FORT WORTH - The cost of battling for the Texas Senate District 10 seat has skyrocketed.
In what had already become a multi-million dollar fight, incumbent Democratic state Sen. Wendy Davis raised another $1.4 million, and has around $500,000 on hand, as Republican challenger and state Rep. Mark Shelton raised another $1.1 million, and has a little more than $200,000 on hand.New records show that the two candidates each have deep-pocketed donors late in the election season, with Annie's List giving about $200,000 to Davis and the political action committee for Texans for Lawsuit Reform giving Shelton around $600,000, or half of his contributions in the past month, according to new campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission."It is a lot of money for both to spend on a state Senate race," said Allan Saxe, an associate political science professor at the University of Texas at Arlington. "This Senate race is of great importance across the state. ... It is an emotional race ... (and) it is making the state Senate very visible."The battle between Davis and Shelton for state Senate District 10 - which includes Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Colleyville and other areas of south and Northeast Tarrant County - is one of the most watched political fights in Texas.Republican leaders in Congress and statewide stand with Shelton in an effort to reclaim the district for the GOP and Democrats statewide stand with Davis in her quest to serve another four years in the Texas Senate. In 2008, in another fierce battle for this district, Davis unseated longtime Republican state Sen. Kim Brimer of Arlington."Mark Shelton is the voice of the partisan politicians and special interest lobbyists in Austin," said Anthony Spangler, a campaign spokesman for Davis. "It is reflected in his campaign finance report, with nearly his entire campaign being funded by interests outside of Tarrant County."Shelton's campaign said there is a clear difference between the two candidates."The contrast is clear," said Clayton Stewart, campaign manager for Shelton. "Half of Wendy Davis's money is from liberal PACs, trial lawyers and labor unions where as half of Dr. Shelton's money is from the pro-business conservatives, the medical community and tort reformers."Reports due to the Texas Ethics Commission by midnight Monday represented fundraising efforts and expenses between Sept. 28 and Oct. 27 in this race. Electronic reports for both candidates were available by Tuesday.Here's a look at some of the most recent contributions, according to the Texas Ethics Commission:Davis' fundsFort Worth residents ranging from former City Manager Bob Terrell to former school district superintendent Melody Johnson donated to the Davis campaign, according to the 251-page report that included more than 750 donations.One of the largest donations - $50,000 - came from Charles Butt, who heads the H-E-B grocery store chain. Another $50,000 donation came from Fort Worth businessman Sid Bass, who - like Davis - has worked to help Planned Parenthood after the reproductive health care provider lost public and private funding. At least one Planned Parenthood office also contributed to the Davis campaign.Annie's List, a Texas-based political action committee that recruits and funds Democratic female political candidates, made at least six contributions - some of in-kind services - that added up to more than $200,000. A number of attorneys and business owners contributed to the campaign.Davis also received several Democratic donations, including those from Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairman Stephen Maxwell, the Barbara Ann Radnofsky Campaign Fund, state Rep. Lon Burnam, Capital Area Democratic Women, former Congressional District 33 candidate Chrysta Castaneda, former state Rep. Chris Turner, the Royce West Campaign Committee and state Rep. Marc Veasey.And she received donations from several political action committees, including the Arlington Fire Fighters Association, Texans for Economic Development PAC, Texas Academy of Family Physicians PAC, Texas AFL-CIO State COPE Fund, Plumbers Local Union #68 PAC, Houston Fire Fighters PAC, Texas Optometric PAC, Texas Parent PAC, the Junior College and Community College PAC and the Texas Restaurant Association PAC.Shelton's fundsShelton's largest amount of donations in the past month came from the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, a business lobby group, which gave at least 10 in-kind donations that totaled around $600,000, according to the 90-page report that included more than 200 donations.One of the single largest donations Shelton received was $50,000 on Oct. 9 from Houston home builder Bob Perry, one of the nation's largest political donors who helped fund the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth opposition to 2004 Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.A number of Republican groups statewide - such as the Kerr County Republican Party, Llano County Republican Executive Committee, Midland County Republican Women and the Republican Women's Club of Kerr County - sent contributions to Shelton, as did former Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes and Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton.Several of Davis' Republican colleagues in the Senate donated to Shelton, including Brian Birdwell, Craig Estes, Troy Fraser and Robert Deuell.And dozens of political action committees sent money to Shelton, including Conservative Republicans of Texas PAC, Cherry Tree Republicans PAC, Dallas Eagle Forum PAC, Fort Worth Republican Women PAC, Parker County Republican Women PAC, Pink Elephant PAC Committee, Phillips 66 PAC and the Power Political Action Committee of Luminant Holding Company.Anna M. Tinsley, (817) 390-7610Twitter: @annatinsleyHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
