The Amarillo Pioneer

Amarillo's only free online newspaper. Established in 2016, we work to bring you local news that is unbiased and honest.

 

Austin PAC Spending Campaign Cash in Amarillo Elections

Photo by Stacey Crafton/Facebook

An Austin-based political action committee is throwing in some money on the Amarillo City Council elections, with less than two weeks to go before Election Day.

Protect and Serve Texas PAC, which is based in Austin, Texas, but utilizes a Massachusetts mailing address, according to its website, is now campaigning in the Amarillo City Council elections. The organization dropped a mailer in Amarillo this week endorsing City Council candidates Dean Crump, Don Tipps, Katt Massey, and Les Simpson.

The organization’s mailer appears to utilize the same type of layout typical of the mailers produced for Amarillo Matters PAC, an organization that is largely responsible for assisting Mayor Ginger Nelson’s past election campaigns. Protect and Serve Texas PAC’s primary consultant is Murphy Nasica & Associates, which is also the consultant employed by Amarillo Matters PAC during past election cycles.

While purporting to show endorsements from law enforcement leaders, the organization also endorsed against candidates endorsed by both the Amarillo Police Officers Association and the Amarillo Professional Firefighters Association.

According to Protect and Serve Texas PAC’s campaign finance reports, the group has primarily been involved in state legislative elections for more moderate or liberal Republican candidates. For example, the group was a backer of Jamee Jolly, a moderate Republican state legislative candidate from Plano, who was criticized by Republicans for supporting raising taxes, enforcing mask mandates, and promoting LGBT organizations.

Election Day for the Amarillo City Council races is May 6.

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