FORT WORTH -- Big bucks are on the table in the battle for two local congressional districts.
In recent months, millions of dollars have been donated to Weatherford car dealer Roger Williams and Gatesville Tea Party activist Wes Riddle in the 25th District, and state Rep. Marc Veasey of Fort Worth and former state Rep. Domingo Garcia of Dallas in the 33rd, easily eclipsing the average amount spent on a U.S. House race.And there are still two weeks till the July 31 election."The runoff can promote more spending because it allows donors to focus on a clear choice between two candidates after big, multicandidate primaries," said Kyle Kondik, House editor for political scientist Larry Sabato's Crystal Ball newsletter.After all, the person who wins the runoff could be the ultimate winner of the job and could end up representing the district for years to come."The runoff becomes very important and thus attracts money," Kondik said. "The stakes are high for the candidates as well -- this might be the closest the loser ever gets to going to Congress."Average congressional campaigns can cost $500,000 to $1.5 million, political observers say.In the race for the 33rd District, which stretches from Fort Worth to Dallas, Garcia has collected more than $1.4 million for his campaign -- more than $1.2 million of it his own money -- while Veasey has raised more than $715,000 from donors.The race for the 25th District, which stretches from Tarrant County to Austin, has been even more costly. Williams has raised about $2.7 million and Riddle more than $230,000, according to new federal campaign finance reports detailing contributions between May 10 and June 30."It takes much more money for candidates to introduce themselves to voters, and that takes a lot of dollars in big population, highly competitive races," said Allan Saxe, an associate political science professor at the University of Texas in Arlington.Early voting in the runoff is Monday through July 27.District 33Garcia has put $680,000 into his campaign since early May, totaling more than $1.28 million since the campaign began. He also raised about $33,000 since May through 44 donations and has $320,000 in cash on hand, records show.Garcia's staff pointed out that the contribution period included the weeks leading up to the May 29 primary."Self-funding can be an indication that a candidate is not otherwise strong enough to attract donors, but fundraising is also a tedious process, and some wealthy candidates would just as soon avoid it," Kondik said.As for Veasey, he raised more than $410,000 since May 10, picking up donations such as $5,000 from Fort Worth businessman Ed Bass, $500 from Sundance Square CEO Johnny Campbell, $2,000 from Fort Worth auto dealer Mac Churchill, $2,500 from former U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, $5,000 from philanthropist Anne Marion, and $1,000 from former state Rep. Steve Wolens, D-Dallas, who was challenged for his job two decades ago by Garcia."From the beginning, Marc has talked about this district needing a leader with proven ability to build an effective coalition," Veasey spokesman Anthony Gutierrez said.District 25Last year's redistricting switched this district so much, from a primarily Democratic district to one that leans Republican, that incumbent U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, switched to District 35 for his re-election bid. The overhauled district draws its biggest population base, about 240,000 voters, from the Austin area, but it also includes 150,000 residents in Johnson County and more than 7,000 in Tarrant County.In the May 29 primary, Williams, a former Texas secretary of state, led with 25 percent of the vote. Riddle, a retired Army officer, was next with 14.56 percent.Williams has long led fundraising. He's brought in $287,885 since May -- and nearly $2.7 million overall -- and has about $650,000 cash on hand. Recent donations include $5,000 from Fort Worth businessman Lee Bass, $2,000 from Mac Churchill, $1,000 from former Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England of Benbrook, $2,500 from Anne Marion and $2,500 from Victor Vandergriff, recent reports show.As for Riddle, he has raised nearly $9,000 since May 10 and has $125,808 in cash on hand. He received donations from 10 Texans in the past two months, including $500 from former GOP U.S. Senate candidate Glenn Addison and $500 from former Texas Republican Party Chairman Tom Pauken, the most recent reports show.Anna M. Tinsley, 817-390-7610Twitter: @annatinsleyHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
