Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) out-raised his nearest primary rival nearly 5-to-1 during the last six months of 2017, and he has a nearly $1.6M advantage in cash on hand. Former Midland Mayor Mike Canon, who unsuccessfully challenged Seliger in 2014, was second in contributions for the period but third in expenditures behind Amarillo restaurateur and former Muleshoe Mayor Victor Leal.

No Democrat filed for the seat. Libertarian Jack Westbrook reported just $25 in contributions.

Canon has a $170K loan balance. Leal has a $25K loan balance. Seliger has no loan balance.

Seliger defeated Canon, 53%-47%, in the 2014 primary. Seliger raised nearly twice as much during the last six months of 2017 as he did during the last six months of 2013. Canon is slightly ahead of his 2014 fundraising pace, thanks to the $73K he raised during the first six months of 2017 (while Seliger was subject to a contribution mortatorium). In 2014, Seliger raised $465K between January 1 and the end of the 8-day-out reporting period, eclipsing Canon’s $121K.

Leal has raised more than triple the amount he raised as of this point in his unsuccessful 2010 campaign for HD87. He went on to raise another $195K through the 8-day-out reporting period.

Midland ($234K) has been the largest geographic source of campaign contributions so far this election cycle, followed by Austin ($186K), Amarillo ($133K) and Odessa ($38K). Three of those cities are located within the district, resulting in significantly higher proportions of donations from district zip codes than in most other districts.

Overall, 57% of the three candidates’ total contributions have come from zip codes located wholly or partially within the district. By comparison, just 17% of SD30 contributions and 11% of SD2 contributions originated from those respective districts’ zip codes. Seliger ($245K) collected the most of the three from district zip codes, followed by Canon ($160K) and Leal ($34K). Almost 90% of Canon’s contributions were from district zip codes, compared to 56% for Leal and 46% for Seliger. Seliger received 306 donations from individuals in district zip codes, compared to 152 for Canon and 52 for Leal.

Estes’s three largest donors – Javaid Anwar ($25K), Rusty Kelley ($25K) and Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC ($25K) – comprised 14% of his total contributions. Canon’s three largest donors – Kyle Stallings ($20K) and two of his four $10K givers – provided 22% of his total. Leal’s three largest donors – Bob Jones ($10K) and two of his three $5K givers – represented 34% of his total.

 

Sen. Seliger

Amarillo
Steel business owner
Served since 2004

Largest Contributors

$25,000 – Javaid Anwar, Rusty Kelley, Texas Assoc. of Realtors TREPAC

$20,000 ­– AT&T Texas PAC

$15,000 – Texans for Lawsuit Reform

$11,500 – Associated Republicans of Texas

$10,000 – S & B Armour, Charles Butt, Exelon PAC, Texas Assoc. of Business BACPAC

$7,500 ­– Dean Morrison

$5,000 – Salem Abraham, former Sen. Kip Averitt (R-McGregor), James & Lisa Bellina, Kirk Edwards, Ralph Ellis, Rosalind Grover, HillCo PAC, James Hurt, Jim Nelson, Oncor Texas PAC, Texas Automobile Dealers Assoc. PAC, Texas Bankers Assoc. PAC, Texas Oil & Gas Assoc. PAC, Texas Restaurant Assoc. PAC, Johnny Trotter, UPS PAC, Lissa Noel Wagner, Richard Ware, William Ware, Richard Weekley

Canon

Midland
Oil and gas businessman
Former Midland mayor

Largest Contributors

$20,000 – Kyle Stallings

$10,000 – Cody Campbell, James and Paula Henry, Doug Scharbauer, Donald Wood

$5,000 – Joseph Canon, Paul Davis Jr., W.R. and Susan Granberry, Dick Saulsbury, Eddie and Debbie Wallace

$3,500 – Luke and Lindsy Dunn

$3,000 – Don Sparks

Leal

Amarillo
Restaurateur
Former Muleshoe mayor

Largest Contributors

$10,000 – Bob Jones

$5,000 – Cheryl Fairly, Hispanic Republicans of Texas, Brenda Pejovich

$2,500 – Smith Ellis, Larry Latham, Vincent Nowak

$2,000 – Tom Mechler, Joshua Raef

Seliger’s donors include former Odessa energy executive Kirk Edwards ($5K), who lost a 2004 special runoff election for SD31 to Seliger, 56%-44%, and the ensuing Republican primary, 61%-33%. The Texas Restaurant Assoc. PAC is also a Seliger contributor. Leal is a restaurateur.

©2018 Texas Election Source LLC