West, Lewis raise big bucks

Campaign contribution forms released Tuesday by the Texas Ethics Commission are starkly different in the runoff for the District 81 Seat in the state House of Representatives.

Continuing the fight for his political future, incumbent State Rep. Buddy West picked up nearly $43,000 in campaign contributions between Feb. 24 and March 30 - 85 percent of which came from outside the district.

While about 43 percent of the funds for challenger Tryon Lewis' contributions came from outside of the district, the bulk of those who contributed a combined total of $138,358 were smaller individual donations from within the district.

Lewis accepted $8,000 from political action committees and several large donations from doctors in Houston, Austin and Dallas. In all, $60,000 came from outside the district.

West, who has been District 81 state representative since 1993, raised $42,749, which was $95,609 less than Lewis, according to finance reports due to be filed by Monday with the Texas Ethics Commission - the two face off in an April 8 runoff election for District 81 state representative.

One of West's largest donations was a $10,000 contribution from his Austin deskmate, State Rep. Jim Pitts.

Other state representatives contributing to West's campaign included $500 from Byron Cook, R-Corsicana, $2,000 from Edmund Kuempel, R-Seguin, and $1,000 from Delwin Jones, R-Lubbock.

Pitts, as well as Kuempel, Jones and Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, all threw their support behind West on March 17 at a news conference at the MCM Eleganté Hotel.

Keffer, Jones and particularly Pitts came out against Speaker of the House Tom Craddick in the last legislative session. Pitts challenged Craddick's speaker position in January 2007. West fell under some hometown ire after pledging his support to the Midland incumbent in the speaker race but later voting against the Craddick camp and party lines in two procedural votes that many labeled "allegiance tests."

Ultimately West voted for Craddick for speaker after other candidates withdrew.

With $11,550 coming from political action committees, and at least $13,500 from fellow state representatives, 85 percent of his fund-raising - all but $6,499 - came from outside the district. West actually outspent his fund-raising. The state representative spent $47,636.80 during the period, primarily on advertising, fuel and campaign materials.

Even with the significant financial surge, West now has $13,926.64 on hand.

Tryon Lewis, on the other hand, had $82,163.09 on hand - including a $30,000 loan from his treasurer Dick Gillham, which matures April 12. In the last reporting period, he spent $86,585.86, primarily on campaign strategy consulting and advertising.

The list of contributors to Lewis is a virtual who's who among prominent Odessans including a myriad of physicians and fellow attorneys, as well as business leaders such as Clayton Williams, Jack Wood, Kirk Edwards, Billy Bassett and Alice Belew. Also, community leaders like David Boutin, Mickey Jones, Grace King, Fred Martin, Tom McMinn, Tom Rodman and Dick Sivalls contributed.

Early voting continues through Friday in the runoff election. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday in Ector, Winkler and Andrews counties. The winner of the runoff election faces Libertarian candidate Elmo Hockman in the November general election.

G.E. ‘Buddy' West

Contributions

>> $50 or more: Associated Plumbing-heating-cooling contractors of Austin Tx PAC, Austin, $300; BMcPAC, Austin, $1,000; Gary Bridges, $200; Byron Cook Campaign, Corsicana, $500; Gary Calfee, Austin, $500; Cammack & Strong P.C., Austin, $300; Chevron Texaco Employee Texas PAC, San Ramon, Calif., $500; Michael Courtney, $200; Dba Bob Turner Rural Issues Consultant, Voss, $100; Electric Delivery PAC of TXU Corp., Dallas, $1,500; Howard and Norma Ellig, $500; Mindy Ellmer, Austin, $500; Mindy Ellmer, Austin, $200; Curtis Ford, Austin, $500; Friends of Baylor Med., Houston, $1,000; Jack Frost, $200; Barbara Gilbert, $100; Edwin Guilbeau, $200; Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC, Houston, $250; Gary and Mary Harris, $250; Hillco PAC, Austin, $1,000; Daniel Hinkle, Sugar Land, $500; David Holt, Snyder, $100; Floyd and Barbara Hughes, Gardendale, $500; Lisa Hughes, Austin, $250; Delwin and Rita Jones, Lubbock, $1,000; Dr. Abdul Kadir, $300; Kirkpatrick & Lockhart Committee for Good Government, Dallas, $500; Nicholas E. Kralj, Austin, $500; Edmund Kuempel, Seguin, $2,000; Ken and Ann Laird, $150; Lloyd Gosselink Blevins Rochelle & Townsend P.C., Austin, $500; Tommy Merritt, Longview, $1,000; Herb and Yvonne Miller, Midland, $200; Jack and Christy Miller, Amarillo, $250; Herb and Ann Morgan, Gardendale, $300; Joseph and Mary Nabers, Austin, $250; Buck and Judy Ogilvy, $300; Timothy Ogilvy, $200; Phil Parker, $1,000; Harold and Mary Patterson, $100; Jim Pitts, Waxahachie, $10,000; Bill and Sue Prichard, $200; Allan Ritter, Nederland, $2,500; Robert Saunders, La Grange, $300; AR Schwartz, Austin, $100; Gary and Nancy Sims, $100; Stan Schlueter Consulting, Austin, $1,500; Tex-Pipe PAC, Austin, $500; Texas Aggregates & Concrete Assoc. PAC, Austin, $1,500; Texas Assoc. of Mortgage Brokers PAC, Dallas, $500; Texas Construction Assoc. PAC., Austin, $1,000; Texas Credit Union League PAC, Dallas, $2,000; Texas Medical Assoc. PAC, Austin, $500; Texas State Assoc. of Fire Fighters Action Committee, Austin, $500; Texas State Rifle Assoc. PAC, Paige, $250; Texas Wildlife Assoc., San Antonio, $250; Tom and Connie Todd, $250; Vision Source/Donald Hembree, $300; Lee Woods, Austin, $500.

