Democrat raises $450K in eight weeks to challenge Culberson

Rep. John Culberson (Chronicle photo) Rep. John Culberson (Chronicle photo) Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Democrat raises $450K in eight weeks to challenge Culberson 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

WASHINGTON – With a half-dozen Democrats lined up to challenge Houston Republican John Culberson for his Houston congressional seat, the money chase is on.

Democratic candidate Alex Triantaphyllis announced Monday that he raised over $450,000 from more than 1,100 contributors since he entered the race for Texas's 7th Congressional District this spring.

After expenses, that leaves him with $400,000 cash on hand more nearly 16-months out from the 2018 election.

His campaign said that in his first eight weeks of fundraising, Triantaphyllis nearly matched Culberson's best quarter over his nine terms as congressman.

Triantaphyllis is director of immigration and economic opportunity at BakerRipley, a community development non-profit.

Other Democrats vying in next year's primary include Dr. Jason Westin, a cancer research doctor at MD Anderson, as well as assistant Houston city attorney James Cargas, who has mounted several previous challenges to Culberson.

Two other Democrats are Debra Kerner, an educator who served on the board of the Harris County Department of Education, and Joshua Butler, an administrator at the University of Texas' Health Science Center.

Also in the hunt are Laura Moser, a Democratic activist and writer who recently moved back to her native Houston from Washington, D.C., and Houston trial lawyer Lizzie Pannill Fletcher.