Drew Wilson
Republican House District 21 candidate Chuck Clemons put out a news release Friday touting his first-month fundraising haul of $36,000, though his exuberance may be short-lived.
“I’m humbled by the generosity of my family, friends, and neighbors who encouraged me to offer myself as a candidate to serve north central Florida in the statehouse,” Clemons said. “There’s no doubt we’re off to a great start, and I look forward to continuing to run a campaign that is people-centered and backed by district residents in Alachua, Dixie and Gilchrist counties.”
Nearly all of Clemons contributions came from within Alachua County, including all 19 $1,000 checks his campaign received in February. Notable donors include construction companies Parrish McCall and Charles Perry Partners as well as a handful of smaller Gainesville-area businesses.
Clemons, the vice president for advancement and communications at Santa Fe College, was also able to keep his expenditures low. After a couple of fees and printing costs, the candidate enters March with $36,238 on hand.
Despite the banner month, Clemons’ opponent has a six-figure lead in the money race.
Fellow Republican Wenda Lewis entered the HD 21 race a week before Clemons and was able to nearly match him in contributions, bringing in $35,900 through her first four weeks. She laid down a trump card, however, when she threw in $100,000 of her own money as a loan to the campaign.
“Last month when I formed an exploratory committee to test the waters for a statehouse run, I invested my own money into the campaign,” Lewis said. “Also, in no small way, I want the special interests and political establishment to know that while I welcome their financial support, I am in no way going to be beholden to them.”
Lewis is the CEO of her family’s Gainesville-based Lewis Oil Co., which distributes petroleum products for brands such as Chevron and Amoco to gas stations throughout North Central Florida, and her first finance report reads like client list.
Convenience stores, food marts and auto shops from Gainesville to Clearwater sent checks to the businesswoman, with 26 donors hitting the $1,000 maximum contribution.
The Alachua County ElderCare board member and former chair of the Alachua County Early Learning Coalition told voters in a Thursday press release that she’s not running just to get a title in front of her name.
“I have been in the trenches building a small business in spite of layers of overbearing government regulations. I share the voters’ frustration with the revolving door of go-along-to-get-along politicians, their buddies and their bureaucrat enablers who just don’t get it,” she said. “I know exactly how to cut through the fog; I do it every day at work.”
Like Clemons, Lewis spent little money last month. After a $1,000 payment to Tampa-based consulting firm Strategic Image Management, the first-time candidate finished the month with just under $135,000 on hand.
So far, no Democrat has filed for the seat, and it’s possible none will due to HD 21’s strong GOP advantage. With two well-funded candidates, though, the Republican primary race to replace current Republican Rep. Keith Perry could become nasty enough on its own.
