Reports covering fundraising in April, May and June for House candidates Chet Edwards and Bill Flores offered insight into the candidates’ geographical power bases.

The candidates announced that they both raised upward of $600,000 on Thursday, but the reports published online by the Federal Elections Commission late Thursday fleshed out in greater detail the sources of the contributions.

In McLennan County, Edwards, the Democratic incumbent, led his GOP challenger, taking in $63,500 from 87 contributors. Donors included prominent members of Waco’s civic and business communities such as restaurateur Sammy Citrano; Louis Englander of Englander Container; Waco banker David Lacy; and Gloria Young, who chairs the Waco Mammoth Foundation’s Advisory Board.

Recent campaign finance reports offer insight into the geographical power bases for Congressional candidates Bill Flores (left) and Chet Edwards.

Flores wasn’t far behind, raising close to $55,000 from 39 donors, several of whom contributed the maximum of $2,400 for each of the three contests he’s taken part in — a crowded Republican primary, a runoff against Waco businessman Rob Curnock and now the general election.

His donors include longtime GOP contributor Carey Hobbs of Hobbs Bonded Fibers and his wife Brenda and $4,800 donations from Ted and Sue Getterman. TYMCO executive Gary Young and his wife Elizabeth both maxed out, giving $7,200 a piece.

Though he trails Edwards in McLennan County, it was another story for Flores in Aggieland where he lives.

In Bryan and College Station, 81 contributors gave Flores more than $103,000. Edwards raised $5,500 from 27 donors.

And in the northern part of the district, known for its conservative bent, Flores received $33,000 from 31 donors, including $500 from Edwards’ 2004 GOP opponent Arlene Wohlgemuth.

Edwards got around $9,000 from 13 donors in the same area to the south of Fort Worth.

Out-of-district dollars

Outside money poured into the district, from both individuals and political action committees, or PACs. These donations essentially drew the two campaigns even, in terms of overall contributions for the quarter.

Edwards raised $232,970 from individuals outside the district and Flores brought in $229,834, though Edwards had about a $100,000 edge in PAC contributions.

*  Flores:

Midland-Odessa: $35,750 including large contributions from oilmen Clayton Williams Jr. and Tim Dunn, who’s also chair of the Empower Texans, a conservative PAC.

San Antonio: $12,125, including donations from former Sen. Phil Gramm and his wife Wendy who live in nearby Helotes.

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: $69,900.

The Houston area, where Flores worked as an oil and gas company executive before retiring to Bryan: $87,418.

*  Edwards:

Temple-Killeen: $20,110.

San Antonio: $16,737, including $2,400 from H-E-B grocery magnate Charles Butt.

Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex: $69,138, including a $500 donation from former Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief.

The Houston area: $84,739.

Austin: $59,812.

PAC contributions

Edwards received more than $186,000 from PACs, including funds set up by large companies like Walmart and Exxon Mobil, as well as interest groups including the National Rifle Association and trade association PACs.

Flores raked in more than $87,000 from PACs, most of it from Republican members of Texas’ congressional delegation.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s PAC gave Flores $10,000. Two Republican House leaders gave Flores $5,000, as did Republican Texas Reps. Michael Burgess, Jeb Hensarling, Sam Johnson and Pete Sessions. Joe Barton’s PAC also gave $4,000 during the quarter.

Flores also donated $23,000 to his own campaign and loaned himself $155,000 during the three-month period. That brings the total amount he and his wife have put into the race at $196,000, with total loans reaching $475,000.

The Dallas Morning News reported on its website Friday that an Edwards spokeswoman accused Flores of trying to “buy his way into office,” comparing him to Edwards’ unsuccessful 2006 opponent Van Taylor, whose combined loans and contributions to his campaign topped $1 million.

Flores’ campaign spokesman Matt Mackowiak responded by highlighting the campaign’s success among donors in the 17th Congressional District coming off a tough primary battle.

Mackowiak told the Morning News it must be “disheartening” for Edwards “to see so many people from within the district donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to get rid of him.”

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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