These Texans gave the most political donations during the 2022 election cycle

WASHINGTON — They are the Texas Top Ten — the Texans who have the most federal campaign contributions during the 2022 midterm election cycle.

While Dallas and Houston billionaires donating to Republicans dominate the pack, there is one top donor from Austin, Carolyn Oliver, a retired physician, attorney and philanthropist, who ranked ninth with $1.78 million in contributions, almost all for Democratic committees or candidates, according to federal data compiled for the American Statesman by opensecrets.org, a nonpartisan organization.

Oliver’s largest donations were $500,000 to the Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic political action committee for the U.S. Senate; $219,000 for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; and $219,000 for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. She also gave $100,000 to the House Majority PAC, which is aligned with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

At the state level, Oliver gave $500,000 this fall to Democrat Beto O’Rourke’s campaign against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to filings at the Texas Ethics Commission.

Oliver donated $1 million in 2014 to Wendy Davis, the Democratic candidate running against Abbott that year.

“I was just inspired to give, and I trust my intuition, and, in particular, I believe in fairness and trying to make our society a better and fairer society,” she told the American Statesman after the Davis donation. “I believe that our Texas government doesn’t represent the fairness that I think Texans feel,” she said.

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She did not respond to a request for comment from the Statesman about her 2022 contributions.

Oliver, the author of the 2008 book "Cautious Care: A Guide for Patients," funded the Oliver Center for Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

The top Texas donor is Dallas billionaire Kenneth Fisher, with his wife, Sherilynn, who gave $6.4 million, of which all but $12,500 went to Republican candidates and committees. Fisher is executive chairman and co-chief investment officer of Fisher Investments.

Another Dallas billionaire, Trevor Rees-Jones, and his wife, Jan, are in second place, with $3.3 million in contributions, of which $3.27 million went to GOP candidates and committees. Rees-Jones is founder and chairman of Chief Oil & Gas.

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Ranked third are Houston’s John L. Nau and his wife, Barbara, who gave $3 million, of which $2.9 million went to Republicans. Nau is chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the nation.

In fourth place are Midland oilman Timothy Dunn and wife Terri, who gave $2.6 million, all to GOP causes.

Dallas billionaire Ross Perot Jr. and wife Sarah Fullinwider rank fifth after donating $2.5 million, almost all to Republican candidates and committees. As chairman of the Perot Group, he has a large portfolio of real estate and oil and gas investments.

In the sixth slot, Dallas real estate magnate Harlan Crow and wife Katherine contributed $2.2 million total, with $2.1 million to Republicans and $104,721 to Democrats. Crow graduated from UT.

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The seventh-largest donor is Houston billionaire Jeffrey Hildebrand, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Hilcorp Energy Co., who gave $1.97 million, almost all to GOP candidates and committees.

In eighth place, Syed J. Anwar and his wife, Vicky, contributed $1.8 million to Republicans. Anwar is the founder of Midland Energy Co.

Oliver is in the ninth spot.

No. 10 is William Austin, the founder and owner of Starkey Hearing Technologies in Minnesota, who lives in Brownsville. He gave $1.69 million — $1.38 million to Republicans and $280,300 to Democrats.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: These are the top political donors from Texas in 2022