AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - From renowned authors to trial lawyers, Chicago residents are filling the campaign coffers of Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, the Democratic nominee for governor.
Davis, who will be holding a fundraiser in Chicago on Sunday, has received criticism from the campaign of her Republican rival, Attorney General Greg Abbott, for refusing to debate Abbott in the Rio Grande Valley and opting to raise funds in Chicago instead.
"Sen. Davis is making her priorities clear to Texans by opting to raise campaign cash from (President Barack) Obama donors in Chicago while short-changing voters in the Rio Grande Valley," said Matt Hirsch, communications director of Texans for Greg Abbott.
"Taking dozens of trips to out-of-state while dithering on debates in the Valley seems like an odd way to run for governor of Texas, but given her liberal agenda, it's unsurprising Sen. Davis feels more at home in Chicago or California than here in Texas."
In the first couple of months of 2014, Davis garnered thousands of donations, raking in millions of dollars in campaign contributions, campaign finance records show.
From Jan. 24 to Feb. 22, Davis' fundraising entities collected more than $2.8 million in campaign contributions from individuals throughout the nation, including 69 individual donations from Chicago residents.
Campaign finance records show Davis, a trial lawyer, received several donations from Chicago attorneys, including a $250 donation from Laurie Regenbogen and a $100 donation from Alexa Berlin, attorney for the international law firm Latham & Watkins.
But attorneys aren't the only Chicago residents fueling Davis' run:
-On Jan. 26 novelist Sara Paretsky donated $100 to the state senator's gubernatorial campaign;
-On Feb. 7 Thomas Jarvis, a physicist at the University of Chicago, chipped in with a $28.58 donation; and
-On Jan. 27 Suzanne Gignilliat, a Coldwell Banker employee, made a $1,000 contribution.
Even Chicago city employees are getting in on the action, with Jennifer Cizner, director of International Relations, donating $100 on Feb. 11.
However, Cizner was topped by Steven Fruth, a Chicago Transit Authority employee, who made a $200 donation to Davis campaign on Feb. 4, campaign records show.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the co-hosts of Davis' upcoming Chicago fundraiser are Laura Tucker, Laura Kofid and Lucy Moog.
From Legal Newsline: Reach David Yates at elections@legalnewsline.com
Windy City residents giving to Texas gubernatorial candidate's campaign
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