Look at District 14 Campaign Finance Reports: Big Spenders

A look at campaign finance records has revealed that two candidates are spending significant amounts of money on the campaign for Texas House of Representatives District 14. Republicans Rebecca Boenigk and Bob Yancy, who have also traded barbs in candidate forums, are out spending the other two candidates and are doing so with mostly their own money.

According to Texas Ethics Commission records, as of the most recent filing deadline Boenigk has reported $81,191 in political expenditures. Records show that as of that filing deadline Yancy has reported $70,312 in political expenditures. Those records show that both candidates have made significant loans to their campaigns, as Boenigk has reported a total of $140,000 in loans and Yancy has reported a total of $65,000.

Democrat Judy LeUnes and Republican John Raney are spending far less than the other two candidates, and neither of them have loaned any money to their respective campaigns. According to Texas Ethics Commission records, as of the most recent filing deadline LeUnes has reported $10,145 in political expenditures, and records show that Raney has reported $13,892 in political expenditures.

Yancy has reported the most in total political contributions to his campaign, however, a significant amount of the total has come from a political action committee. TREPAC Texas Association of Realtors has contributed $12,500 of the $23,400 he has reported. Other political action committees that have donated to his campaign include Friends of Clint Hackney & Company PAC ($1,000), HILLCO PAC ($500), One Call Concepts PAC ($250), and Texas Association of Crane Owners PAC ($250).

Boenigk has reported $14,624 in political contributions, of which $1,500 came from the Texas Apartment Association Political Action Committee. Also of note, Boenigk received a $5,000 contribution from Annette Taddeo of Miami, Florida. Raney reported $13,018 in political contributions, of which he received contributions from NFIB-Texas Safe Trust ($1,000), Brookshire Brothers, PAC ($750), Texas Academy of Audiology PAC ($500), Texas Retailers Assn. PAC ($500), and Radio Shack Government Fund ($100). LeUnes reported $9,362 in political contributions, and received a $1,942 from Texas State Teachers PAC and a $500 contribution from Joaquin Castro for State Representative Campaign.

In the final week of the campaign Boenigk has by far the most cash on hand with $95,497, while despite his aparrent attempts to keep pace with her spending Yancy has only $13,600 cash on hand. Raney has reported $19,089 cash on hand, and LeUnes has reported just $2,937 cash on hand. As the final week of the campaign expect a barrage of advertising from Boenigk as she attempts to overcome negative perceptions of her campaign.