Peter Schorsch
Tampa Republican Rep. Dana Young crossed the million-dollar mark in the SD 18 campaign last month after bringing in more than $280,000 between her campaign and political committee.
According to newly filed campaign finance reports, Young raised $166,700 for her campaign and another $115,785 for her committee for a total of $282,485 raised in May.
The third-term state representative brought in the campaign cash across more than 300 contributions, including nearly 100 contributions for the campaign maximum of $1,000. Her committee, “Friends of Dana Young,” reached its total with 35 contributions.
On the donor roll last month were Disney, the GEO Group, Anheuser Busch, Capitol Insight and RAI Services, each of which chipped in $10,000.
Expenditures were also kept to a minimum, with the campaign spending about $17,500 for an on-hand total of $409,000 heading into June and the committee spending about $6,300 for a total of $616,700 on hand.
The $1 million war chest gives Young a better than 10-to-1 advantage over her lone challenger, Democrat Bob Buesing, who posted $101,883 in May contributions.
The Tampa attorney’s haul came in across 287 contributions, including a $5,500 loan to the campaign, and after $5,746 in expenditures he entered June with about $96,000 in his campaign account. Buesing also brought in about $15,000 worth of “in kind” support from the Florida Democratic Party.
The newly redrawn SD 18 includes Avila, Carrollwood, Davis Islands, Lutz, MacDill Air Force Base, Odessa, South Tampa and Westchase. District statistics show Democrats have a 40 percent share of the electorate compared to a 36 percent share for Republicans. Back in 2012, President Barack Obama carried the Hillsborough County district by 1 point.
