The first required financial reports by those running for Odessa city council and mayor seats don’t show much in contributions or expenditures ahead of the November election.
Offices up for voter consideration include Odessa’s mayor, District 1 city council, District 2 city council and the at-large city council positions. The last day to file to run for office is Aug 19.
So far, Mayor Javier Joven will face Odessa attorney Cal Hendrick. Incumbent At-Large Councilperson Denise Swanner faces Odessan Craig Stoker, the executive director of Odessa’s Meals on Wheels. District 1 Councilman Mark Matta faces Eddie Mitchell, owner of Ed and Tom’s Bar-B-Que.
District 2 Councilman Steve Thompson does not have an opponent as of Friday. Thompson, Swanner, Joven and Matta are all in their first terms in their respective seats.
Matta has not officially filed but did have a campaign event last week.
Matta and Swanner were political newcomers in 2020 while Joven is a former city council member who resigned during his term in 1998. He has cited different reasons over the years for his resignation but has mostly indicated it was to spend more time with family. He ran for mayor in 2000 losing to the late Billy Hext, who took 78.4 percent of the vote. Joven ran for the District 4 council post in 2010 but lost to Dean Combs.
Joven defeated Dewey Bryant in a runoff in the 2020 mayoral race. Swanner and Matta likewise won their seats in runoffs that year. Thompson won his seat in 2020 during the election after defeating Rachel Minor.
Thompson and Mitchell did not have reports on file with the city as of Friday morning. Mitchell has not officially announced his run but will do so from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 22 at the Odessa Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, which is inside of District 1.
There are few contributions and expenditures for all of the candidates.
Matta, Joven and Swanner, however, did not include in their financial disclosures that Ally Bowling, who is listed as Swanner’s treasurer, paid the $200 fee for all three candidates to have tables at the Firecracker Fandango.
Several public information requests were filed by the Odessa American to the city to get to the paperwork that showed the three $200 money orders for the tables were paid for by Bowling. These type of payments must be included on financial disclosures for a clear picture of who is funding candidates, campaign finance experts have said in the past.
The fillings showed Swanner with $8,475 in contributions and $0 in expenditures. Contributors included:
- Judy Williams $5,000
- S. Naidu $1,000
- Gena Harlow $100
- Rusty Eubank $200
- Martha Lucas $100
- Graciela Ortiz $50
- Greg Connell $25
- Keith Stelter $500
- Robert Thayer $1,000
- Steven Davis $100
- Freda Daniels $250
- Denise Swanner $100
- Thomas Bowe $50
Craig Stoker is listed as his own treasurer.
Stoker’s contributors included:
- Thomas Meek $500
- Brian Green $500
- Raymond Chad Kerley $100
- Joanna Keese $25
His expenditures included $1,515 for the Copper Rose venue; $649.54 for signs; $101.52 for Sticker Mule Advertising and about $800 in social media advertising.
He also shows $3,000 in loans.
Mark Matta’s filing shows Hollie Carrasco as his treasurer and he shows $0 in contributions and $0 in expenditures.
Joven’s filing shows $1,950 in contributions with $4,065 in his campaign chest. His treasurer is Kathy Rhodes.
His contributors included:
- Graciela Ortiz $100
- Bowe Thomas $50
- Lucy Sisniega $1,000
- Anthony Villalobos $100
- Bobby Swanner $100
- Freda Daniels $250
- William Dodson $250
- Sharon Hernandez $100
Joven did not list any expenditures.
Cal Hendrick’s treasurer is Christi Brown. He listed $5,250 in contributions.
Contributors:
- John Hostenbach $250
- Cal Hendrick Law Firm $5,000
He did not list any expenditures.
Mitchell’s treasurer is Mari Spivey Willis, a former city council member. Thompson’s filing lists Heather Grimes as his treasurer.
The next financial reports are due Oct. 7. View these financial reports online at: www.odessa-tx.gov/667/Elections
More on election 2024:
- Oct. 7 is the last day to register to vote.
- Early voting begins Oct. 21 and ends Nov. 1.
- Nov. 5 is election day.
