Chris Bell had 665 campaign contributors. I have not been listing “in kind” contributions for other candidates–donations of airplanes and automobiles, funds expended to host an event, and the like–but because Bell’s largest contribution falls in that category, I will include in-kind contributions for donors who gave at least $5,000.
*Ricardo Weitz, auto dealer, Houston, $167,400. (In-kind contributions for travel expenses.)
*Aubrey Swift, Swift Energy, Houston, $100,000
*Tom Pirtle, attorney, Houston $85,000
*Good Government Fund, Corpus Christi, $75,000. (I found no reference to this group on Google, but if I were betting on the source, I’d put my money on trial lawyers.)
*Robert Patton, attorney, Fort Worth, $50,000
*Lee Fikes, President of Bonanza Oil, Dallas, $40,000
*Robert Ayres, retired rancher, Austin, $25,000
*Mauricio Celis, attorney, Corpus Christi, $25,000
*Timothy Ewing, investment advisor, Houston, $25,000
*D. Kent Lance, Hill Partners, developer, Austin, $25,000
*H. Brent Austin, investment manager, Houston, $15,000
*James Thorp, Thorp Petroleum, Houston, $15,000
*Robert Turner, real estate, Austin, $15,000
*Morrie Abramson, electronics, Houston, $10,000
*Gilbert Adams, attorney, Beaumont, $10,000
*Denman Heard, attorney, Houston, $10,000
*David Ikeler, investment & real estate broker, Sugar Land, $10,000
*John Mullen, retired architect, Dallas, $10,000
*Lyndon Olson, former Ambassador to Sweden, Waco, $10,000. He is also a former member of the Legislature.
*Eric Pulaski, computer security company, Houston, $10,000
*Joaquin Rodriguez, attorney, Eagle Pass, $10,000
*Texas AFL-CIO, Houston, $10,000
*Max Garcia, investor, McAllen, $8,225, RETURNED
*Howard Hoover, attorney, Houston, $7,500
*James Walker, attorney, Houston, $7,230.75. (Includes $930.75 in-kind contribution for T-shirts.)
*Scott Clearman, attorney, Houston, $7,000
*David Bright, attorney, Corpus Christi, $5,610.75. (In-kind contribution for billboard advertising.)
*Doug Brown, builder, Houston, $5,000
*Alonzo Cantu, construction, McAllen, $5,000
*Eric Carter, attorney, Pearland, $5,000
*Martha Cottingham, freelance journalist, Kingwood, $5,000
*Forward Together PAC, Alexandria, VA, $5,000. (This is the PAC of former Virginia Governor Mark Warner, a contender for the Democratic nomination for president.)
*Steven Gibson, venture capitalist, Houston, $5,000
*J. Christopher Hughes, attorney, Austin, $5,000
*Ironworkers State COPE Fund, Georgetown, $5,000
*John Kim, attorney, Houston, $5,000
*Kevin Krist, attorney, Houston, $5,000
*Charles Leyendecker, developer, Houston, $5,000
*David Mafrige, real estate, Houston, $5,000
*Edna Meyer-Nelson, real estate, Houston, $5,000
*Sterling Morris, attorney, Corpus Christi, $5,000
*Jim Palavan, engineer, Houston, $5,000
*Don Riddle, attorney, Houston, $5,000
*Stephen Susman, attorney, Houston, $5,000. (One of the state’s premier litigators.)
*UA Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union No. 100, Garland, $5,000
*United Steelworkers of America, $5,000
*Charlie Gonzalez, congressman, San Antonio, $2,000. The son of Henry B.
*Tommy Adkisson, county commissioner, San Antonio, $2,000. Several other members of the Adkisson family made contributions.
*Lon Burnam, state legislator, Fort Worth, $1,000 in campaign funds
*Al Green, congressman, Houston, $1,000. Bell’s bid for a second term in Congress failed when Green defeated him in a redrawn district in 2004.
*Gene Green, congressman, Houston, $1,000.
*Anthony Weiner, congressman, New York, $500 in campaign funds. Weiner made an unsuccessful bid for NYC mayor earlier this year.
*Terri Hodge, state legislator, Dallas, $100.
