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