Casino tycoon, West Texas oilmen are big funders in Fort Worth-area Senate race
Whether it’s from a casino tycoon or a West Texas oilman, thousands of dollars are pouring into the special election for a Fort Worth area Senate seat.
Three candidates are running in the special election for Senate District 9 in Tarrant County: Republican John Huffman, Democrat Taylor Rehmet and Republican Leigh Wambsganss. Their fundraising is in full swing with just days left before early voting starts on Oct. 20. Election Day on Nov. 4.
The seat is vacant after Kelly Hancock, a North Richland Hills Republican, left for the Texas Comptroller’s office, where he is the acting comptroller.
Here are the toplines:
- Wambsganss, a real estate business owner and Patriot Mobile’s chief communications officer, reported raising $845,000 between July 1 and Sept. 25. She spent $411,100, and has $617,800 left on hand.
- Huffman, a former Southlake mayor who owns a construction company, reported raising $575,800 between July 1 and Sept. 25. He spent $182,500. He has roughly $383,300 left on hand.
- Rehmet, an aircraft mechanic, reported raising $70,200 between July 1 and Sept. 25. He spent $33,400 and has $31,900 left on hand.
But digging deeper, the latest fundraising haul offers a glimpse into the race’s key players and the state of the election to replace Hancock in Austin.
Gambling interests looms large
Donations from the Texas Sands PAC make up the vast majority of Huffman’s donations. The political action committee, bankrolled by billionaire Miriam Adelson, contributed $500,000 to Huffman’s campaign, according to his latest campaign finance report.
Adelson and her family own the Dallas Mavericks and casino company Las Vegas Sands. She is a major donor of President Donald Trump.
The Texas Sands PAC has been a key advocate for a push to bring “destination style resorts” to Texas, though that effort has fallen flat in recent years. The idea is to bring casinos that feature hotels, shopping and other amenities to the Lone Star State, where gambling is limited.
The Senate, under the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, has been a sticking point for gambling expansion in Texas.
The Texas Defense PAC, which is funded by Las Vegas Sands, according to Transparency USA, spent $633,900 between Aug. 21 and Sept. 25 in advertisements and other campaign-related expenses supporting Huffman, Texas Ethics Commission records show.
The contributions have been blasted by Wambsganss’ campaign.
“I shudder to think how much more money he will take,” said Allen Blakemore, Wambsganss’ campaign strategist, in a Wednesday statement. “This donor has bought and paid for Huffman’s votes in the Texas Senate, and Huffman will answer directly to her, not the people of Senate District 9.”
Wambsganss said in an interview that, regardless of the issue, her concern is that Huffman is getting the large majority of his funds from a single special interest source.
Huffman points out that Adelson and associated groups are donors of Republicans like Trump, Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I’m honored that these donors recognize that my vision and my experience is going to make a difference in the Texas Senate,” Huffman said.
He also referenced a report from The Texan about Wambsganss’ husband selling a company that distributed electronic pull tabs in Virginia.
“That kind of hypocrisy really rubs people the wrong way,” Huffman said.
Wambsganss said she wasn’t directly involved and that the business was sold in 2018 and dealt with charitable gaming and games of chance, not skill.
Wambsganss said she doesn’t think gambling expansion is necessary in Texas. Huffman said he supports Texans voting on whether to expand gambling in the state.
West Texas billionaires wade in
Wambsganss reported receiving nearly $200,000 in goods and services like mailers and campaign texts from the Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, a political action committee started by West Texas oil billionaires and GOP donors Tim Dunn and Faris Wilks.
The group also contributed $100,000 directly to her campaign.
“I’m really proud of my contribution from them,” Wambsganss said. “They’re a conservative organization and quite frankly was shocked to see what they did for me with regards to the independent mailers and the independent things that they did, because I was not coordinated with on any of the mailers that they did, but I’m really proud that they donated to my campaign.”
Texans United for a Conservative Majority was also a player in May 2024 runoff elections in North Texas for the Texas House of Representatives.
It was formed after Defend Texas Liberty came under fire when its leader, former state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, a Bedford Republican, met with white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
Patriot Mobile donated $50,000 to Wambsganss earlier in the campaign cycle, campaign finance records show.
“My friends and colleagues believe in me, and they know what a conservative person I am, so that’s why they’re putting their money where their mouth is,” Wambsganss said.
Other contributions
Other major donors to Wambsganss’ campaign during the most recent filing period include the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, which donated a combined $100,000. James Wilkinson, the chairman of TrailRunner International, also contributed $100,000.
They were among more than a dozen contributions from individuals and groups that exceeded $10,000.
Wambsganss also received $5,000 from Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, $2,500 from Keller school board trustee Charles Randklev and $1,000 from state Rep. David Cook, a Mansfield Republican.
Huffman’s second top donor was the Texans for Reasonable Solutions PAC, which contributed $15,000 during the most recent filing period.
Rehmet’s donors include $10,000 from the Machinist Non-Partisan Political League, the political arm of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Rehmet is the president of Texas State Council of Machinists and a local chapter of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union.
Other contributions include $2,000 from Northeast Tarrant Democrats and about $6,500 from the Texas Majority PAC for campaign services.
He also received $1,000 donations from state Sen. Sarah Eckhardt, an Austin Democrat, and state Sen. Nathan Johnson, a Dallas Democrat, as well as $500 from state Rep. Chris Turner, a Grand Prairie Democrat.
“While both of my opponents cry wolf about ‘dark money,’ the call is clearly coming from inside the house,” Rehmet said in a statement.”They’re bankrolled by billionaire moguls and political machines whose only interest is keeping ordinary Texans quiet and compliant. I’m not for sale. This campaign isn’t powered by the people who own the table. It’s powered by the folks who build it, who serve on it and who deserve a fair shot at a seat at it.”
This story was originally published October 10, 2025 at 2:55 PM.
