Chickasaw Nation donates $5K to Texas lawmaker

Monday, July 21, 2008  

The Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma is betting on a sure thing in Texas.

It's not some sort of casino, though. The tribe donated $5,000 to Sen. Eliot Shapleigh, who doesn't have an opponent in his bid for re-election.

The $5,000 was the largest donation to Shapleigh's campaign. It's not clear why the Chickasaws would back the candidate, who hails from El Paso, hundreds of miles from the Oklahoma border.

The Tigua Tribe is based in El Paso and has been seeking to restore its gaming rights. The Chickasaws have been worried about gaming in Texas.

Get the Story:
El Paso legislators spend $90,000 on campaigns despite lack of challengers (The El Paso Times 7/21)