Gary Price posts $64K in May, though Matt Hudson still in commanding lead

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The race to take over termed-out Republican Sen. Garrett Richter’s District 23 seat was already setting up to be a hard-fought battle between Republican Reps. Matt Hudson and Kathleen Passidomo, when the May entry of Naples businessman Gary Price brought on what will likely be an even more contentious three-way primary.

Campaign finance numbers for May show Hudson is still firmly in the lead with $240,600 in contributions, though his May haul of $2,010 looks anemic in comparison to Passidomo’s $23,825 and Price’s impressive $64,250 during his debut month.

Price, who detailed his campaign platform in a Florida Politics exclusive in May, got maximum donations from 62 contributors. The list includes a handful of conservative PACs and local donors, though Price also drew contributions from Clearwater Republican Sen. Jack Latvala, who cut checks for $1,000 from himself, his company and his Florida Leadership Committee PAC.

Passidomo’s May contributions were offset by $13,683 in expenditures, mostly for mailers and consulting fees, leaving her with $91,000 in the bank. Hudson’s burn rate is low by comparison: With a total of $9,012 in expenditures since he filed, he has $231,588 cash on hand. Price has $68,100 on hand, including $5,000 in loans to his campaign.

If Price carries any fundraising momentum through June, he could make up a lot of ground because the Legislative Special Session halted contributions for both Passidomo and Hudson.

Drew Wilson

Drew Wilson is Vice President of Florida Politics, where he helps lead a talented team that produces must-read newsletters including Sunburn, Takeaways from Tallahassee, and Diagnosis. A University of Florida alumnus, he began his career at The Independent Florida Alligator — the nation’s largest student-run newspaper and a training ground for many of Florida’s top political reporters. He later served as a business correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter, then returned to Tallahassee to cover the state economy and Legislature for LobbyTools and The Florida Current, before segueing to Florida Politics, where he’s been for more than a decade. He spends too much time workshopping zingers for Capitol Directions — and not enough time outdoors.



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