It’s sometimes hard for voters to know how to judge judicial candidates; today I’m thinking we should include basic math skills. A justice on the Texas Supreme Court is claiming to be the “top fundraiser among all Texas candidates for statewide offices.” Yet according to official state filings, she was out-raised by her own opponent.
Maybe it’s another case of incumbent Justice Debra Lehrmann being led astray by her campaign’s fundraising consultant, Susan Lilly?
Her campaign today has emailed and tweeted that Lehrmann “was the top fundraiser among all TX candidates in the upcoming Primary Election.”
On her campaign finance reports, Lehrmann reported a respectable $332,618.46 in political contributions. Not too shabby.
Lehrmann TEC report
Except in comparison to her own opponent, Michael Massengale, who serves currently on the Houston court of appeals. Justice Massengale reported to state officials that he raised $353,471.36.
In other words, Massengale raised about $20,000 more than Lehrmann.
Massengale TEC report
None of this would be that notable except for Lehrmann’s campaign making such an audacious, and easily checked, claim. It turns out Lehrmann wasn’t even the top fundraiser in her own race.
There’s an old joke that people who can’t do math go to law school. Guess there’s some truth in that after all.
