Staff Reports
Call it an April slowdown.
Ed Hooper, the former Republican state representative and Clearwater city commissioner, posted just over $600 in April after two consecutive months of five-digit fundraising.
Hooper, aiming to replace term-limited Jack Latvala in Senate District 16, put up only $640 in contributions and showed $20 in expenditures for the month.
That’s after bringing in more than $25,000 and $24,000 for February and March, respectively.
Hooper, however, still has no opposition for the seat, which covers much of north Pinellas County.
All told, Hooper has raised $65,736, spent $2,721, reported $3,220 in loans and in-kind donations.
The former firefighter served four terms in the House before being term-limited. He lost a combative race in 2014 for the Pinellas County Commission to Democrat Pat Gerard, and has since maintained a public profile in local GOP circles.
Just over a year ago, Hooper filed for Latvala’s seat, when redistricting resulted in an opening after Pasco County’s former state Sen. John Legg chose not to run against Latvala, a popular figure in Pinellas County politics.
