TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – In an already crowded Democratic primary to replace U.S. Rep. Val Demings, state Sen. Randolph Bracy reported raising $166,000 in the first month of the campaign, more than double the next-highest fundraiser, former Orange-Osceola state attorney Aramis Ayala.
Meanwhile, Demings herself reported raising $4.6 million since launching her bid for Senate in early June, with $3 million cash on hand, while Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has raised $5.6 million since the start of the year.
The finance reports for the second quarter are the first glimpse of how Bracy, Ayala and civil rights attorney Natalie Jackson fared raising funds to replace Demings in her District 10 seat, because they all entered the race in June.
“The stakes in this election are immense and I am 100% focused on continuing the good work of Congresswoman Demings by delivering real results for the people of this district,” Bracy said in a released statement.
“I am grateful for the early support my campaign has generated. It is based on my record of getting things done on police reform, education funding, and job creation in this district. It is a record that none of my opponents can match,” he said.
Ayala brought in $74,000 but has spent just $2,900 in the first weeks of the campaign. Bracy has spent $11,000 so far. Jackson’s report shows she raised $51,000 and spent $2,400.
“I’m proud that 90% of our funds were raised here in Florida and that we are setting the early pace for generating support in this race,” Bracy said. “There is a long way to go but I am proud that we are off to such a strong start.”
A fourth candidate, Terence Gray, pastor of the Saint Mark AME Church in Orlando, formally announced his run on Wednesday, after the deadline for second-quarter reports. City of Orlando commissioner Bakari Burns has also said he’s considering a run.
In another closely-watched Central Florida congressional race, GOP firebrand state Rep. Anthony Sabatini, who announced his run for Congress in March, reported raising $333,000 through June 30, while spending $90,000.
Sabatini initially filed to run in District 11 against incumbent U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, a fellow Republican, although he said his intent was to run in a newly-drawn district that will be added through the redistricting process next year.
But he’s since switched his campaign to run for District 7, which is currently held by U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy, a Democrat. The district covers all of Seminole County and part of Orange County, and doesn’t contain Sabatini’s home in Lake County, but that could change with redistricting.
For her part, Murphy hasn’t reported her second-quarter filing, but had previously reported bringing in $1.17 million in the first quarter and has spent $604,000.
At the state level, the Republican Party of Florida continued its habit of outraising Democrats, pulling in $2.4 million in the second quarter while spending $1.6 million. RPOF has about $20 million cash on hand. The Florida Democratic Party reported raising $522,000 while spending $108,000 and has about $11 million cash on hand.
