Congressman Lamar Smith, R-Texas (Courtesy: U.S. House of Representatives)

As a Hollywood success can tip its hat to Texas, money from movies is apparently helping one lawmaker from the Lone Star State. In the same week the western remake True Grit (see Josh’s Living Off The Air blog post about this movie) made its lucrative debut with scenes from Blanco, Austin, and Granger, U.S. News and World Report lists Congressman Lamar Smith, R-Texas, as one of the entertainment industries Top 25 “Favorite Lawmakers.”

Smith, who hails from San Antonio, serving the state’s 21^st Congressional district, is the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chair. The publication says the TV, movie, and music industry gave $79,550 in campaign money since 2009.

The Congressman falls at #23 on the list. $59,500 came from PACs, according to the report. Another $20,050 came from individuals associated with the industry.

Looking at the U.S. House and Senate as a whole, this industry gave these amounts to political campaigns since 2009:

• Democrat – $7,863,075
• Republican – $3,512,261
• Independent – $52,850

The following Texas lawmakers made the Top 100:

• #23 Congressman Lamar Smith, R-Texas – $79,550
• #42 Congressman Joe Barton, R-Texas – $54,500
• #52 Congressman Charles Gonzalez, D-Texas – $47,000
• #67 Michael McCaul, R-Texas – $40,700