Sometimes it’s nice to remember that candidates and their campaign staff are regular people, not just their public personas and the platforms they represent. One of our favorite ways to catch a glimpse of that humanity in the campaign finance data is to take a peek at the smallest expenditures reported in Texas this year. There, you’ll find things like Dan Patrick grabbing an $8 bite at Uncle Julio’s, Chase West’s campaign paying $12.87 for a Getty Images subscription, Ben Hardin paying the Girl Scouts $32.50 (cookies, maybe?!), and lots of people paying for gas and parking.

Happy holidays to our readers — those who serve in office and those whom they serve — from the Transparency USA team.