Republican State Rep. Charles “Doc” Anderson has a fundraising lead over Democratic challenger John Mabry, D-Waco, according to reports filed late Thursday.

Anderson, a Waco veterinarian who represents House District 56, reported raising $59,000, with $46,000 on hand.

Mabry, an attorney, raised $43,000 and had $29,000 in his campaign’s coffers at the end of the period, which covers campaign finances through the first half of 2010.

Anderson raked in $1,000 donations from, among others, Tejas Logistics president and CEO Gaylon Beavers and Shenandoah Church of Christ preacher Brian Gochenour.

He received $22,392 from Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a tort reform group that gives heavily to Republicans, and $5,000 from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association.

Mabry received $1,000 donations from Waco lawyer Pat Beard, builder Fred Dewald and his wife Suzanne, and dentist Thomas Dunavant, among others.

He also got $10,000 from the House Democratic Campaign Committee and $2,000 from the Texans for Insurance Reform, a group started as something of a counterweight to Texans for Lawsuit Reform.

Several other items on the finance reports stuck out, including a $250 contribution Anderson got from Melva Birdwell, the wife of recently elected State Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury. The donation came with a month left to go in Birdwell’s runoff race against Waco candidate David Sibley.

Though Anderson and Sibley are both from the Waco area, Anderson stayed on the sidelines in the race and was one of only a few state representatives in the senate district not to endorse Sibley.

Anderson also received $1,071 from GOPAC-TX a conservative Republican political action committee that describes its mission on its website as “recruiting a new generation of Republican candidates and providing them with the tactical tools and strategic training necessary to win.”

The donation covered what was described on his report as a “fact-finding trip” and “national economic summit” in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Anderson is a member of GOPAC-TX’s advisory board.

Mabry entered the race on the last day before the close of the filing period, a day before it was reported that the Internal Revenue Service placed a lien against Anderson’s home.

That lien, and a subsequent one for failure to pay taxes withheld from the paychecks of employees at Anderson’s vet clinic, have both been resolved.

The district, which consists of most of Waco and McLennan County, is solidly conservative.

However, voters in the district elected Mabry in 2002 over Holt Getterman, who won a toxic Republican primary that divided the party locally.

Anderson defeated Mabry two years later and has held the seat ever since.

House District 57

In Waco’s other House race, Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, has a large fundraising edge over GOP challenger Marva Beck, a Leon County rancher.

Dunnam’s district stretches from Bellmead through East Waco and across county lines to include Falls, Leon, Madison and Robertson counties.

Dunnam, a Waco attorney, raised $15,000, while Beck brought in $8,000.

But Dunnam’s advantage was more pronounced in terms of the cash the candidates had in the bank.

At the end of the reporting period he had almost $15,000 on hand, compared to $306 for Beck.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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