PRESIDIO COUNTY — While several candidates for Presidio County races are still breaking the law by not filing campaign finance reports — making it impossible to know how much they may have collected in contributions and from whom — those that did file show two candidates receiving a few high-dollar donations.
As of The Big Bend Sentinel review Wednesday morning, the following candidates met their finance report filing obligations: Nancy Arevalo and Norma Valenzuela (tax assessor-collector candidates); Blair Park and Rod Ponton (county attorney candidates); Ruben Armendariz, Deirdre Hisler and Jose Luiz Cabezuela (commissioner candidates); and Adan “Pugi” Covos and Estevan “Steve” Marquez” (constable candidates). Marquez and Cabezuela filed after last week’s story on the issue.
Those not following the law–– now 16 days after the February 5 deadline for the latest report –– include: Tiburcio “Butch” Acosta, Irma Carrasco Sanchez, Samuel Sanchez and Francisco “Franky” Ortiz (commissioner candidates); and Rafael Bently Acosta (constable candidate).
Precinct 1 commissioner candidate Deirdre Hisler led all candidates in contributions at $17,150 and spent $5,623, mostly on advertising, printing and mailing. Hisler received smaller donations from a number of supporters, but she did get three big donations — two for $2,500 and one for $2,000 from former co-workers and a relative, all outside the tri-county area. Hisler, a Marfa resident, will face Samuel Sanchez and Ruben Armendariz, both Presidio residents.
Hisler said she’s taking the race and the position seriously and has used online fundraising and registered vote lists for personalized postcard mailings and phone calls.
County attorney candidate Blair Park, running against incumbent Rod Ponton, was a close second in fundraising at $12,640, and she spent $8,188, primarily on printing and marketing, video production and campaign events. She received a couple of large donations of $5,000 from her aunt and $2,500 from Marfa resident Neil Chavigny. Ponton reported spending $3,623 in personal funds, mostly used for sign printing.
Park said she focused on using money on events and a video of her and her family commenting on her candidacy at Thanksgiving because she wanted the community to get to know her.
While it’s uncertain what constitutes usual highs for contributions in Presidio County races — in large part due to candidates failing to file reports in the past — the amounts raised by Hisler and Park seem to be well above the approximate $7,500 high mark in the November 2022 election.
All other reporting candidates indicated on their filings for an appointment of treasurer that they would not take in or spend the reporting limit defined under law at $1,080, a designation that does not require them to file most other reports. Those that reported anyway were all under $600. The next deadline for reports will be on February 26, eight days before the primary election.
