Close to $40,000 in combined political expenses were expended in the past month by two candidates vying for the Republican nomination in Hays County’s Pct. 4 Commissioner’s race.
As a result, both Jimmy Skipton and Walt Smith dipped deep into their war chests as the March 6 primaries draw near.
Smith, a Dripping Springs resident who owns a consulting firm, spent $23,355 on his campaign from Feb. 5 to Feb. 26, according to a campaign finance report filed a week before Election Day. The majority of the expenses, roughly $23,100, went toward consulting, advertising and printing purchases from Patterson and Company in Dripping Springs.
Smith also brought in more than $9,800 in political contributions, with $2,500 coming from Ross Gunnels of College Station and $2,500 from Dick Scott of Wimberley. Smith has $5,742.90 remaining in his war chest.
Not to be outdone, Skipton, a long-time Dripping Springs resident and Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District board member, spent just over $15,500 on his campaign from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24, according to campaign finance records. Roughly $12,800 of Skipton’s expenditures went to KC Strategies, an Austin-based consulting firm that assisted with consulting and printing mailers.
Skipton received more than $5,000 in contributions toward his campaign. Driftwood resident Damian Mandola, co-foudner of the Carraba’s Italian Grill chain, and Trina, his wife, contributed $1,000 to Skipton, while former Hays County Pct. 3 Commissioner and Hays County Judge Candidate Will Conley contributed $500.
Skipton has $869.33 left in political contributions. The winner of the March 6 primary will face off against Kyle resident Omar Baca, who is the lone Democratic candidate in the Pct. 4 race.
The trend of high spending right before the start of early voting reached over to the race for the Republican bid for the Pct. 3 Commissioner’s seat as well.
Lon Shell, current Pct. 3 Commissioner who is vying for a full-term, accrued $22,221 dollars in political expenses from Jan. 26 to Feb. 24, the majority going to Patterson & Company.
Shell, a Wimberley resident who was named to the Pct. 3 seat when Conley stepped down to run for county judge, received $21,681 in total political contributions.
Six Political Action Committees (PAC) contributed a total of $6,500 to Shell’s campaign, while he also received $1,000 from Scott Roberts, of Driftwood, who is the owner of the Salt Lick. Shell also received a $650 in-kind contribution from Conley.
Colin McFerrin, a Wimberley resident and an attorney based in Kyle, totaled $9,125 in political expenses, the majority going to consulting and printing costs.
But McFerrin pulled in $7,992 in contributions for his campaign during the reporting period, including a $1,000 contribution from Lone Star Gun Rights, an Austin-based group lobbying for constitutional carry legislation.
McFerrin also received a $1,000 in-kind contribution from Fuschak’s in San Marcos and $750 from Wimberley Valley Winery.
The winner of the March 6 Pct. 3 Commissioner Republican primary will face Jimmy Alan Hall in November. Hall is the lone Democratic candidate in the Pct. 3 Commissioner race.
Candidate/officeholder campaign finance reports filed Feb. 26
Pct. 4 Commissioner
Walt Smith
Total Political Contributions – $9,850
Total Political Expenditures – $23,355.47
Total Political Contributions maintained as of last day of reporting period – $5,742.90
Total Principal Amount of all oustanding loans – $0
Jimmy Skipton
Total Political Contributions – $5,300
Total Political Expenditures – $15,580.67
Total Political Contributions maintained as of last day of reporting period – $869.33
Total Principal Amount of all oustanding loans – $0
Pct. 3 Commissioner
Lon Shell
Total Political Contributions – $22,111
Total Political Expenditures – $22,258.64
Total Political Contributions maintained as of last day of reporting period – $1,937.72
Total Principal Amount of all oustanding loans – $5,000
Colin McFerrin
Total Political Contributions – $8,192
Total Political Expenses – $9,125.97
Total Political Contributions maintained as of last day of reporting period – $11,051.54
Total Principal Amount of all oustanding loans – $25,000