>> Less than $50: $299.

>> Total Contributions: $42,749.

Expenditures

>> $50 or more: Advanta, loan payment, Salt Lake City, $300; AT&T, phone, $205.73; Austin Firestone, repairs to district auto, tires and car repair, $2,000; CBS 7, campaign advertising, $7,065; Chili's, lunch for campaign workers, $50.20; Ector County Republican Party, host sponsor, $100; FedEx, postage/overnight delivery of flag, $69.38; Geek Squad, Midland, computer repair, $145; GMAC, travel for legislative purposes only, $888.66; Grande, utilities/ telephone and Internet, $345.24; Grande, utilities/telephone and Internet, $174.07; Home Depot, posts for signs, $407.75; Home Depot, sign materials, $51.42; Home Depot, posts for campaign signs, $119.73; KMID-TV, campaign ad, $4,505;  KWES-TV, Midland, campaign advertising, $4,492.75; KWWT-TV, campaign advertising, $1,200; La Margarita, election night party, $1,500; MCM Eleganté Hotel, press conference, $106; MCM Eleganté Hotel, utilities/telephone and Internet, $1,292.51; Odessa Country Club, meetings with constituents/meeting rooms and meals with staff members, $345.77; Sam's Club, gas for district auto, $81.22; Sam's Club, office supplies, $101.24; Staples, office supplies, $118.79; Target, office supplies, $97.41; The Green Ad Agency, Longview, campaign advertising, $2,537.74; The Republican Agency, San Antonio, campaign advertising, $6,666.68; The Republican Agency, San Antonio, campaign advertising, $10,000; Think Tnank (sic) Hangers, campaign advertising, $1,249; Town & Country, gas for district auto, $50; Sylvia Turnbow, cakes for press conference, $100; Shelby West, campaign work, $500; Shelby West, campaign work, $100.

>> Less than $50: $67051.

>> Total Expenditures: $47,636.80.

