Drew Wilson
Senate District 12 candidate and current Ocala Republican Rep. Dennis Baxley will post another six-figure haul when he sends in his April campaign finance report, his campaign announced Tuesday.
“We are very grateful for the tremendous support that we are receiving,” Baxley said. “I can’t wait to keep fighting in Tallahassee for our conservative values of freedom, family, and faith, and I look forward to getting that message out to more and more voters across District 12.”
Baxley’s campaign said it brought in more than $173,000 in April, and that an additional $30,000 or so had been raised by his committee, Floridians for a Strong Economy.
Exact contribution and expenditure figures haven’t been released, though the campaign said the April numbers put the campaign account at just under $370,000 on hand. The announcement also didn’t specify whether the money came from donors or through loans from Baxley, who has already thrown $110,000 of his own money into the North Central Florida Race.
Though fellow SD 12 Republican candidates David Gee and Rep. Marlene O’Toole haven’t previewed their numbers yet, Baxley’s April performance is likely to widen the campaign finance gulf.
In her first month in the race, O’Toole raised $11,150 and spent nothing, while Gee, who filed on the last day of March, has yet to show any contributions.
The newly redrawn District 12, which covers parts of Marion and Lake counties and all of Sumter County, looks to be a GOP stronghold, making Democrats unlikely to field a serious candidate.
Voter registration statistics in the district show Republicans with a 45 percent share of the electorate compared to about 35 percent for Democrats, with other party voters accounting for the other 20 percent.
