A Three Course Meal: Incumbent Crumbly Cookie CandyDates are Funding the CandyDate Protection Program (CPP)
Updated: Mar 7
TLDR: We here at Cooked Up Politics believe that your Incumbent CandyDates are the ones behind the mailers trying to pre-determine your precinct chair races.
Identical signs.
Coordinated mailers.
Matching candidates.
Follow the money.
The Introduction
2002, Texas House District 5: D. Bryan Hughes is first elected to the Texas House of Representatives, District 5 (different district map than the map of 2026).
2006, February, Athens, Texas, House District 4: Lobbyist Jordan Berry receives his first documented Texas Ethics Campaign expenditure from Texas House Representative Betty J. Brown, District 4 (Brown later lost House seat to Lance Gooden, her former legislative aide).
2008, January 9, Austin, Texas: Then-House Rep. D. Bryan Hughes campaign finance expenditure records show a "Refund of Austin Housing Deposit." Payee: Ken Paxton Campaign.
2009, Upshur County, Texas: First documentation of (Joseph) Cole Hefner and (then) House Representative Bryan Hughes relationship.
2010, Januay 7, Austin, Texas: Then-House Rep. D. Bryan Hughes campaign finance expenditure records show a "Refund of prorated rent for Austin Apt." Payee: Ken Paxton Campaign.
2011, Texas House District 5: Then-House Rep. D. Bryan Hughes makes his first payment to "Berry Communications, LLC" for "direct mail." As of March 7, 2026, Hughes has paid Berry a total of $1,185,193.48 in campaign expenditures.
2011, Upshur County: (Joseph) Cole Hefner ran and won the race for Upshur County Commissioner, serving from 2011–2014. Upshur talk is that he was an out-of-control spender (even then) of the People’s money, and they promptly voted him out after only one term.
2014, Upshur County: “East Texans 4 Liberty PAC” (ET4L PAC) was begun, and per a not-very-private source in Upshur County, it was started by Stacy McMahan and Cole Hefner. Regardless of who started the PAC, it is abundantly obvious that they are unashamed of their bias and attempts to control county politics.
More on that later.
Note: Prior to the 2022 elections, House District 5 included Morris County and not Upshur. It is notable, especially for later in this narrative, that Hefner moved out of his current House District, where the voters who had fired him would no longer be voting on his election.
2014, Hopkins County: "ETX teacher and coach arrested on indecency with child charge
COMO -PICKTON (KYTX) - A Como-Pickton ISD teacher and coach has been suspended with pay after allegedly inappropriately touching a student. 51-year-old Carl Allen Byers was arrested January 31, 2014..." [Read the whole story HERE]
2016, Titus County, House District 5: Hefner moved to Titus County (kinda sounds like he was drummed out of Upshur, doesn’t it?), and ran for Texas House District 5, vacated by Bryan Hughes who was running for the Texas Senate.
Hefner’s initial platform was pro-life heavy. His immediate family resided mostly in Camp County, and Kerri’s (his wife) family lived in Titus County. Former HD-5 Rep and then-Senate CandyDates Bryan Hughes’ endorsement, combined with the fact that the voters of HD-5 didn’t include the Upshur voters, meant no one knew about Hefner’s extraordinary spending problem with other people’s money. This netted him a primary runoff win, and Hefner took office in 2017; and Hughes took office in the Texas Senate at the same time.
Cole has been entrenched ever since, with roughly 83% of his aggregate two million dollars of campaign funds coming from outside the District (and mostly from PACs).
Rumors are that he opens a new insurance office for every year he is in the House.
2016
• Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Richard Weekley first donate to Cole Hefner’s campaign (and donate over $250,000 to Bryan Hughes’ 2016 bid for State Senate, per TransparencyUSA)
• Hefner first hires Berry Communications, owned and operated by lobbyist Jordan Berry.
2017–2019, Texas: Legislative Budget (85th) ≈ $216–220 billion
2017, June, Gregg County: Rhonda Anderson receives her first campaign expenditure payments from the "Texans for Gregg Abbott PAC"
2020–2021, Texas: Legislative Budget (86th) ≈ $250 billion
2021, Texas: There are other reports regarding Crumbly Cole Hefner, CandyDate Lacey Hull turned House Rep, Berry Communications (lobbyist Jordan Berry, referenced earlier and again later), and Crumbly Cookie House Rep. Valorie Swanson, but we’re going to steer clear of the sordid details here. If you choose to, you can look those up yourself at Texas Scorecard, Current Revolt, Lone Star Left, or this other article from Lone Star Left.