Tryon Lewis

Contributions

>> $50 or more: Dr. Anne Acreman, $250; Dr. Anne Acreman, $250; Joe Alvarez, Gardendale, $100; Dr. Sudhir Amaram, $500; Manohar Angirekula, $500; S. Javaid Anwar, Midland, $5,000; Michael Ashton, $1,000; AT&T Texas PAC, Austin, $5,000; Mike Atkins, $1,000; Lawrence Barber Jr., $350, Edward Barham, $500; W.R. Barnes, $200; Fred Barron, $150; Billy Bassett, $250; Louis Beecherl, Dallas, $1,000; Beer Alliance of Texas, Austin, $500; Alice Belew, $200; Howard Bethel, $250; Don Bishop, Midland, $150; David Boutin, $100; Dr. David Brown, $100; Leonard Bruce, $200; Andrew Burk, $100; James Butler, $100; Patricia Butschek, Dallas, $100; Richard Carlton, $250; Dr. John Challapalli, $100; Joe Chance, Kermit, $500; Chance Tool LTD, Kermit, $500; Dr. Robert M Chappell Jr., $250; Donna Cox, $100; Paul Crump Jr., $1,000; Murray Crutcher, $500; Richard Culbert, Midland, $250; Albert Dale, $150; Johnnye Davis, $3,000; Franklin Deaderick, $1,000; Steve Dennis, $100; Tommy Doran, $100; Robert DuBois, $100; Dr. Richard Duke, $500; Tim Edgmon, $250; D. Kirk Edwards, $1,000; Eye-PAC of the Texas Ophthalmological Association, Austin, $1,000; Eye-PAC of the Texas Ophthalmological Association, Austin, $2,000; Robert Fair, Midland, $1,000; Bert Ferguson, $300; Linda Foster, Midland, $250; Michael Foutz, $100; J. Nicholas Fowler, $500; Gary Ganter, $100; Gordon Gillette, $100; Richard Glover, $100; Sheet Glover, $100; Mary Nell Graves, $100; Michele Greene, $100; T.L. Gregory, $5,000; O.D. Jeff Grigsby, Midland, $200; Taylor Grimes, $1,000; Dr. Manoher Gurru, Midland, $2,000; J.R. Haywood, $100; James Headlee, $300; Cal Hendrick, $500; Leldon Hensley, $100; Ryan Hoerauf, $500; Daniel Holbrook, $100; Daniel Hollmann, $1,000; Mark Halloway, $250; Mark Halloway, $250; Caroline Howard, $100; James Howard, $200; Wade Hudman, $100; James Hurt, $1,000; James Hurt, $1,000; Joe Hurt, $500; Bernice Johnson, $100; Chris Johnson, $200; Dr. Mark Johnson, $500; Mickey Jones, $1,000; Wanda Jones, $100; Paul Kenworthy, $1,000; Grace King, $100; Marjorie Kramer, $500; LaDoyce Lambert, $100; Robert Laughry, $500; Ronald Lee, $250; David Lewis, Dallas, $200; Charles Lively, $200; Bill Madden, $100; R. Neal Marshall, $100; Maurice Martel, $100; Fred Martin, $250; John Mason, $250; Marvin Mayfield, $100; Alice McCollum, $200; Joan McCown, $100; D.M. McDonald, $200; Larry McElmurry, $100; Helen McMahon, $500; Tom McMinn, $500; Dr. John Molland, $500; Ann Moore, $100; J.T. Morgan, $250; John Nau III, Houston, $10,000; O.D. Dennis Neely, Midland, $600; David Nelson, $300; James O'Leary, $100; Harvey Page, $1,000; Madhu Pamganamamula, $1,000; Dr. M.C. Parekh, $250; Stephen Parker, $2,000; J.M. Patel, $500; Kae Patrick, $100; Jimmy Peacock, $500; Bob Perry, Houston, $15,000; Charles Perry, Midland, $500; Dr. Suresh Prasad, $250; J. Roderick Price, $200; Dr. Pill G. Raja, $2,000; Dr. C.V. Ramanathan, $200; Rapid Transport LTD., Kermit, $500; James Reese, $500; Terri Riley, $500; Earl Rodman, $500; Thomas Rodman, $1,000; Robert Rowling, Irving, $10,000; Dr. Scott Sanford, $250; Harlan Scott, $100; E. Ann Self, $1,000; Harold Simmons, Dallas, $2,000; A.G. Sims, $250; C. Richard Sivalls, $1,000; Richard Skillern, $500; Dr. John Slider, $200; Dallas Smith, Midland, $500; Alfredo Soza, $200; Dail Stone, $200; Steven Thompson, $1,000; Tommy Tilley, $100; Dr. Nalin Tolia, $500; Joe Torres, Midland, $250; Toby Tripp, $500; Dr. Thomas Turner, $1,000; Dr. Thomas Turner, $1,000; Dr. Ravikumar Vemuru, $2,000; Dr. Syam Veumlapalli, $250; Hope Watkins, $500; Justin Weatherly, Iraan, $250; Clayton Williams Jr., Midland, $5,000; Harold Williams, $100; Nick Williams, $300; Kendall Wong, $100; Donald Wood, $10,000; Jack Wood, $5,000; Dr. Philip Zeeck, $500; Richard Gillham, $30,000 (loan).

 >> Less than $50: $758.

>> Total Contributions: $138,358.

Expenditures

>> $50 or more: Atkins, Hollmann, Jones, Peacock, Lewis & Lyon, reimbursement for postage, $328; Baselice & Associates Inc., Austin, political strategic assessment and consulting, $8,025; CrossRoads Media, Alexandria, Va., purchase of TV cable and radio time in House District 81, $27,767.63; Five Point Six, San Antonio, West Texas video shoot and production, $8,162; Media Concepts Inc., advertising preparation and printing, $154.25; Media Concepts Inc., television and newspaper advertising, $3,954.75; Media Concepts Inc., advertising preparation, $152.38; Media Concepts Inc., printing mailers, $8,624.75; Media Concepts Inc., advertising consulting, $5,000; Media Concepts, campaign consulting, $94; Media Concepts Inc., printing, $188.35; Spectrum Marketing Co., Manchester, N.H., advertising purchasing and consulting, $4,788.80; The Barn Door Restaurant, refreshments and supplies for fund-raiser, $130; UAR, Boerne, media production, $450; UAR, Bourne, media production, $450; CrossRoads Media, Alexandra, Va., purchase of TV cable and radio time in House District 81, $18,255.95.

>> Less than $50: $60.

>> Total Expenditures: $86,585.86.