Ryan Ray
Democratic candidate Ramon Alexander continued to lead the field in the race to succeed Rep. Alan Williams in the heavily Democratic House District 8, raising $13,075 during the September reporting period.
Gretna City Commissioner Clarence Jackson came in second for the month, hauling in $8,610, while former aide to the Tallahassee mayor’s office Brad Johnson raised $2,305.
State worker Dianne Williams-Cox – running again after an unsuccessful primary challenge to Williams in 2014 – had not yet reported her September numbers as of deadline. Neither had Republican Marquise McMiller, who jumped into the race midway through through the month.
Last month’s haul brings Alexander’s 2016 fundraising levels to $101,754 raised overall.
Deducting expenses, Alexander’s campaign has $97,436 in cash on hand, better than Williams’ pace in 2008, the last time the seat was open. Johnson reported having $15,711 on hand, with Jackson at about $8,000 and Williams-Cox’s most recent report indicating she has just shy of $5,000 in the bank.
Liberal-leaning HD 8 takes in all of Gadsden – the state’s only majority-minority county – and the southern half of Tallahassee, including the state Capitol.
The district’s next representative is all but certain to be decided in the Democratic primary next August. HD 8 gave more than 70 percent of its votes to President Barack Obama in 2012.
