Wallets open as Election Day looms

By LPR Staff

Editor/POST-REGISTER

In the final weeks before the Nov. 4, 2014, General Election, local candidates have turned up the heat, collecting more donations and spending more money on messaging in a final push for office.

Leading the way in local spending is Democratic Party nominee for Caldwell County Judge, Fermin Islas. A

ccording to an Oct. 6, 2014, campaign finance filing, Islas has collected $11,392 in campaign contributions and spent $5,576.24 on his campaign.

Many donations to Islas’s campaign came from individual donors spending $100 or less. However, seated congressman Lloyd Doggett contributed $500 to the campaign, as did retired businessman BR Magallanez. The Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County chipped in $400, as did Ernest Nieto.

Islas reporting spending $1,659 locally at Printing Solutions, and another $2,922.88 at LasR Signs.

His Republican opponent, Kenneth Schawe, has collected $4,562.74, and spent $8,213.24 in his quest to fill the seat being vacated in January.

Schawe received $1,000 from the Republican Party of Texas, and $320 from the Caldwell County Republican Women. Bob and Peggy Duda, as well as Debra French, offered up $500 each, and Schawe has made a series of loans to his own campaign.

He spent $3,581.47 at LasR Signs, and $240.32 at Logos for campaign shirts. He also reported a variety of smaller expenditures for campaign events.

Incumbent Republican Precinct 2 Commissioner Fred Buchholtz is seeking reelection against Democrat Eddie Moses.

Buchholtz reported collecting $380 in campaign contributions during the reporting period, including $200 from Bob Duda and $180 from the Caldwell County Republican Women.

Buchholtz said he spent $5,060.69 during the reporting period, including $1,061 at Pages Printing in San Antonio, and$1,625 at the US Postal Service. He also purchased banners from Digital Banners Plus, of San Antonio, for $1,246.68.

Moses, on the other hand, collected $2,500 in campaign contributions and spent $2,239.88, much in the form of contributions to various fundraisers throughout Caldwell County.

The bulk of his campaign contributions, a total of $2,100, were donated by Moses himself, with an additional $400 funding infusion from the Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County.

Moses spent $680.98 at LasR Signs and $320.25 at G&C Printing. He also purchased $407.81 worth of signs at K. Sangal Signs, in Schertz.

Darrell Scott, the Republican challenging Joe Roland’s tenure as Caldwell County Commissioner for Precinct 4 collected a total of $1,880, including $1,000 from the Republican Party of Texas and $500 from the Caldwell County Republican Party.

He spent $227.33 at Printing Solutions.

Roland, on the other hand, reported collecting campaign contributions of $1,800, including $500 each from Robert Kottler and Fred Hoskins, and $400 from the Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County.

Though Roland reported upwards of $1,993 in campaign spending, he did not provided an itemized list of expenditures in his Oct. 6 report.

Incumbent Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1 Matt Kiely collected $780 in campaign contributions, including $500 from the Republican Party of Texas. He did not report any campaign expenditures during the reporting period.

His Democratic opponent, Rhoda Chavira, reported collecting $450 from the Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County, and spending $504.16, including an undisclosed amount at LasR Signs.

Former Justice of the Peace for Precinct 3, Mary Alice Llanas, is attempting to reclaim her seat, and has collected $860 in campaign contributions, including $450 from the Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County and $360 from Richard Polfus in that pursuit. She reported spending $346.40 at Sign Arts in San Marcos for her campaign signs.

Llanas is facing Republican Ben E. Brady, who has collected $2,482.50 and spent $718.50. Brady received $500 from the Republican Party of Texas, and $1,578.28 from the Caldwell County Republican Party. He spent $610 at A.G.E. Graphics.

Republican David LaPointe, a candidate for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4, reported collecting $1,984 in contributions and spending $3,470.58 on his campaign.

Like other Republican candidates, LaPointe received $500 from the Republican Party of Texas, and $180 from the Caldwell County Republican Women. He also received a donation of $600 from Margie Smith.

LaPointe noted $570 in newspaper advertising, and $1,179.44 in printing expenses. He also spent $1,106.39 at LasR Signs.

LaPointe is facing incumbent Justice of the Peace Raymond DeLeon, who reported collecting $400 from the Texas Democratic Women of Caldwell County, and $406.69 in unitemized expenses.

As the election draws near, the candidates will continue to track and report their spending. Follow future editions of the Post-Register for news about campaign spending.