Jeff Yass, a Pennsylvania Republican megadonor, donated another $4 million to Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year to help him unseat Texas House Republicans who oppose private school vouchers.
The April 3 donation, reported this week in Abbott’s campaign finance report, was Yass’ second significant contribution to the Republican governor this election cycle. The billionaire TikTok investor gave Abbott $6 million in December, which is thought to be the greatest single political donation in Texas history.
Yass’ most recent $4 million contribution was part of Abbott’s over $30 million haul in the first half of the year, an impressive total for a governor who is not running for reelection this year.
Abbott has been the most successful fundraiser in the state’s political history. He concluded June with more than $51 million in his campaign account, despite spending $12 million on his quest to secure a pro-voucher majority in the Texas House.
Abbott spent much of 2023 attempting to push a bill through the House that would allow parents to use taxpayer funds to send their children to private schools. After failing to pass legislation in the lower chamber, Abbott turned to the primary elections, campaigning against Republicans—the majority of whom were from rural districts—who voted with Democrats to defeat vouchers last fall.
He appeared to emerge from the primaries with a pro-voucher majority, helping to unseat nine GOP voucher holdouts and nominate four more pro-voucher candidates to fill seats left open by retiring voucher opponents.
Following the May runoffs, Abbott announced that the House “now has enough votes to pass school choice.”
