In Alabama’s 5th Congressional District incumbent Mo Brooks, R-Huntsville, outraised challenger Chris Lewis by $179,761,81 in the first half of 2019. Lewis is challenging Brooks in the Republican primary on March 3.
Brooks reported receipts of $220,395.06 and expenditures of $42,106.84 for a final cash balance of $870,469.73 entering the month of July.
Chris Lewis reported receipts of $44,633.25 and expenditures of $9,173.97 for a cash balance of $35,459.28 coming into July.
Brooks reported total contributions of $219,409 during the first six months of 2019. $161,689 of that were in the form of individual donations. Brooks also had $57,720 in contributions from committees.
The Republican Party Committee has not contributed anything to Brooks at this point as the parties do not take sides in primaries. Brooks also reported offsets to operating expenditures of $661.53 and other receipts $324.53.
Brooks’ 120 itemized individual contributions are overwhelmingly from Alabama and range in size from $2800 to $200. William Taylor and Christy Taylor of New Market, Alabama each made two $2,800 contributions to Brooks. William Taylor is the owner of Hometown Lenders. Franklin Haney of Chattanooga, Tennessee made two contributions to Brooks of $2,800 and $2,600. He manages the Franklin L. Haney Company. FLH is a Washington-based, multi-faceted business with national investments in real estate and property development. They have built buildings for banks, the TVA, the IRS, Social Security, Holiday Inn, and more. Haney recently tried to buy and restart construction on a nuclear plant in Jackson County.
Brooks’ ten largest committee contributions came from the House Freedom Fund $5,000; the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry PAC $5,000; Torch Technologies Inc. PAC $2,700; Associated Builders and Contractors $2,500; American Society of Anesthesiologists $2,500; Southeast Cotton Committee Southern Cotton Growers Inc,/SE Cotton Ginners Assn. $2,500; NUCOR Corporation PAC $2,500; National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors PAC $2,000; Lockheed Martin Employees PAC $2,000; and Employees of Northrop Grumman PAC $1,500.
Lewis reported total contributions of $44,133.25. All of his contributions were from individuals. Lewis had 49 itemized individual contributions from $2,800 to $5.50. Most of his contributions came from Alabama. His most significant contribution was from Harold Lewis of Florence $2,800. Cherion Crow of Florence also contributed $2,800. Crow owns Construction Personnel, Inc. Helmut Welker of Canal Winchester, Ohio contributed $2,500. Patricia Lewis of Florence contributed $2,500. Carolyn Eck of Florence contributed $2,144. Lewis also reported $500 in offsets to expenditures.
Lewis reported no committee contributions.
Neither Brooks nor Lewis report any outstanding campaign loans.
North Alabama was a Democratic stronghold for over a century until then-incumbent Parker Griffith switched to the Republican Party late in 2009. He was subsequently defeated in the Republican primary by Brooks in 2010. Griffith challenged Brooks unsuccessfully in the 2012 Republican primary and then switched back to the Alabama Democratic Party in 2014, where he was the Democratic nominee for Governor. Griffith was defeated by then-incumbent Gov. Robert Bentley (R) in the 2014 general election.
Presently no Democrat has filed paperwork with the FEC to run for this seat in 2020.
The Federal Elections Commission is the regulatory body for federal races including Congressional races. The Alabama Secretary of State’s office is the regulatory agency for state and judicial races.
Brooks is presently serving in his fifth term representing the people of Alabama’s 5th Congressional District. Brooks previously served the people of North Alabama on the Madison County Commission and in the Alabama House of Representatives. Brooks is an attorney and former prosecutor.
Lewis is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He served combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan before retiring with 23 years of service.
The major party primaries will be March 3.
