A.G. Gancarski
Sen. Aaron Bean faces no 2018 ballot opposition for his Jacksonville area Senate seat, yet the Republican continues raising money anyway.
October saw $36,000 come into Bean’s coffers: $24,000 to his campaign account, and another $12,000 to his committee, “Florida Conservative Alliance.”
All told, Bean has roughly $78,000 of hard money, and $102,000 in committee coffers: a total of $180,000 in deployable resources.
The vast majority of Bean’s 27 contributions to his campaign account were hard money, many from entities with interests in legislative outcomes.
Prison industry giants The Geo Group and Geo Care LLC gave the $1,000 maximum, as did the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, Merck, and Bristol Myers Squibb.
Individuals also anted up, including Jacksonville City Council candidate Wyman Duggan and Florida East Coast Industries executive Husein Cumber, the husband of another Council hopeful, LeAnna Cumber.
Of the money that went to Bean’s committee, the largest donation was $5,000 — from Florida East Coast Industries.
While campaign account spending was quotidian — food, adult beverages, and consultants — spending from the political committee was more interesting for those interested in drawing lines.
Bean’s committee ponied up maximum contributions to the campaigns of Duggan, LeAnna Cumber, Duval School Board member Scott Shine, and another Jacksonville City Council candidate, Ron Salem.
Notable: Duggan, Cumber, and Salem are all clients of the political team of Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry — Tim Baker and Brian Hughes.
Salem scored $500 in committee cash; Shine, Duggan, and Cumber all got the $1,000 maximum.
