Miriam Adelson PAC spends $500,000 backing Jim Wright

miriam adelson's Texas Sands PAC spent $500,000 backing Jim Wright in the Texas Railroad Commission runoff, adding to a race that has drawn wealthy political donors and big oil interests. The spending comes as Wright faces Bo French for the Republican nomination, with the winner set to meet Democrat Jon Rosenthal in November.

Wright said Adelson's donation was aimed at French's anti-Semitic rhetoric. He wrote on Facebook, "My support from Miriam Adelson underscores Bo French’s hateful attacks on the Jewish people and his repeated anti-Semitic rhetoric." He also wrote, "Dr. Adelson and I stand firmly with the state of Israel, and I join conservative leaders across Texas in condemning his ignorant bigotry."

Texas Railroad Commission runoff

The Texas Railroad Commission regulates the Texas oil and gas industry, a role that has turned a normally low-profile office into a high-spending contest. Nancy Sims, a political scientist at the University of Houston, said, "For the most part, it is a low-profile office." She added, "It’s not been that competitive for the last 30 years. But in this case, there is an element of concern about having a commissioner who has issues far beyond the oil industry that they want to focus on."

Since Feb. 22, campaign contributions to Wright and French rose to more than $3.4 million. Wright had about $58,000 in the bank as of Tuesday and had raised nearly $2 million in total. The Texas Oil and Gas Association’s Good Government Committee gave him about $100,000 in total, while Exxon Mobil’s political arm contributed more than $20,000 and several of its executives donated tens of thousands of dollars.

Miriam Adelson and Texas Sands PAC

Adelson is a casino magnate and billionaire who has used her wealth to sway high-profile elections and offices across the country. Her Texas Sands PAC is part of the money driving the runoff, alongside Harlan Crow and other donors named in the race.

The spending battle now narrows to the runoff outcome itself. The Republican nominee will face Rosenthal in November, and the race will decide who joins the three-member commission that regulates Texas oil and gas.