Ryan RayRepublican Mary Thomas was already testing the waters for a run in Congressional District 2 before this past week’s Florida Supreme Court ruling that struck down eight congressional districts and threw the Panhandle seat’s delicate balance into the ash heap of legislative history.
Now, as U.S. Rep. Gwen Graham‘s hopes for re-election there lie in the hands of GOP state lawmakers, Scott administration attorney Thomas — set to announce her candidacy July 22 — is hoping a boost from the state’s Indian-American community can lift her to a strong showing in crucial early fundraising.
George Thomas, a prominent Bradenton cardiologist and Republican fundraiser, wrote in a campaign memo he hopes to help the first-time candidate raise half a million dollars this year.
“With my [Indian-American Finance] committee’s pledges along with those … from your other commitments, I expect we will meet and exceed our goal of $500,000 raised this calendar year, 2015,” wrote Thomas, who was profiled in Desi Life and Times in February for his role in helping to coalesce Indian-American support for the Jeb Bush 2016 campaign for president.
Thomas also announced a goal of $2 million overall.
Graham announced last week that her campaign — which surprised political handicappers around the country last year by ousting former Republican U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, raising almost $3.7 million along the way — has raised a whopping $1 million for her 2016 effort.
Elections experts say, however, if the Legislature goes forward with a plan for a East-West-oriented CD-5 favored by the high court, Graham’s district is almost certain to become prohibitively Republican-leaning.
Mary Thomas will also enjoy some strategic support from her husband: John Konkus, an executive vice president of Jamestown Associates, a Philadelphia-based Republican political consultancy making evidently inroads into Florida, has been actively involved in laying pre-campaign groundwork for Thomas.
All the ongoing maneuvering around the seat depends, of course, on the re-drawn maps going into effect before 2016.
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown is almost certain to sue in federal court if her elongated minority-access CD 5 is drastically altered, among other prospective changes likely to draw appeals.