We highly suggest you read the details, just make sure the kiddos aren't reading over your shoulder ;)
2021–2022, Texas: House District maps are redrawn. HD-5 now excludes Morris County and brings in Upshur County.
2022, December, Upshur County: Carl Allen Byers (see 2014 Hopkins County KYTX story above) files a ballot application to run as the Upshur County GOP Chair.
2022 Primary Season and More
2022, March, Oklahoma: Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals (CAMP) congratulates Cole Hefner on his primary win as one of their clients.
2022, March, Upshur County:
Carl Allen Byers (see 2014 Hopkins County KYTX story above) wins the Primary Election for the Republican Party of Upshur County.
2022, May, Oklahoma: Campaign Advocacy Management Professionals (CAMP) shares its pride in producing direct mail for Jordan Berry and the Berry Communications team in Texas.
2022: CAMP and Jordan Berry
2022–2023, Texas: Legislative Budget (87th) ≈ $264.8 billion
2022, Texas: Republican Party of Texas State Convention
Rhonda Anderson, SD 1 SREC (and member of the Texas Federation of Republican Women PAC) is replaced by Christen Bentley as SREC by a majority vote of the SD 1 Delegates to RPT State Convention.
2023, December, Titus County, House District 5
The following people file ballot applications for the Republican Primary election (among others):
Cole Hefner for HD-5; John Michael Mars for Titus County Chair; Billy Mars for GOP Precinct Chair; Jamee Mars for GOP Precinct Chair; Esther Bothelo for GOP Precinct Chair. All of these referenced precinct chair CandyDates had their signage paid for by Cole Hefner (reference the photos posted).
Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign Precinct Chair Signage Paid for by Cole Hefner Campaign
2023, Texas: Gov. Abbott (a consistent endorser of Mr. Hefner) publicly described property tax elimination as a long-term goal:
Abbott: “We must dream big… eliminate property taxes in Texas.”
2023, March, KLTV Interview:
Cole Hefner is quoted saying:
Hefner: “I support my local public schools… There’s five million students publicly educated in our state,” he said.“We all benefit from a strong public education system. I think there’s always going to be 90–95 percent of our kids that are going to be educated in public schools because it works pretty well, especially here in rural East Texas where we have good schools.”
2024 Primary Season and More
2024–2025, Texas: Legislative Budget (88th) ≈ $321.3 billion
2024, Gregg County, Texas: Rhonda Anderson is documented as a "lobbyist" and "Governmental Affairs for Charter Communications Inc. - is paid between $21.520 and $ 53,809.99 in the 2024 campaign cycle
SIDE FACTS:
Charter Communications Inc. second highest 2024 cycle expenditure (so far in the 2026 cycle he is in the top ten) is on lobbyist Luis J. Saenz, of "Saenz Public Affairs."
Luis J. Saenz's clients include: The Chickasaw Nation, Charter Communications Inc., Christus Health, and many more.
Jonathan M. Saenz is the "Attorney, President and Policy Expert" of the "Texas Values Action" lobbying group, whose "Policy Director" is Jonathan Covey. Jonathan Covey is related to David Covey, former SREC who ran against former Speaker of the House Dade Phelan, in Orange County, Texas. David is friends with Matthew D. Parker (CAMP Political out of Oklahoma), who is in turn friends with Josh Shultz, who we believe to be the Josh Shultz on the Texas Reform Accountability Project Campaign Treasurer Appointment (more on the shadow PACs and mystery mailers below).
Luis Saenz relationship to Jonathan Saenz
2024, September, KLTV Interview
Hefner said in an interview that he would support school vouchers only:
Hefner: “As long as my schools are taken care of… funded properly.”
2024, December 9
Just before the 89th session started, amid the Speaker race controversy,
Donald Trump Jr. stated:
“It’s unbelievable what is happening in Texas right now. There is a group of so-called Republicans cutting a deal with liberal Democrats to elect a Speaker [Burrows] instead of uniting behind the Republican nominee, David Cook! Unbelievable! Republicans have a mandate!”
2025, January 2, Texas: Texas Senator D. Bryan Hughes pays CAMP Political (Oklahoma) $30,157.04 for "Solicitation/Fundraising Expense."
