The race for Wichita County judge has become a high-stakes game for two aspiring candidates.
Campaign finance reports show Dawn Ferrell and Rick Hatcher have collected, borrowed and spent thousands of dollars in their efforts to win the county’s top administrative post.
Early voting for the March 3 party primaries will be Feb. 17-27.
Finance reports for the upcoming primaries were due on Monday, Feb. 2 at the Wichita County elections office. Candidates who planned to collect or spend less than $1,010 were not required to file a report.
Wichita County judge election
The report from Ferrell, a retired Texas Air National Guard and Air Force major general, shows she had spent just under $47,096 on her campaign.
The lion’s share of that, $45,000, went to Mike Stevens, a Lubbock political consultant whose company was used by Mayor Tim Short and Wichita Falls City Council members Jeff Browning, Mike Battaglino and Tom Taylor in their successful bids for city offices in 2023.
The report shows Ferrell has loaned herself most of the money used in her campaign, $45,000.
She has collected $3,725 in campaign contributions and had a balance of $2,740 in contributions as of Thursday, Jan. 29. She listed seven individual contributions.
Rick Hatcher, a Wichita Falls businessman and former city councilor, listed $10,000 in total campaign contributions against just over $11,423 in expenditures, leaving a deficit of about $1,423 in contributions as of Monday, Feb. 2.
The report shows he loaned his campaign $22,000.
Hatcher’s largest campaign expenditure was about $9,986 to Hoegger Communications. He listed 18 individual contributions.
Ferrell and Hatcher are vying in the Republican Primary for the post held by county Judge Jim Johnson, who is not seeking reelection.
A third candidate for the nomination, Mark Dora, did not have a campaign finance report on file.
No Democrat is running.
Wichita County sheriff election
In the race for Wichita County sheriff, incumbent William Rutledge, who was appointed to the post upon David Duke’s retirement, showed just over $8,354 in total campaign contributions and about $8,306 in expenditures on his campaign finance report.
He had around $2,087 on hand as of Friday, Jan. 30 and had loaned his campaign about $370. He listed 13 individual contributions.
Rutledge’s largest expense was just over $4,497 to Rocking Mc Signs and Printing.
Rutledge is challenged by Clay County Deputy William Norris III in the Republican Primary. Norris had no report on file in the Wichita County Elections Office. No Democrats are running for the job.
Race for Precinct 4 Wichita County commissioner
Jeff Watts, incumbent for Precinct 4 Wichita County commissioner, listed no contributions and no expenditures in his bid for reelection. He had a contributions balance of almost $80 on Monday, Feb. 2.
Watts is opposed for the GOP nomination by Iowa Park heating, ventilation and air-conditioning contractor Aaron Smith, who had no report on file in the Wichita County elections office. No Democrat is seeking the job.
Wichita County treasurer election
The race for Wichita County treasurer has retired police officer Joe Lemond running against incumbent Stephen Jones. Neither candidate had a campaign finance report on file in the Wichita County elections office, and no Democrat is running for the post.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County judge race heats up as candidates spend thousands
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
