|
Do you have a minute to spare? Please ask me. |
pictureDiemburgh Mayor Ramiro Garza Jr. has already accumulated six figures after just a few weeks. announces intention to seek re-election As the highest elected official in a city across the United States.
Garza has raised more than $100,000 in campaign contributions so far in his reelection bid, according to his recently filed campaign finance reports, while interim reports also shed light on how other candidates, past and present, have spent their campaign funds.
State law requires candidates to file campaign finance reports semi-annually in January and July during non-election years. As an election approaches, candidates must also file reports 30 days and eight days before Election Day.
According to Mayor Garza's July interim report submitted on July 15, he raised $103,200 in political donations between January 1 and June 30 of this year.
Garza's total campaign contributions, including contributions from past elections, bring his total to about $182,000.
But most of the recent donations came within days of the mayor's campaign kickoff at Trevino's restaurant late last month.
About 55 individuals, corporations and political action committees contributed to the mayor's re-election campaign with contributions ranging from $50 to $5,000.
Most of the donations came in the week before Garza's June 26 campaign launch dinner.
His largest donations, $5,000 each, came from Victor Daniec, David O. Rogers Jr., Joaquin M. Spamer and Tilmin G. Welch, according to the report.
Other notable donors include construction magnate Alonzo Cantu, who gave $3,500 on June 20, and a group of local physicians, including a $2,000 donation from Dr. Victor Haddad, father of McAllen City Commissioner Victor “CeeBee” Haddad, District 5.
Many experts from the construction and real estate development industry also contributed.
>> Nicholas Rose, president and CEO of Rose Enterprises, who donated $1,000,
>> CJE Construction, which donated $2,500,
>> South TX Builders Alliance, a trade group that donated $1,500.
>> Los Lagos Development LLC, which donated $2,500
>> And Enrique “Henry” Flores of Madhouse Development Inc. also donated $500.
Meanwhile, embattled 4th Ward Councilman David White has been dipping into his campaign coffers to pay legal costs that have been mounting since his opponent, Gerardo “Jerry” Lozano, challenged White's election victory, according to midterm campaign finance reports.
White wins Re-election in November 2023 The bid was won by just 10 votes. But a month later, Lozano disputed the results.They alleged that White's campaign staff and volunteers illegally assisted voters at polling places.
This May, The judge invalidated the election results. He declared Lozano the true winner, but White retained his seat in Congress. He appealed the judge's decision.
According to White's interim report, between Jan. 16 and July 15, he raised $28,500 in political contributions.
During that same period, he spent $14,842.07, of which just over $14,100 was for “legal services” paid to attorneys at Oxford & Gonzales, the report shows.
Like Garza, White has received numerous donations from prominent donors, including those in the construction industry and legal profession.
Former Edinburg City Councilman and one-time mayoral candidate Gilbert Henriquez donated $1,500 to White in late February, and state Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, donated $1,000 just days later.
The largest political donation to White came from Rene Garza on Feb. 22, when Garza donated $5,000.
But it's unclear exactly how White's opponent is spending his campaign funds, or how much money he's raised in the first half of the year.
This is because Jerry Lozano failed to file his midterm campaign finance reports by July 15, City Clerk Clarice Balderas confirmed this week.
However, on June 7, Lozano filed an amendment to his January interim report that reflected expenditures through June 5 of this year.
The report said Lozano has spent about $166,000, including more than $48,700 for legal services to Gilberto Hinojosa and Carlos Escobar, the two lawyers who took his election fight to court.
Lozano paid thousands more for “consulting services” to a man named Jorge Velasco.
Meanwhile, another Edinburgh politician has continued to file state-mandated reports despite not being seen in public for at least two years and not holding public office for even longer.
In November 2021 He lost reelection to Garza.has continued to file campaign finance reports every January and July since losing the election.
The former mayor has largely stayed out of the spotlight since August 2022. The jury acquitted him of 12 counts of voter fraud and illegal voting. It all started with the election victory in November 2017.
Molina's July filing showed he has not raised any funds for the first half of 2024 but continues to maintain a balance of about $61,000 from contributions made in previous filing periods.
Like White, Molina has used his campaign funds to cover legal defense costs, according to previous campaign finance reports.
