Drew Wilson
After raising more than $33,000 in March, Republican candidate Wenda Lewis has built a six-figure lead over her next closest competitor in the House District 21 race.
“We continue to surpass our fundraising goals for the campaign. Running against the establishment is never easy, but I am pleased with the support the campaign continues to receive,” said Lewis, adding that she’s “humbled by the outpouring of support.”
Though the Lewis Oil Co. CEO didn’t announce how much her campaign spent last month, her $33,420 in contributions brings her total contributions up to $169,534 after two months in the race — $105,000 more than fellow Republican Chuck Clemons. Clemons’ full March report shows $29,780 in contributions, including 14 checks for the maximum contribution of $1,000. He also spent about $7,400 last month, including $3,000 to Front Line Strategies and $1,202 to Gulf Coast Imprinting, for an on-hand total of $57,628 heading into April.
Republican Timothy Rogers and Democrat Marihelen Wheeler are also running for the seat, though neither candidate was able to break $2,000 their first month in the race, which looks increasingly like a two-way contest between Clemons and Lewis.
HD 21 covers all of Dixie and Gilchrist counties, as well as part of Alachua County. It’s being vacated by Gainesville Republican Rep. Keith Perry, who announced he would forego his last term in the House to run in the newly redrawn Senate District 8.
District 21 carries a Democratic advantage in voter registrations, though the sizable University of Florida and Santa Fe College student population isn’t as reliable on Election Day. It allowedg Perry to win the seat by double digits in both of his elections after the 2012 Redistricting Session.
