Republicans have more campaign cash,
but Democrats have 4 of the top 5 balances.
but Democrats have 4 of the top 5 balances.
Heading into this election year, Republican legislators and legislative candidates had about $1 million more to spend on their campaigns than Democrats, according to reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
Republicans' cash on hand at the end of 2007 totaled just under $3.1 million, compared with $2.1 million for Democrats. Reports were filed for almost 200 active candidate campaigns, including all 151 current legislators.
"Money might always seem to be an advantage but it's not, really," said state Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes. Holmes pointed out that Democrats Ken Luttrell and Eric Proctor managed to win previously Republican House seats in 2006 with very little money.
The Ethics Commission figures include accounts for term-limited Sen. Jim Williamson, R-Tulsa, whose legislative campaign fund has been essentially dormant since 2005, and Rep. Rob Johnson, R-Kingfisher, who has also opened a corporation commission campaign fund.
The figures do not include old campaign accounts maintained by current and former legislators, nor do they include figures from the more than 300 active political action committees registered with the Ethics Commission.
Despite the Republicans' overall cash advantage, four of the five largest balances belong to Democrats.
Of particular note is the war chest accumulated by Sen. Susan Paddack of Ada. Paddack raised $160,000 in the last three months of 2007 and had more than $308,000 in cash at year's end. Her donors include several known primarily as Republican contributors, including Oklahoma City energy tycoon Aubrey McClendon, Tom Love of Love's Travel Stops and Country Stores, Oklahoma City furniture store owner Bill Mathis and Seattle SuperSonics owner Clayton Bennett.
Second on the list is Sen. Johnnie Crutchfield, D-Ardmore, with just under $235,000. Crutchfield has said he built a large balance expecting a 2006 challenge that never came. Now term-limited, Crutchfield has said he will probably give away anything left in the account after he leaves office in 2010.
The top Republican and top House member is Rep. Dennis Adkins of Tulsa, followed by Sen. Tom Adelson, D-Tulsa; Rep. Lucky Lamons, D-Tulsa; and Rep. Ron Peters, R-Tulsa.
Johnson, who announced in January he intends to run for the Corporation Commission, still had almost $140,000 in his House campaign fund at the end of 2007.
Former Oklahoma State University President James Halligan, Republican candidate for the vacant Senate District 21 seat, is making a strong bid for rookie of the year in fundrais ing terms. Halligan, who announced his candidacy only a few months ago, had already taken in $131,000 by the end of the year and reported a balance of more than $128,000. His contributions included $15,000 from various PACs associated with Senate Republicans and another $15,000 from a Texas ranching family with OSU ties.
Republicans are counting on Halligan and the defeat of Sen. Nancy Riley in west Tulsa County's District 37 to gain control of the Senate for the first time in history. Riley, a former GOP candidate for lieutenant governor, switched parties in 2006 to stymie a Republican takeover.
To this point, only one potentially serious Democratic challenger to a sitting Republican has appeared -- Norman attorney Diane Drum, who is going after District 15 incumbent Jonathan Nichols.
Holmes, the Democratic party chairman, said he thinks Elgin businessman Rick Wolfe will make a capable candidate in southwest Oklahoma's District 31 and vows to find a viable opponent for Halligan.
Primaries are set for July 29; the general election is Nov. 4.
Randy Krehbiel 581-8365
randy.krehbiel@tulsaworld.com
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