Altes campaign contributions triple that of Dallas

State Sen. Denny Altes has been raising money for the House District 63 (Fort Smith) race for 18 months, with more than $34,000 in contributions to show for it.

Altes is term limited in his Senate seat and has two terms of eligibility remaining in the Arkansas House of Representatives. He faces former 188th Fighter Wing Commander J.R. Dallas in the GOP primary. The primary will determine the next District 63 House member because no Democrats filed for the seat.

At the end of March, Altes had collected $34,203 in contributions (although a review of his campaign reports appears to show total collections of $36,337), spent $21,181 and ended with a $13,022 balance. His expenses included $2,000 to the campaign of State Sen. Gilbert Baker of Conway who is running in the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate, and $750 to the Fort Smith Juneteenth Planning Commission. Juneteenth is celebratory festival recognizing the end of slavery and the African American heritage. Altes was pressured to resign his Senate seat in November 2007 after he was found to have forwarded racist remarks via e-mail.

The reports filed by Altes show $15,500 coming from individuals and political action committees outside the Fort Smith area. Rep. Frank Glidewell, who is term limited in the House seat Altes is pursuing, gave $200 to Altes’s campaign. Glidewell is seeking the Senate seat in which Altes is term limited.

Altes, who filed his first campaign report for the state rep race on Oct. 14, 2008, said recently he will continue to aggressively campaign and seek contributions.

“I have to. I can’t take anything for granted,” Altes said.

The bulk of funding for Dallas comes from $15,000 in loans he made to his campaign. As of March 31 he collected $11,675 in contributions, spent $5,863 on the campaign and ended with a balance of $16,711. Of his contributions, only $800 are from individuals outside the Fort Smith area, and those are from friends and not from political action groups.

Dallas said he things his strength in the race is a growing grassroots support. He pointed to the 27 contributors of $100 or less who gave to his campaign by the end of March 31.

“I’m hoping that I have a wider net of support,” Dallas said, adding that the challenge is to get them to the polls.

MARCH CAMPAIGN FINANCE REPORTS

DENNY ALTES
• Outside Contributions
$2,000
Craig Campbell, Little Rock
Michael Morton, Mullenix & Associates, Hot Springs
Arkansas Health Care Public Affairs Committee, Little Rock

$1,000
Robert Smith III, Stephens Investments, Little Rock
Southwestern Energy Co. PAC, Fayetteville

$1,500
Arkansas Agents PAC, Little Rock

$750
Gordon Gondek, Little Rock

$500
Karen Crowson, ARPAC, Little Rock
Eric Donaldson, Phillip Morris USA, Austin, Texas
Ed Drilling, SBC Arkansas Employee PAC, Little Rock
Arkmed PAC, Little Rock
Arvest Bank PAC, Bentonville
Associated Builders & Contractors, Little Rock
Cox Communications, Springdale
International Paper, Memphis

$300
Preston Bynum, Little Rock

$250
G. Clay Bailey, CenturyTel, West Monroe, La.
Sammie Cox, American Electric Power, Little Rock
Lee Douglass, Little Rock
Ben Hyneman, Southern Pioneer Property & Casualty, Jonesboro
Robert Wilson, Little Rock
American Electric Power, Columbus, Ohio
Arkansas Bankers Association PAC, Little Rock
Arkansas Oil Marketers Assn., Little Rock
R.G. Joint Ventures, Little Rock

$200
Mary Neal Bridges, Wholesale Beer Distributors of Arkansas, Little Rock
Wholesale Beer Distributors of Arkansas, Little Rock

$150
Katherine Faulk, KFL & Co., Little Rock
Allan Horne, American Insurance Assn., Little Rock

• Regional Contributions
$4,000
Michael Carter, Fort Smith

$2,000
Carl Corley, Fort Smith
Michael Morton, Fort Smith
Tim Smith, Fort Smith
Dr, John Swicegood, Fort Smith

$1,037
Susan Altes, Fort Smith

$1,000
Harry G. Robinson, Jr., Fort Smith
William Walker, Fort Smith
Carco International

$500
LaDonna Front, Fort Smith
Vonda and Jerry Gardner
Margaret and Paul Wills, Fort Smith

$250
Janet and Robert Cooper, Fort Smith
Carole and James Glidewell, Fort Smith
John Meyers, Fort Smith
Chris Whitt, Fort Smith
Robert A. Young III, Fort Smith
Carman Inc., Fort Smith

$200
Carl Davis, Fort Smith
State Rep. Frank Glidewell, Fort Smith
Robert Miller, Fort Smith

$150
Edward Hickman, Fort Smith

$100
Joyce and David Burton, Fort Smith
Dr. Charles Hartsfield, Fort Smith
Dr. and Mrs. John Hoffman, Fort Smith
Glen Hopkins, Van Buren
Carter Hunt, Fort Smith
Dr. Michael Linimon, Fort Smith
Harry Marley, Fort Smith
Harold McDowell, Fort Smith
Jerry Yarbrough, Fort Smith

$50
Gimo Berry, Fort Smith
Ruth and Jim Berry, Fort Smith
Ann and Loy Price, Fort Smith

J.R. DALLAS
• Outside Contributions
$500
Steve Mathews, Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

$100
Jeff Burrows, Defiance, Mo.
David Hartley, St. Petersburg, Fla.
David Moix, Little Rock

• Regional Contributions
$2,000
Farr Printing Co, Fort Smith (non-monetary contribution)

$1,000
Garland County Living Center, Fort Smith

$1,500
Tommy Farr, Fort Smith (non-monetary contribution)

$600
TrafficArt, Fort Smith (non-monetary contribution)

$500
Sara Goodwin, Fort Smith

$300
Ron Dee Wright, Fort Smith

$250
William R. “Bud” Harper, Fort Smith
Cathy Henry, Fort Smith
Dr. Joe Miller, Fort Smith
Robert Miller, Fort Smith
Karen and John Przybysz, Fort Smith

$200
Joe Dickinson, Fort Smith
Bob Fleck, Fort Smith
Hollie Greer, Fort Smith
Susan and Dick Litzinger, Fort Smith
Donna Newbold, Fort Smith
Preferred Office Products, Fort Smith

$150
Arthur Rideout, Fort Smith

$100
Russ Bragg, Fort Smith
Gene Bruick, Fort Smith
Jennifer Bryant, Fort Smith
Richard Coelho, Fort Smith
Dorance Damron, Fort Smith
Jeanette Foreman, Fort Smith
Terry Klefisch, Fort Smith
Danny Meyers, Fort Smith
Phyllis Russell, Fort Smith
Susan Schluterman, Fort Smith
Jim Shepard, Fort Smith
Roy Slagle, Fort Smith
Nancy Smith, Fort Smith
Martha Talley, Fort Smith
Peggy and Bill Weidman, Fort Smith
Patrick Wheeler, Fort Smith
Stan Yerton, Fort Smith

$75
Philip Merry, Fort Smith

$50
Rob Cates, Fort Smith
Annette Fritz, Fort Smith
Lori Hines, Fort Smith
Glenn Hughes, Fort Smith
Marilyn Law, Fort Smith
Cindy Long, Fort Smith
Sherry McKinney, Fort Smith
Cyndi Mork, Fort Smith
Jacqueline Simmons, Fort Smith