben Barnes and his wife, Melanie, have showered $25,000 on the 2008 Democratic candidates, including Clinton, Obama, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico, and two longshot contenders, Sens. Joe Biden of Delaware and Chis Dodd of Connecticut.

"Why do I help so many? I've got so many friends," said Barnes.

But as a lobbyist who spends nearly half of his time in Washington, D.C., Barnes conceded, "It's not bad for my business."

Amid signs that Texas Democrats like their field of candidates, they also have been encouraged because roughly half of the $8 million raised in Texas for 2008 has gone to their party's candidates.

"What we've got here is a new set of circumstances," said Bruce Buchanan, government professor at the University of Texas. "The unhappiness is with the Republicans, and the momentum is, temporarily at least, with the Democrats, even in 'red' states like our own."

Among Republicans, former New York Mayor Giuliani soared past his competition by a two-to-one advantage in the early Texas fundraising race.

Not only was Giuliani the biggest fundraiser in Houston where he is a partner in a law firm, but he far out-raised his rivals in Austin, as well.

Kenneth Aboussie, a partner at Cypress Real Estate Advisors who raised money for President Bush in 2004, has been organizing the fundraising for Giuliani in the city.

"I identify with his ideology on being strong on national defense and most importantly that he's a proven leader and has demonstrated that during one of our toughest times," Aboussie said.

That image of the mayor who led New York during the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has given him the edge in Texas, Buchanan said in explaining why no other Republican contender was able to break the $1 million mark in the first quarter of the year.

Arizona Sen. John McCain "is now riding an unpopular horse—the war" and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney "hasn't caught on," the University of Texas professor said.

"Giuliani is the guy with the characteristics that most appeal to the Republican primary electorate."