OPEN TEXAS SENATE RACES 2006 - CAMPAIGN FINANCE 2ND HALF 2005

State Senate Candidate	SD	All Funds	Donations	Loans	Expenses	Cash on Hand
Kirk Watson (D)	14	$1,005,676	$1,005,676	0	$83,410	$906,279
Dan Patrick (R)	7	$598,269	$348,269	$250,000	$129,138	$314,690
Robert Nichols (R)	3	$581,328	$181,328	$400,000	$240,794	$341,477
Bob Reeves (R)	3	$562,912	$40,912	$522,000	$64,202	$495,897
Joe Nixon (R)	7	$477,666	$477,666	0	$429,951	$145,552
Frank Denton (R)	3	$319,676	$84,676	$235,000	$48,936	$244,083
Peggy Hamric (R)	7	$207,982	$200,982	$7,000	$67,381	$131,160
Mark Ellis (R)	7	$192,146	$192,214	0	$113,348	$65,141
David Kleimann (R)	3	$96,063	$96,063	0	$217,127	$97,158
Glenn Hegar (R)	18	$48,765	$23,765	$25,000	$22,501	$12,267
Gary Gates (R)	18	$9,893	$9,893	0	$161,309	$5,107
David Stall (R)	18	$2,311	$2,311	0	$1,645	$2,311
Michael Kubosh (D)	7	0	0	0	$1,250	0

January 22, 2006

Ex-Mayor's the King of Fundraising for Open State
Senate Seats as Millions of Dollars Flow to Races

Reeves Leads in Cash, Nixon's Tops in Contested Primary Donations
While Patrick and Nichols Had Heftiest War Chests in SD 7 and SD 3

By Mike Hailey
Capitol Inside Editor

Eight Republican candidates in the running for two open state Senate seats in East Texas and the Houston area had filled their war chests with a combined $3 million by the end of 2005 while gearing up for primary battles this year, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state this week. But none of the contenders in either SD 7 or SD 3 could match Democrat Kirk Watson in the battle for bucks in races for the Legislature as the former Austin mayor reported contributions of more than $1 million in the six-month period that unfolded a year before the 2006 general election takes place this fall. A contested primary for an open southeast Texas Senate seat didn't get under way until the final week of the year.

Houston radio personality Dan Patrick trailed State Rep. Joe Nixon in the amount of money raised from contributors during the second half of 2005 after getting into the Senate District 7 race several months after the Republican lawmaker launched his campaign. Nixon reported raising more than $477,000 from donors around the state - more than any of the other contenders for seats that Republican State Senators Jon Lindsay of Houston and Todd Staples of Palestine are giving up at the end of the year. But Patrick had a bigger war chest last year than Nixon or any of the other candidates competing for seats in SD 7 and SD 3 - thanks to $250,000 that he loaned his campaign on top of more than $348,000 in donations he received from supporters between September and January.

State Rep. Peggy Hamric - who was endorsed this week by Lindsay - reported raising almost $201,000 during the final six months of 2005 while former Houston City Councilman Mark Ellis was close behind with donations to his campaign of more than $192,000 during the same time frame.

Center businessman Bob Reeves loaned his campaign more than any of the competitors in the two Senate districts - and the local school board member and longtime county Republican chairman ended 2005 with more cash on hand than his three opponents in SD 3 and all four contenders in SD 7 as well. Former Transportation Commissioner Robert Nichols raised more money from contributors than the other three candidates in SD 3.

Nichols - a former Jacksonville mayor - reported contributions topping $181,000 during the second half of 2005. Willis businessman David Kleimann, who was knocked off the ballot temporarily this monty by a state party ruling that a court has reversed, was second in SD 3 contributions with more than $96,000 between July and the end of December. Denton was next, raising almost $85,000 to go with loans of $235,000 for his bid for the Texas Senate.

After borrowing $522,000 from himself for the race, Reeves reported cash on hand of almost $496,000 after spending less than the other candidates competing in the two open Senate districts with the exception of Conroe businessman Frank Denton during the second half of last year. Denton reported expenditures of less than $49,000 in the final six months of 2005. Denton borrowed $235,000 from himself for the race while raising almost $85,000 from contributors. Denton, Nichols and Reeves all had war chests during the last six month that were bigger than the one Staples had for the same time period in his first Senate race with two primary opponents in 2000. Staples went on to raise about $3.5 million over the course of 18 months for his winning campaign six years ago.

Three Republicans - state Rep. Glenn Hegar of Katy, Richmond developer Gary Gates and municipal administrator David Stall of La Grange - are vying for the SD 18 seat that Democratic State Senator Ken Armbrister of Victoria decided not to seek again. Democrats Bret Baldwin of Victoria and Henry Boehm of Brenham are competing for their party's nomination in SD 18. Hegar has picked up every major endorsement after switching from a House re-election contest to the Senate campaign less than a month ago. Hegar, whose supporters include State Senator Kyle Janek of Houston and State Rep. Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham, won an endorsement Friday from the Texas Public Employees Association PAC.

Watson is the only major party candidate running for the SD 14 seat that State Senate Gonzalo Barrientos is giving up at the end of the 2006. Campaign finance reports had not posted by this weekend for Democrats Bret Baldwin and Henry Boehm in SD 18.