I thought I had seen just about everything in Fannin County politics.
Then Mr. Dan Weaver, thankfully, posted on the Fannin County Uncensored Facebook page that someone named Batman had donated $25,000 to a county judge race. Current Judge Newt Cunningham received the donation.
Naturally my first thought was, “Holy smokes, Batman. Did I wake up in Gotham today?”
Not quite.
Reality set in when I looked into Tony Batman, who is listed as a “retired” private investor connected to a large investment firm out of Dallas. His $25,000 dollar donation is more than half of what the majority of County employees make and 66 cents per county resident if we divided it. I don’t believe our souls can be bought for $.66 cents, do you?
For a minute I wondered if Bruce Wayne had taken an interest in Fannin County. At least then maybe we could use the Bat Signal over the courthouse to get the county roads funded, the courthouse drama would end, and we wouldn’t have to scrape by to fix the Justice Center’s roof.
Once the surprise wore off, I did what any curious voter would do. I started looking through the campaign reports. And that’s when it started to feel like Gotham had come to town.
The Villains based on your perspective
Developers are a bit like The Penguin, big money, big projects, and big visions for reshaping land your Papa thought would stay in the family forever.
Investors are more like The Joker, wild cards who sometimes appear from outside the county with large checks and their own interests.
And realtors? They’re closer to Alfred in the Batcave. They don’t build the subdivisions or bankroll the fight, but they help people navigate the system and find the right door to walk through.
None of these roles are illegal, and none of them are new. Politics, whether local, state, or national, even along party lines, has always involved donors and money. And money tends to attract people who hope their interests might get a little attention in return.
And in a county where land and water are quickly becoming some of the most valuable resources in North Texas, those interests carry real weight.
So yes, Gotham, unfortunately, occasionally shows up in campaign reports.
But the real question is whether voters are willing to look past the costume. Because every election has heroes and villains. Sometimes they even wear the same mask. And every now and then it can feel like a clown car full of Jokers pulls up to the Fannin County Courthouse.
As Batman once said, “It’s not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me.” And when it comes to elections, voters still have to decide…
who is truly wearing the cape, and who has been hiding behind the mask all along.
Link to campaign financial reports https://www.co.fannin.tx.us/page/fannin.Elections.camp.fin
Thank you to Logan Bankston for the artwork and Mr. Weaver for making me think harder!