2025, January, Texas (89th)
36 House Representatives elected on the Republican ticket — including Cole Hefner — crossed party lines and voted with 49 Democrats to elect Dustin Burrows as Speaker of the House.
2025, April, Texas (89th)
The House (including an affirmative vote by Cole Hefner) passed SB-2, creating the school voucher program.
According to the official fiscal note prepared by the Texas Legislative Budget Board (LBB), Senate Bill 2 — the Education Savings Account program enacted in 2025 — is projected to cost taxpayers approximately $1 billion in the 2026–27 biennium, with only modest startup costs in fiscal year 2026 followed by roughly $1 billion more in fiscal year 2027 when the program begins full operation.
The LBB further projects that as enrollment expands, the program’s cost will rise substantially, reaching an estimated $3.24 billion by fiscal year 2028, $3.81 billion by fiscal year 2029, and approximately $4.56 billion annually by fiscal year 2030.
These figures come directly from the Legislature’s official budget analysis and reflect the state’s own expectations that the voucher program will grow from an initial capped appropriation into a multibillion-dollar ongoing state expense.
2025, Texas
Gov. Abbott is again talking about property taxes, but the rhetoric has changed. Now he’s talking about eliminating school property taxes for homeowners.
After raising the budget over $100 BILLION in less than ten (10) years, we can see why.
Guess he’s not a big Davy Crockett fan.
(Our message to Abbott: "hey there little buddy — guess what? Our liberty, our lives, and our treasure are NOT ACTUALLY YOURS TO TAKE!")
2026–2027, Texas: Legislative Budget (89th) ≈ $337–338 billion (from $216–220 billion in the 85th session)
2025, September 24, Upshur County, House District 5:
RPUC Chairman Byers is awarded a Capitol flag by Texas House Rep. Cole Hefner for "filling all precinct chair positions in Upshur County."
2025, October 9, Upshur County, House District 5:
RPUC Chairman Carl Byers receives an award from ET4L PAC for "loyalty" to the "movement."
2025, October, Rains County, House District 5
The Rains Republican County Executive Committee (Rains CEC) votes to formally censure Cole Hefner for defiance of Republican Party of Texas principles and platform:
• Voted for Dustin Burrows for Speaker instead of Republican Caucus nominee David Cook
• Worked with Democrats and a minority Republican coalition to elect the Speaker
• Alleged violation of Party Platform Plank 213a and Principle #5
• Supported the “previous question” motion shutting down debate on House Rules (HR4)
• Allegedly denied Texans and their representatives a voice
• Supported rules creating standing subcommittees chaired by Democrats
• Alleged violation of Legislative Priority #4 (no Democrat chairs)
• Voted for rules requiring face masks consistent with CDC guidance
• Alleged violation of Legislative Priority #8 (End Federal Overreach)
Supported adjournments longer than three days:
• Jan 15–22, 2025 (7 days)
• Feb 5–11, 2025 (5 days)
• Feb 20–25, 2025 (5 days)
Additional concerns cited:
• HB 104 – Texas Future Fund ($5 billion investment fund)
• State-funded medical research legislation
• Civil penalties tied to political speech
• Largest state budget in Texas history
• Study linking Texas electric grid to Mexico
• Income-based assistance fund
• State-run infrastructure grant program and commission
Alleged violations cited:
• Limited government
• Fiscal responsibility
• Fiscal conservatism
• Property tax elimination goals
• First Amendment protections
• Grid independence principles
2025, December, Titus County, House District 5
The following people file ballot applications for the Republican Primary election (among others):
Cole Hefner for HD-5; Kerri Hefner (Cole’s wife) for Titus Co. Precinct Chair; Jonathan Hageman for Titus County GOP Chair; Mike Clifton for Titus Co. Precinct Chair; Jerry Moody for Titus Co. Precinct Chair, and Yvonne Hampton for Titus Co. Precinct Chair.
2025, December, Upshur County, House District 5
The following people file ballot applications for the Republican Primary election (among others):
Carl Allen Byers, unopposed, for Upshur County Republican Chair; Stacy McMahan for Precinct Chair (ET4L and Texas Federation of Republican Women); Ashleigh Duncan for Precinct Chair (TFRW); Cindy Walls (Ashleigh’s mother) for Justice of the Peace; Mary Ann Farrow for Precinct Chair; Kay Manes for Precinct Chair; DeBorah Deaz for Precinct Chair.
