Paul Perryman, ESD No. 2 Commissioner, is running for Precinct 1 Smith County commissioner. (Cara Campbell/Tyler Morning Telegraph)

The race to replace outgoing Smith County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jeff Warr is heating up.

The three candidates for the Republican nomination in the race have pulled in more than $60,000.

Semiannual campaign finance reports filed this week offer some insight into the race.

Bullard Mayor Pam Frederick is leading the pack with $28,750 from 42 individual donations. Former Tyler Fire Chief Neal Franklin pulled in more individual donations, though, with $12,682.50 from 46 individuals and one in-kind donation.

Frederick said she was honored by the response from community members.

“I’m very thankful for the generosity of our voters,” she said. “It means to me that they trust what I’ve done in Bullard and they’re confident that I can take my experience and knowledge and be helpful to the county.”

Frederick said she plans to focus her campaign on issues such as ensuring the road bond package continues to come in on time and under budget, with those funds protected for road and bridge work and ensuring that the Smith County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office have the support they need.

Paul Perryman, a business owner and board member for the Smith County Emergency Services District No. 2, has raised $2,238 from nine individual donations. His campaign finance report also shows he has put in $20,000 of his own money from a loan to the campaign and $1,701.71 in other personal expenditures.

How the money

is being spent

Frederick has spent the most so far, with $17,571.39 in expenditures. The largest portion of her spending is with Dot the I for campaign services for a total of $10,765.26. Dot the I is an advertising services company that handles a broad array of services for political campaigns.

Franklin has spent $6,558.37, including $1,613.78 with Designer Graphics for campaign signs. He also has spent $800 on Facebook advertising. His in-kind donation listed is valued at $2,945 from Prothro, Wilhelmi and Co. for bookkeeping and campaign preparation.

Perryman has spent $5,792.91, with his largest expense also being yard signs through Designer Graphics for $1,448.06. He also has spent $1,000 for campaign consulting.

All three candidates also paid $1,250 filing fees with the Smith County Republican Party.

What it means

A lot of money is being spent to replace Warr, who has held the seat for the past 12 years. Of the races in the upcoming Smith County primaries, the candidates for Precinct 1 have by far raised the most money.

The amount of donors likely indicates the race will be active. If none of the candidates receive more than 50% of the vote, the race will go to a runoff election.

The next campaign finance filing reports are due 30 days before the election, but each of the candidates still has a sizable sum in their war chests.

Contributions

Perryman

Dan and Janet Baber – $583

Don and Ann Delp – $500

Doug and Jennifer Flanders – $500

Charles Stone – $250

Edwin Perryman – $100

Clay Cannon – $100

Nathan Baber – $100

Johnny and Cathy Brown – $100

James Perryman – $5

Frederick

Joe Cavender – $10,000

Lance Fenton – $2,700

Hines of Texas Holdings LLC — $2,500

Goodwin Gladney — $2,500

John Camp – $1,000

Gary Traylor – $1,000

John Soules Sr. – $1,000

Brian Capps – $500

Steven Dement – $500

Gary D. Lewis – $500

Jim Lambeth – $500

Jim Wright – $500

Lindsey Bradley – $400

Reed Jones – $400

Ed Snodgrass – $250

Mitzi Brain – $250

Steven Roosth – $250

Gaylord Hughey – $250

Courtney Willis – $250

Lonny Uzzell – $250

Bryan Willis – $250

Chuck Osborn – $250

A.E. Shull – $250

Joe Clayton – $250

Jimmy Cantrell – $150

Kenneth Threlkeld – $250

Don Simmons – $200

David Carney – $200

Neal Katz – $200

Tony Johnson – $100

Debra Smith – $100

Stuart Bird – $100

Karen Padrucco – $100

Jacque Timmins – $100

James Murphy – $100

Don Graham – $100

Jo Snow – $100

Danielle Dinger – $100

Mike Adams – $100

Jimmy McKeethan – $100

Karen Kincheloe – $100

Bill Fielding – $50

Franklin

Jay Franklin – $1,000

Robert Peltier – $1,000

Jeff and Amy Moss – $500

Steve and Susan Smith – $500

Matthew Young – $500

Michael Taliaferro – $309

Kevin Dennin – $257.50

Michael and Lisa Lujan – $250

John and Gina Logan – $250

Paul and Alexandra Detwiler – $250

Malcolm Goforth – $250

Halff Associates–State PAC – $250

Chris Hazelip – $250

A.E. Shull – $250

Walter and Ashley Wilhelmi – $250

David and Janie Anthony – $200

Darrell and Donna Flatt – $200

Anwar Khalifa – $206

Scott and Terrie King – $250

Doug McSwane – $250

Larry and Suzanne Melhart – $250

Mike and Debi Moses – $200

Barry and Sharon Sossamon – $150

Your Philanthropy – $150

David McElveen – $106

Alan Brown – $103

David Long – $100

Jona and April Lake – $100

John and Linda Bloom – $100

Nancy Brinson – $100

Steven and Haley Campbell – $100

Bill and Dee Carver – $100

Teri Thomas Cowan – $100

Wayland Crawley – $100

George Franks – $100

Larry Henness – $100

Andrew and Elizabeth Guinn – $100

Sue Ann Murff – $100

Bob and Dawn Veach – $100

Roxann Mote – $53

Curtis and Clay Annette – $51.50

Darla Lyons – $51.50

Misty Kinnett – $50

Becky Kirkpatrick – $50

Jackie Alexander – $25

Michael Cichiwicz – $25