Republican organizations and committees donated more than $36,000 in a little over a month to candidates in this year's judicial elections, according to the most recent campaign finance reports.
Two of the three candidates running for the Position 2 seat on the Arkansas Supreme Court, currently held by Justice Robin F. Wynne, reported receiving donations from the Republican Party of Arkansas.
Chris Carnahan of Conway, a Division 1 district judge for Faulkner and Van Buren counties, reported raising $14,650 in April with expenditures of $4,362.02, leaving a balance of $72,616.28 at the end of the reporting period.
Carnahan's largest individual donations came from the Republican Party of Arkansas with contributions of $3,150 and $2,900. He also received an additional $2,900 contribution from Ronald Cameron with Mountaire Corporation.
Carnahan's 12-day report for the month of May showed total contributions of $14,310 and expenditures of $75,721.97. That brought his cumulative total to $83,185, with total expenditures of $94,764.94.
Carnahan reported cumulative loans of $24,797.07.
Wynne reported $17,577.76 in contributions and $11,500 in expenditures, leaving a balance of $31,614.76at the end of April.
His largest individual donation was $2,900 from Henry Kinslow, an attorney in El Dorado. Wynne also received an additional $2,000 from Tonya Patrick, an attorney with the Bank of Fayetteville.
The campaign raised $12,400 in the first 12 days of May, bringing Wynne's cumulative contributions to $70,227.76 with total expenditures of $59,463. The cumulative total of loans to the campaign was $10,000.
David Sterling, the third candidate running for the Position 2 seat, reported raising $22,550 in April, the largest amount of any of the candidates, and spending $5,950.21, leaving the campaign with a balance of $40,678.30.
Among his largest individual donations were donations from the Independence County Republican Party and the Republican Party of Arkansas, each of which contributed $2,900. Sterling also received $1,000 donations from the Saline County Republican Committee and the Boone County AR Republican Committee.
Sterling's 12-day report for the month of May showed $6,950 in contributions and $10,936.31 in expenditures. That brought his cumulative totals to $44,000 in contributions and $28,481.34 in expenditures.
SUPREME COURT, POSITION 6
Circuit Judge Gunner DeLay of Fort Smith, a former state lawmaker, prosecutor and district judge, raised more in contributions and spent more in April than Supreme Court Justice Karen Baker, according to campaign finance reports.
DeLay reported raising $26,550 and spending $61,543.22, leaving the campaign with a balance of $32,549.72 at the end of the reporting period.
Some of his largest individual contributions came from Republican organizations, including $2,900 contributions from the Washington County Republican Committee, the Republican Party of Arkansas, the Independence County Republican Party, and the Baxter County Republican Committee.
He also received a $2,000 contribution from the Faulkner County Republican Committee and a $1,000 contribution from the Saline County Republican Committee.
The campaign reported raising $11,325 with $47,770 in expenditures in the first 12 days of May, bringing the cumulative total of contributions to DeLay's campaign up to $133,350 with total expenditures of $157,345.74.
Baker, who has served on the state's high court since 2011, reported raising $8,900 in contributions and spending $3,320,51 in April. The campaign reported a balance of $13,249.49 at the end of the reporting period.
Her largest individual contributions were $2,500 from Annette Castleberry, a teacher at Lyon College, and Casey Castleberry, an attorney at Murphy Thompson.
Baker's campaign raised $600 in the first 12 days of May, pushing her cumulative contributions total to $30,750 with expenditures of $16,900.51.
COURT OF APPEALS
Wendy Wood, a Little Rock attorney running for the Position 6, District 2, seat on the Arkansas Court of Appeals, reported raising $30,575 in April with $36,426.21 in expenditures. That left her campaign with $40,319.56.
Some of Wood's largest individual contributions came from political action committees, including $1,500 from Capitol Consulting Firm and $1,000 from WL&J PAC Inc., Businesses for Justice PAC, and Progressive Arkansas Women.
Wood's campaign reported raising $2,600 in the first 12 days of May, bringing the cumulative total of monetary contributions to $101,227 with expenditures of $125,895.34. She reported loaning her campaign $17,000 earlier this month.
Wood is running to succeed Judge Larry Vaught, who plans to retire at the end of his term this year. Wood is a law clerk for Vaught.
Saline County District Judge Stephanie Casady, who is also running to succeed Vaught, reported raising $11,450 and loaning $24,119 to her campaign in April. She reported $74,932.90 in expenditures, leaving her campaign with $78,679.31.
Some of Casady's largest individual contributions came from business owners Shannon Fleming and John Montgomery, each of whom donated $2,500. Casady received a $1,900 donation from the Jobs and Growth PAC, as well as a $1,000 donation from the Business for Justice PAC.
Casady's campaign raised $1,000 in the first 12 days of May to go along with a $9,889 loan by Casady, bringing her cumulative total of contributions to $114,975 with total loans of $75,941.34. She reported cumulative expenditures of $149,117.11.