Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster
Frank Artiles raised more than $74,000 in the last two weeks of September, more than 10 times that of his state Senate District 40 opponent.
State records show Artiles raised a combined $74,050 — $64,050 to his official campaign account and $10,000 for his political committee — between Sept. 17 and Sept. 30. Records show Democrat Dwight Bullard raised $4,888 during the same two-week period.
Bullard received $1,000 donations from Americas Export Corporation, Island Coast Education PAC, and SEIU Florida State PC, and a $500 donation from Graham for Congress, Rep. Gwen Graham’s campaign committee. Graham did not seek re-election this year, and is widely believed to be considering a 2018 gubernatorial bid.
Records show Bullard spent just $687 during the reporting period, $637 of which went toward flyers.
He ended the fundraising period with $58,535 cash-on-hand.
Bullard defeated Democrats Andew Korge and Ana Rivas Logan in August to win the Democratic primary. It was a hotly contested and expensive race, with Korge raising $472,360 and spending $422,065 on his failed bid. Bullard won the primary with 49 percent of the vote; Korge came in second with 22 percent.
The general election is expected to be just as expensive, and Senate leadership has lined up to back Artiles.
The money Artiles raised for his official campaign included $1,000 donations from AIF PAC, Floridians for a Stronger Democracy, The Voice of Florida Business, Floridians for Limited Government, and ABC-PAC.
His campaign spent $71,410 during the same period. He ended the period with $127,925 in his campaign account.
His political committee, “Veterans for Conservative Principles,” raised another $10,000 during the same two weeks. That sum includes $5,000 from the Palm Beach Kennel Club and $2,500 from ABC Fine Wine and Spirits.
He spent $11,000 during that time period, including $9,000 to a Miami firm for communications work. The committee ended the two-week period with $77,285 cash-on-hand.
