| Candidate | Expenditures | Contributions | Outstanding Loans | Cash on Hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Craig Carter (R) | $1,110.45 | $601.00 | $41,000.00 | $40,465.61 |
| Andy Hopper (R) | $4,587.42 | $5,270.00 | $100.00 | $5,270.00 |
| Shelley Luther (R) | $645,988.86 | $136,457.22 | $1,043,827.39 | $551,313.94 |
| Jacob Minter (D) | $3,379.05 | $8,117.20 | $1,594.48 | $4,114.15 |
| Drew Springer (R) | $604,730.72 | $560,165.03 | $0.00 | $192,421.34 |
| Chris Watts (R) | $138,986.25 | $59,615.00 | $83,000.00 | $3,628.75 |
Altogether, Luther leads with the most cash on hand, bolstered by support from conservative megadonors — notably a $1 million dollar loan from CrownQuest CEO Tim Dunn and a $100,000 donation from Farris and Jo Ann Wilks.
Luther also included a notable $5,000 donation from former state senator Don Huffines and his wife, Mary Catherine.
As of Monday’s report, Luther had $551,000 on hand and had spent $646,000.
Barring Dunn’s loan to Luther, Springer received more contributions: $560,000 compared to Luther’s $136,000.
Like Luther, Springer’s receipts included a six-figure contribution of $100,000 from a major donor in the oil and gas industry, Petroplex CEO Javaid Anwar.
Anwar has been a major contributor to several state Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, Attorney General Ken Paxton, Land Commissioner George P. Bush, and Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick.
Other notable contributions that Springer received include a $25,000 donation from the Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC, $20,000 from Silver Eagle Distributors CEO John Nau, $20,000 from the Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND, and $15,000 from Hunt Consolidated CEO Ray Hunt.
Brint Ryan, a lobbyist in the Texas legislature and CEO of tax services firm Ryan LLC which Springer has been criticized for being employed by, contributed $10,000 to Springer’s campaign.
Springer reported having spent $605,000 on the state senate campaign with $192,000 cash on hand.
Denton Mayor Chris Watts received $60,000 in contributions, spent $139,000, and reported $4,000 cash on hand.
The other three candidates — Republicans Craig Carter and Andy Hopper, and Democrat Jacob Minter — reported contributions and expenditures of less than $10,000 each, though Carter reported a $41,000 loan almost completely unspent.
Early voting in the North Texas district began on September 14, with 18,000 votes cast so far according to the Texas Secretary of State.
Election day will be held in a week on Tuesday, September 29.
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Daniel Friend
Daniel Friend is the Marketing and Media Manager for The Texan. After graduating with a double-major in Political Science and Humanities, he wrote for The Texan as a reporter through June 2022. In his spare time, you're likely to find him working on The Testimony of Calvin Lewis, an Abolition of Man-inspired novel and theatrical podcast.
