In the race for campaign dollars, Karen Sonleitner raised more and spent more than her Pct. 2 County Commissioner opponent, Jeff Heckler. Sonleitner collected $19,403 — with large donations from development interests — and spent $23,553, according to campaign finance reports filed this week with the Travis County Clerk.
Heckler raised just over $14,000 and spent $19,633 on his campaign efforts. Notable Heckler contributors included his parents, Frank and Sarah Heckler, who produced a $9,000 loan; the Travis County Sheriff’s Officers Association, $1,300; anti-Longhorn Pipeline lobbyist Toni Barcellona, $1,000; HillcoPartners, $250; and former State Sen. J.P. Word, $250. Additionally, former State Sen. Chet Brooks, Texas Bicycle Coalition director Gayle Cummins, Gray Panthers activist Charlotte Flynn, and UT professor Standish Meacham, among others, made individual contributions of $100.
Sonleitner’s contributors included separate $1,000 payments from the Turner, Collie, and Braden PAC; Jon Strange, president of Houston-based JNS Consulting Engineers; the Fulbright and Jaworski Texas Committee; developer John Lewis; and the law firm of Armbrust & Brown. She also got $500 apiece from Kirk Rudy, president of the Real Estate Council of Austin, developer Paul Linehan, and lobbyist Christopher Shields, plus $250 contributions from developer Sandy Gottesman and developer lobbyist Dick Brown.
This article appears in March 8 • 2002.
