Ybarra has proven to be a formidable fundraiser

Freshman state Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra, D-South Padre Island:

Her statements of campaign contributions, expenditures and loans on file with the Texas Ethics Commission for the period covering July 2007 through August this year show:

Contributions of $492,930, expenditures of $630,027 and two bank loans totaling $175,000.

>Her single largest contributor was the political action committee Texans for Lawsuit Reform $112,236, plus $13,000 from its co-founder Houston businessman Richard Weekley.

Source: Texas Ethics Commission and public records

In her first year in state public office, freshman state Rep. Tara Rios Ybarra has proven to be a formidable fundraiser, public records show.

Ybarra, D-South Padre Island, represents District 43, which includes northern Cameron County, and all of Kenedy, Brooks, Jim Hogg, Kleberg and Willacy counties.

Ybarra, a dentist who practices in Brownsville, has raised roughly $490,000 since July 2007, when she started her campaign for the state representative seat. The amount raised was through August of this year. She took office in January after unseating state Rep. Juan Manuel Escobar, D-Kingsville.

She has spent about $630,027 since 2007 through August, and injected two bank loans totaling $175,000 that she secured for her campaign, the statements of campaign contributions and expenditures on file with the Texas Ethics Commission show.

Her largest single contributor was the political action committee Texans for Lawsuit Reform, which contributes mostly to Republican causes, candidates and elected officials, according to public records on file with the Texas Ethics Commission.

Ybarra also received $10,000 from Houston builder Michael Stevens, $10,000 from Irving investor Robert B. Rowling, and $25,000 from Houston builder Bob Perry. The three contributors also are frequent donors to Republican candidates, officials, and Texans for Lawsuit Reform. Other major contributions included $26,500 from South Padre Island developer Clayton Brashear, and $8,500 from hotelier Bharat Patel of South Padre Island.

Ybarra said Friday that she has not turned her back on the Democratic Party, which she was elected to represent, or to its agenda.

Her campaign statements also show direct support from Democratic Party elected officials, including $5,000 from state Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, of District 57, who has served as the elected leader of the Texas House Democratic Caucus since 2003.

State Rep. Rene O. Oliveira, D-Brownsville, of District 37, contributed $1,000 to Ybarra’s campaign.

"I am pro business and I believe that especially in South Texas and being a health care provider, our number one objective is to keep the business that we have and be as business friendly as we can," Ybarra said.

Ybarra said that she does not see lawsuit reform as a Democratic or Republican issue. "Pro business is what I am about," she said.

She also noted that the significant contributions from Republican aligned committees and persons do not influence her decisions.

Ybarra added, "There are two questions that we (Ybarra and staff) always ask ourselves: ‘Is this good for Texas? And is it good for South Texas?’ "