Mitch Perry
Tim Canova, the insurgent Democratic opponent to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz in the Florida Congressional District 23 race, says he’s poised to officially post that he’s raised more than $1 million in his race to date.
Canova raised more than $558,000 in the first three months of the year since announcing his candidacy in January, and Politico reports his total for the year (after his April fundraising numbers are posted on the FEC’s website) will be more than $1 million, meaning he raised more than $462,000 in April.
Canova is a former aide to the late Massachusetts U.S. Sen. Paul Tsongas and is currently a professor at Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law.
His candidacy has electrified liberals around the country, unhappy with Wasserman Schultz’s stances on certain political issues (such as medical marijuana and Cuba), and what Bernie Sanders fans believe has been her less-than-objective role in the Democratic primaries as DNC Chair.
Canova’s financial take after the first three months of this year was more than any previous first-time candidate has accumulated in the first quarter of the election year. The sum also topped Wasserman Schultz’s campaign fundraising for any quarter in all of 2014. However, Wasserman Shultz answered him in early April when she announced that she had taken in $641,000 in the first quarter, surpassing Canova’s impressive fundraising debut.
Wasserman Schultz has represented her 23rd Congressional District seat in Broward and Miami-Dade counties since 2004. She’s been chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee since 2011, and has enjoyed the support of President Barack Obama ever since. Obama has endorsed her bid for re-election to the solidly Democratic-leaning seat.
The primary election between the two Democrats takes place Aug. 30.
