Longview Times

Rep. Jay Dean received a $55,608.82 donation from HEB grocery tycoon Charles Butt’s Education PAC after voting against school choice. 

Grocery store organization HEB’s heir Charles Butt has been reported to support LGBTQ+ movements and fund “family friendly drag shows.” In 2022, Texas Scorecard reported that HEB sponsored the pride parade in downtown Austin, including a story hour with drag queens and a  “family-friendly” drag show. 

They also reported Butt’s foundation, the Charles Butt Public Education Political Action Committee, as giving donations to over twenty political campaigns that actively opposed school choice. 

Recent donations receipts show The Charles Butt Public Education PAC as giving over $1.3 million to Texas House Republicans, specifically those who voted against school choice and are running for reelection.

Since 2017, Jay Dean has served as State Representative for House District 7 in East Texas. From when he was elected until 2022, House District 7 included Gregg and Upshur Counties. As of 2023, the district includes Gregg, Harrison, and Marion Counties. Before serving in the State House, Jay served as Mayor of Longview for a decade and on the Longview City Council for 5 years prior to that.

Which representatives received funding from the Charles Butt Public Education PAC?

Representative	Amount received
Steve Allison	$340,608.82
Ernest Bailes	$299,301.15
Gary VanDeaver	$245,608.82
John Kuempel	$138,208.82
Gregory Bell	$70,608.82
Jay Dean	$55,608.82
Justin Holland	$50,000.00
Reginald Smith	$33,375.00
DeWayne Burns	$31,750.00
Stan Lambert	$20,000.00
Jeffrey Barry	$25,000.00