Drew Wilson
House District 52 hopeful Brian Hodgers crossed the six-figure mark in fundraising after a $18,100 haul last month, and the Melbourne Republican didn’t waste any time touting his advantage over the other two candidates in the race.
“We are so grateful and encouraged by the support we are receiving from our community,” Hodgers said in a press release Wednesday. “We believe that our solid conservative platform of lower taxes and fewer regulations combined with the backing of like-minded friends is a formula for victory. I am committed to fighting for our community in Tallahassee.”
Since filing in March, the businessman has brought in about $69,000 in contributions and made $40,000 in loans to his campaign. With only $3,152 in campaign expenditures over six months, Hodgers still has $105,917 of that money on-hand.
The other two candidates in the three-way Republican race haven’t fared as well, with neither breaking the $10,000 mark since entering the race. Monique Irene Miller, who filed in mid-June, had $9,000 on hand after her most recent finance report, with Robert VanVolkenburgh in third place with a $7,800 war chest 18 months after filing.
The Republican primary will decide who takes over District 52, which is currently held by term-limited Melbourne Republican Rep. Ritch Workman. The district became a Republican stronghold after it was redrawn in the 2012 election cycle, with no Democrat or third-party candidate qualifying for the ballot in 2012 or 2014.