December 18: Stacy McMahan (ET4L PAC Co-Founder, Member; Board Member of RWUC PAC, and "Vice Chair" of the RPUC) posts on behalf of RPUC Chair Byers, announcing that the primary election ballot draw will be held the "ET4L PAC building" (now being referred to as "Republican Headquarters") at 405 N. Roberts Street in Gilmer:
2025, December, Camp County, House District 5
Sonya Warrick Barker files a ballot application for Precinct Chair.
2025, December, Wood County, House District 5
Angela Albers files her ballot application for Wood County District Attorney.
Word on the Street is that Hefner tried to infiltrate Wood County Republican Executive Committee with Precinct Chair CandyDates, and was unable to find anyone willing to run.
Camp County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Ashleigh Duncan's Mother, Cindy Walls Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Palm Cards and Cole Hefner's paid staff member Titus County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Signs Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Upshur County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Titus County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Titus County: Hefner Cookie Cutter Sign Hefner's Original Cookie Sign Hefner's Original Cookie Sign Cookie Cutter Signs for Crumbly Candydates
*Remember these names for later...
2026 Primary Season Kickoff to February 25, 2025 (story still developing)
2026, January 27, Upshur County, House District 5:
Texas Federation of Republican Women member Rhonda Anderson (remember her? Rhonda is the SD 1 SREC who also "worked for Gregg Abbott to get good Republicans elected" and lost the SREC position to Christin Bentley in 2022) Republican Women of Upshur County PAC swear in their 2026 Board Members. The 2026 Board includes Nury Wood (who is also the RPUC Secretary) and Stacy McMahan, "Vice Chair" of the RPUC and Co-Founder of ET4L PAC.
2026, February 5
The following PACs file Campaign Treasurer Appointments (initial filings):
Texas Reform Accountability Project (TRAP); Texas Leadership Alliance PAC (TLAP); Texas Results First (TRF SPAC).
Note
The timing of the PAC creation is important — and tactical.
It all has to do with Texas Ethics Commission filing deadlines.
All filers have mandatory reporting periods. In a Primary year these include:
• Semiannual report due in January
• 30-day report (due February 2, 2026)
• 8-day report before the Primary
Filing in early February — after the 30-day report deadline — means the PAC only has one filing before the Primary, and they do not have to file again until the July 2026 semiannual report.
There must be more spending that has occurred, because the list of CandyDates supported in these PAC filings, to date (February 25, 2026), doesn't include all of the CandyDates who have received mailers and advertising.
All three PACs had the same sole funding source
All three PACs spend their campaing donations on the same "Jlb Strategies LLC" and "American Political Consulting LLC."
2026, February, Upshur County, Texas, House District 5: Upshur County Republican Party Chairman Carl Byers announces that the "HQ" will be closed due to a "meeting with Governor Abbott."
2026, February 7, Titus County: Leadership Cookie Abbott's Fish Fry for Cole Hefner & the Other Crumbly CandyDates
Remember those names from the precinct chair ballots across House District 5? Well, Abbott threw them a party, and most if not all of them came! We don't know if they all know each other, but we recognize most of them!
Titus Chair Candydate Posted by Stacy McMahan, Precinct Chair Candydate, ET4L and TFRW member Ashleigh Duncan, Upshur Precinct Chair Candydate Upshur County's Ashleigh Duncan and her Mother, Cindy Walls Candydates from Upshur: Spencer, Duncan Angela Albers, Wood County DA Candydate Hefner and ET4L Hefner, Stacy McMahan, and Hefner's worker Liz Cockerham Hefner, Abbott, Carl Byers (and family), Ashleigh Duncan, Cindy Walls... Hefner, Abbott, Parchman's husband (she is running for precinct chair)
2026, February, ET4L PAC "Candidate Intro & Straw Poll"
Tyler Randall of Gosopro Media covers the event and says he is there working for ET4L, states that he also covered the Fish Fry event in Mount Pleasant, Titus County, Texas.
2026, February: Rachel Horton, SREC for Senate District 30 and Legislative Employee posts that the "Texas Reform Accountability Project" is sending out mailers for precinct chair CandyDates. The list of counties receiving these mailers contains significant overlap with the Berry Communications client list (which is likely synonymous with CAMP Political's Texas client list)
Collin (Shaheen district)
Montgomery (Metcalf district)
Harris (Lacey Hull district)
Upshur (Cole Hefner district)
Titus (Cole Hefner district)
Rains (Cole Hefner district)
2026, late-February: 8-day Campaign Finance Reports are filed, and we get a peek into Texas Reform Accountability PAC (TRAP).
