Carlton’s fund-raising hits high gear

Dave Rogers

For The Record

Orange County Judge Stephen Brint Carlton has raked in more than $20,000 in campaign contributions – including about $14,000 in the last month – in his re-election bid.

That makes the former assistant county attorney the top fundraiser for the March 6 Republican Primary, according to campaign financial filings.

Carlton’s opponent for the Republican primary, retired Beaumont policeman Dean Crooks, is the top spender, with about $14,000 in listed expenses since officially filing late last year.

Carlton reported $13,955 in campaign contributions in the period from Jan. 26 through Feb. 23.

Top givers were Beaumont attorney Cory Crenshaw, $3,000; Orange attorney Chadwick Robison, $2,500; Beaumont investment adviser Benjamin Terry, $2,250; Orange CPA Michael Dubois, $1,200; and Orange manufacturer Rex McCorquedale, $1,000.

The judge lists only $9,400 in campaign expenses, $7,300 for advertising.

All Carlton’s campaign expenses were paid out of personal funds put into the campaign by a series of personal loans ranging from $1.60 to nearly $3,000.

The latest campaign filing shows 19 personal loans for more than $9,300 since Jan. 26 and reports Carlton repaid himself the balance outstanding, $10,272, before filing his Feb. 24 report.

His report shows nearly $10,000 remaining in his campaign war chest heading into the final week before the primary.

Crooks listed $2,700 in new contributions against just $392 in expenses for the Jan. 26-Feb. 24 period.

Big donor was Orange industrialist Chad Havens at $2,000. Crooks spent $391 on advertising. He shows a campaign account balance of $2,300 as of Feb. 24.

Three other incumbent county elected officials face challenges in the GOP primary, for which early voting closes Friday.

Barry Burton, Commissioner Precinct 2, listed $3,375 in contributions against $4,595 in expenses over the latest reporting period.

Top donor is $1,000 giver Kevin Hager of Top Deck, Inc., the Mauriceville scaffolding company. J.W. Dalton, president of Top Deck, contributed $250 in cash, $250 of in-kind gifts to Burton.

Burton’s filings indicate his campaign has raised close to $8,000 in donations while spending more than $7,000 since filing. His Feb. 24 report lists nearly $6,000 in cash on hand.

Burton’s opponent, former Orange city council member Theresa Adams Beauchamp, had taken only a pair of $100 donations in her mostly self-funded campaign. But in the latest reporting period, she showed $1,650 in contributions against $2,900 in expenses.

Beauchamp reported $500 donations from her mother, former Precinct 2 commissioner Marcelle Adams, and husband Frank Beauchamp. All her February expenses went to advertising.

Her campaign has reported a total of $6,800 in spending.

Vidor Mayor Robert Viator is seeking to unseat two-term Commissioner Jody Crump in Precinct 4.

Viator’s campaign reported $1,600 in contributions for the Jan. 26-Feb. 24 period, against $2,600 in spending. Total reports for this election cycle show Viator taking in just under $5,000 in donations while spending about $6,600.

He shows $4,750 remaining in his campaign account Feb. 26.

Crump revealed $840 in campaign donations during the last reporting period — Lydia Dambel’s $200 in-kind donation for a fundraising event plus six $100 gifts — against $1,600 in expenses, all for advertising. The former Pine Forest mayor has listed about $2,000 in contributions with about twice that in expenses.

The other contested race on the March 6 ballot is for County Treasurer, where two-term incumbent Christy Khoury takes on challenger David W. Smith.

Smith listed his campaign’s first contributions — $350 — with about $300 in expenses pushing his total listed expenditures to about $1,300. Khoury listed $700 in contributions on this report — $500 coming from former commissioner John Banken — and $850 in expenses. Khoury has spent about $2,600 and reported $1,400 in contributions so far.