Candidate Spends $88000 in personal money despite 6-figure personal debt
Travis County Republican candidate and recent Ft. Worth migrant Holly Turner reported $88433.40 in campaign expenses from personal funds in her most recent campaign finance report made available online on April 6. This is reason for conern says her opponents spokesman in the hot April 13
th runoff election for House District 47 outside of Austin.
The race pits 25-year Travis County native Paul Workman versus the more recent Austin native Turner.
This just might be the largest personal expenditure by a candidate whose residence is an apartment. Its too bad so much money cant compensate for her lack of time in
Travis County or her failure to be bothered by voting in 5 straight primaries" said her Republican run-off opponent Paul Workmans spokesman Eric Bearse.
Bearse says that the amount Turner has spent in personal funds roughly 11 times what she raised in contributions raises disturbing questions in light of the Turners personal finances.
Holly Turner has poured $88000 into her carpet-bagger campaign placing her ambition for office ahead of paying off enormous debt" said Bearse.
Turners personal financial disclosure filed in February of this year shows no ownership of stocks or bonds no trust income and less than $5000 invested in one mutual fund.
The Turners also list significant debt to numerous entities: more than $50000 to Bank of America related to two notes more than $50000 to American Education Services presumably for higher education loans and more than $10000 in Hinson-Hazlewood loans.
They owe an additional liability of at least $25000 to ACS.
It appears the cause of advancing her unbridled political ambition takes precedence over debt obligations to multiple lenders even if you exclude the note on her Fort Worth condo" Bearse said.
During the early March Primary Election Turner was attacked for changing her voter address from Tarrant County to Travis County at the end of 2009. (To read the article including her showing off a downtown Ft. Worth condo in the September 2009 issue of
Ft. Worth Magazine click here.)
Austinites are watching this race carefully because the winner will challenge for a seat
held by what many prognosticators believe to be a vulnerable incumbent Democratic Representative Valinda Bolton.
Because Bolton was re-elected in 2008 with the 2nd closest margin of all incumbent Democrats may politicos say Bolton could be very vulnerable.
Holly Turner may not own any property in Travis County but she is trying to purchase a local seat" said Bearse.
Turner received $70000 in loans from her family to launch her campaign including $50000 from her mother Janet White. Eighty-eight percent of the money she has spent is family or personal money demonstrating what little ties she has to the district.
Turner filed for office 15 days before she was even eligible to vote for her own candidacy. She ignored five straight primary elections from 1998 to 2006 starting to vote only around the time she met and married her lobbyist husband.
While Turner has attacked Workmans Republicanism emerging to the surface in this race is the fact that Turner herself skipped five straight primary elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 and 2006.
This means that prior to becoming a candidate she had voted in the sum total of one primary.
It would appear that her recent conversion to political activism and her recent move to Travis County makes her open to the charge of opportunism.
How can taxpayers have faith she will prioritize spending when she would rather personally bankroll her political campaign than pay off more than $60000 in student loans" asked Bearse.
It appears buying an office is more important than paying down her debt. If she will spend this kind of money while carrying so much debt it makes you wonder how much she will spend as a lawmaker without consideration for what taxpayers already owe government each year" Bearse said.
For more information on candidate Holly Turner visit
HollyforTexas.com. Wormans website can be viewed at
WorkmanforTexas.com.
held by what many prognosticators believe to be a vulnerable incumbent Democratic Representative Valinda Bolton.
Because Bolton was re-elected in 2008 with the 2nd closest margin of all incumbent Democrats may politicos say Bolton could be very vulnerable.
Holly Turner may not own any property in Travis County but she is trying to purchase a local seat" said Bearse.
Turner received $70000 in loans from her family to launch her campaign including $50000 from her mother Janet White. Eighty-eight percent of the money she has spent is family or personal money demonstrating what little ties she has to the district.
Turner filed for office 15 days before she was even eligible to vote for her own candidacy. She ignored five straight primary elections from 1998 to 2006 starting to vote only around the time she met and married her lobbyist husband.
While Turner has attacked Workmans Republicanism emerging to the surface in this race is the fact that Turner herself skipped five straight primary elections 1998 2000 2002 2004 and 2006.
This means that prior to becoming a candidate she had voted in the sum total of one primary.
It would appear that her recent conversion to political activism and her recent move to Travis County makes her open to the charge of opportunism.
How can taxpayers have faith she will prioritize spending when she would rather personally bankroll her political campaign than pay off more than $60000 in student loans" asked Bearse.
It appears buying an office is more important than paying down her debt. If she will spend this kind of money while carrying so much debt it makes you wonder how much she will spend as a lawmaker without consideration for what taxpayers already owe government each year" Bearse said.
For more information on candidate Holly Turner visit HollyforTexas.com. Wormans website can be viewed at WorkmanforTexas.com.