CAMP, in Oklahoma, (who take credit of Hefner as a client) is taken over by Matthew D. Parker from Found Holland.
Matthew D. Parker is Facebook friends with Jordan Berry (lobbyist), and owner of Berry Communications (Hefner's other political strategist).
Parker is also Facebook friends with a Josh Shutlz, who is "friends" with prominent politicians in both Oklahoma and Texas, such as David Covey (former SREC member who ran against Speaker of the House Dade Phelan in 2024, in Orange County, Texas), Paul Bondar (a perpetual CandyDate, ran in Oklahoma and recently for TX CD 32), and brash/outspoken school voucher activist Corey DeAngelis.
Cooked Up Politics receives confirmation from Josh Shultz of NJI in Virginia that he is not the Josh Shultz who is listed as the TRAP Campaign Treasurer.
2026, February 23, Texas Campaign Finance Reports are filed
Below are confirmed 2026 campaign donations to Cole Hefner
(Tyler Randall/Gosopro Media, from above, was apparently employed by them)
Hal & Mary Ann Hess — $500
Date: 02-09-2026
Jill Dutton — $200
Date: 02-08-2026
John & Leslie Brosnan — $50
Date: 02-04-2026
City: Mount Pleasant, TX
Titus County GOP Chair CandyDate with Matchy-Matchy Hefner Cookie Cutter Signs
Jonathan & Jennifer Hageman — $60
Date: 02-07-2026
City: Mount Pleasant, TX
Gary & Penny Oliver — $100
Date: 02-09-2026
City: Mount Pleasant, TX
Titus County Precinct Chair CandyDate with Matchy-Matchy Hefner Cookie Cutter Signs
Married to Titus County Commissioner Jeff Parchman
Jessie Parchman — $50
Date: 02-07-2026
City: Mount Pleasant, TX
2026, February 23, Below are confirmed 2026 campaign expenditures by Cole Hefner
Upshur County GOP Chair, and sole CandyDate for Gilmer City Council Member-at-Large
Word on the street is that he is also an election clerk! Is that even legal?!?
Carl Allen Byers
$199.76
Date: 02-11-2026
Description: Campaign Contract Labor
City: Gilmer, TX
Relative of Carl Byers
Abigail Byers
$335
Date: 02-11-2026
Description: Campaign Contract Labor
City: Gilmer, TX
Upshur County Precinct Chair CandyDate, ET4L PAC Member, and TFRW Member
Stacy McMahan
$250
Date: 09-25-2025
Description: Campaign Labor
City: Gilmer, TX
$2,500
Date: 02-06-2026
Description: Campaign Contract Labor
City: Gilmer, TX
Dustin Burrows Campaign (Speaker of the House that Donald Trump Jr. criticized Republican House Reps for voting for)
$25,000
2026, February 23: Tyler Randall Comments on Cooked Up Politics (C.U.P.) Post
Remember that Tyler Randall guy with Gosopro Media? Poor guy, not sure if he's just that ignorant or if he's the shill he looks like he is. All of the above people listed in this article owe him a huge debt of gratitude (or something) for inspiring this expose. He claims to be confused by our Bite Sized Expose posted in the Tyler County News.
2026, February 24: Republican Party of Upshur County holds a fundraiser during Republican President Trump's State of the Union Address.
We here at C.U.P. are confused by self-professed "Republicans" who hold events (and charge for attendance) during their party's President's SOTU speech. However, we know full well who DOES do that kind of thing, and those people are Democrats.
The Establishment Oven
The Cookies are Still Being Baked... we have CandyDate staff dolling out icing, more characters and CandyDates to introduce, Cooked Up Justice, and more! Follow us on Facebook, check back here for more on the Establishment Oven in House District 5, and if you have a Crumbly Cooky CandyDates that you'd like covered, send us a message on Facebook!
Editorial & First Amendment Notice
This publication contains political commentary, opinion, satire, and investigative analysis based on publicly available information, campaign finance filings, media reports, and documented events.
Statements of opinion, interpretation, or characterization are expressions of protected political speech and are not presented as statements of undisputed fact.
All factual references are drawn from publicly available sources or documented records.
Readers are encouraged to examine the source materials and reach their own conclusions.
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