Judicial candidates file campaign finance reports

Supporters of Gerard Caswell’s campaign for district judge contributed about $69,000 to the cause, including $1,000 of the candidate’s own funds. His opponent, Scherri Guidry, reports contributions of $805, all her own money.
Initial campaign finance reports are required by state law 30 days before a primary election for district candidates.
Filings indicate that Caswell actually began raising funds in 2013 as speculation began to increase that Ellis Daigle would retire from the Eunice-area seat on the bench and run for district attorney. He did that in late January and Caswell formed a campaign committee shortly thereafter.
An open judgeship in Judicial District 15, which includes Acadia Parish (parts of Eunice are in that district) has four candidates who have raised about $135,000 between them.
In that race, Burleigh Doga of Crowley reports $33,700 raised, including $10,300 of his own money; Mike Goss has raised $45,000, including $25,300 in loans by him to the campaign; Jack Nickel lists $35,000; and David Smith lists $44,550 raised, with about half of that coming from tickets sales to fund-raising events.
Caswell reports receiving $23,350 since February of this year. He had $46,357 on hand at the start of the year and had spent $23,700 at the reporting date, with $46,007 on hand.
Contributors to Caswell since February of this year include (from Eunice, unless otherwise noted):
$2,500 -- Kendall Fontenot;
$1,500 -- Dejean & Leger, Opelouas; Douglas Perret, Lafayette;
$1,000 -- Raymond L. Brown, Alexandria; Rainer Anding Talbot & Mulhearn, Baton Rouge, $1,000; Brandt & Sherman, Lafayette; Doran & Cawthorne, Opelousas; Veillon and Mc Glasson; Aucoin & Associates; Pucheu Pucheu & Robinson; Joseph F. Garr, Jr. APLC, Lafayette.
Contributors to Caswell during 2013 have previously been listed in the newspaper. The reports, and all other filed reports are available at the Louisiana Ethics Administration website.
In the Acadia race, Doga’s campaign was in the red $5,206 at the reporting date in late September.
He listed $38,971 spent. His report noted $5,206 due on a credit card used for some campaign spending.
Goss had contributed $25,302 of his own money in loans to the campaign, for a total available of $45,100. The campaign had spent $28,737 and had $15,888 on hand.
Smith had raised $44,550 and spent $40,840, with $3,709 on hand. NIckel had spent $22,515, with $17,300 on hand.
Doga’s campaign was in the red $5,206 as the campaign’s last month began.
He listed $38,971 spent. His report noted $5,206 due on a credit card used for some campaign spending.
Goss had contributed $25,302 of his own money in loans to the campaign, for a total available of $45,100. The campaign had spent $28,737 and had $15,888 on hand.
Smith had raised $44,550 and spent $40,840, with $3,709 on hand.
Contributions to Doga included:
$2,500 -- Jack Miller, Scott Privat, both of Crowley;
$1,200 -- Susan LeJeune, Houston, Texas;
$1,000 -- Diana Parker, Crowley.
Contributions to Goss included;
$2,500 -- Kenneth G. Goss, Crowley; Brand & Sherman LLP, Lafayette;
$2,000 -- Kenneth Goss, Jr., Crowley; Shawn Donahue, Mandeville; Kevin Goss, Katy, Texas;
$1,000 -- Kendall Fontenot, Eunice; LCS Corrections Systems, Baton Rouge.
Contributions to Nickel include:
$2,500 -- Jim Nickel, Baton Rouge;
$1,350 -- Michael Melanson, Crowley;
$1,000 -- Venable Fabricator, Rayne; Fernand Prival, Lafayette; The Walrus Company, Crowley;
Contributions to Smith included $20,325 in ticket sales to fund-raising events. Other contributors included:
$2,500 -- Mark Daigle, Baton Rouge; Shane Frey, Eunice;
$2,000 -- Kalley Latiolais, Church Point;
$1,000 -- Joseph Garr, Jr., Lafayette; Jason Wellbourn, Lafayette; The Crossing at Mervin Kahn, Rayne; Acadiana Phosphating; Jonathan Colligan, Lafayette; Daigle Hardware, Verlie Richard, Jonathon Stanford. M. Shawn Briggs, DDS, Roland Harris, all of Church Point; Monster Heavy Haulers, Rayne.