Eight days out from Election Day, Republican Marsha Farney reported having $22,274 in campaign cash in the State Board of Education Dist. 10 race, while Democrat Judy Jennings had $13,602. But Jennings’ actually suffers a disadvantage far greater than those numbers indicate: Apparently, Farney has more money than God, and she’s willing to spend it.
Newsdesk reviewed all the contribution and expenditure reports for Farney and Jennings during this election, and Jennings ($161,095) raked in more than double the contributions of Farney ($70,758). That would worry most campaigns, but Farney apparently isn’t even trying to hustle too hard for political donors. She’s just reaching into her own bank account, so far to the tune of $434,140.
That’s a lot of money for a professional educator, so we’re guessing husband Bryan – an intellectual property lawyer with Dechert LLP – is the real financier.
“It’s nice to be able to run a campaign for which you don’t need any actual supporters,” complained Jennings spokesman Harold Cook.
Most of Farney’s contributions are marked “Reimbursement
from political contributions intended,” and she can keep asking for campaign cash after the election, but that’s a lot of dough to spend with no guarantee she’ll get it back – and for a job that pays nothing.
But Farney does have a tiny number of contributors. Among the more notable and higher-dollar: Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, a major GOP donor ($5,000); James Elacqua ($6,000) and Steven Fierson ($5,000), former colleages of Bryan Farney at Dechert; grocery magnate Charles Butt ($4,000); and state Sen. Steve Ogden ($2,000).
Among Jennings’ more notable contributors: Former Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes and wife Melanie ($1,000), Dallas attorney Lisa Baron (widow of late trial attorney Fred Baron, a major Dem funder – $5,000), the Texas Freedom Network 21st Century Education PAC ($2,178), the Texas State Teachers PAC ($3,000), and Don Henley ($10,000). Yes, that Don Henley.
This article appears in October 22 • 2010.