Hill tops Elliott in $1,000 donors

In 48-hour filings, incumbent gets $23,900 to rival’s $18,100

Donations of more than $1,000 each into Arkansas’ 2nd Congressional District race at the end of last week favored incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. French Hill, according to the most recent reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Hill received $23,900 in donations of more than $1,000 Thursday and Friday, the reports show. His opponent, Democratic state Sen. Joyce Elliott, received $18,100 in similar donations between Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday, both candidates filed their final preelection reports, which show all of their donations. Hill, Elliott and other candidates for federal offices are not required to file their next complete fundraising reports until Dec. 3, well after the Nov. 3 election.

However, between now and Election Day, all federal candidates must file reports with the FEC disclosing, within 48 hours, individual donations of $1,000 or more.

On Friday and Saturday, Elliott and Hill filed their 48-hour reports, showing a total of 26 contributions of at or above $1,000.

Elliott received 11 donations totaling $18,100. Her donors included 10 individuals in six states — among them Tyson Foods executive John Randal Tyson of Fayetteville — as well as a political action committee founded by Hillary Clinton, Onward Together.

Hill received 15 donations totaling $23,900. His donors included 10 individuals from four states, along with political action committees associated with the Republican Party and the credit-reporting company Experian.

The campaign of U.S. Rep. Rick Crawford, a Republican from Arkansas’ 1st Congressional District, gave Hill $2,000. Crawford does not have a political opponent this year.

U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, reported receiving two donations totaling $3,000 in his 48-hour report filed Fri

day morning. The donations came from two political action committees representing the National Beer Wholesalers Association and Werner Enterprises, a trucking company in Nebraska.

Westerman’s opponent in the 4th Congressional District race, Democrat William Hanson, did not report receiving any donations of more than $1,000 to close the week.

In Arkansas’ 3rd Congressional District, neither incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, a Republican, nor his challenger, Democrat Celeste Williams, reported any donations of more than $1,000.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, a Republican, reported Friday receiving two donations of $1,000 each in his reelection campaign.

Those donations came from an auto dealership secretary in Sugarland, Texas, and from Edward Hill, a lobbyist for Bank of America.

Cotton also filed a 48-hour report Saturday, disclosing nine donations totaling $21,300. Donors in that report included six political action committees associated with companies, such as Ford and the utility Black Hills Corp., along with the American Society of Anesthesiologists. A pair of individuals from two states also gave more than $1,000 to Cotton’s campaign.

Cotton’s Libertarian opponent, Ricky Dale Harrington, did not report any donations above $1,000.