Peter Schorsch
If you thought the GOP primary in the special election in Senate District 40 was expensive, wait until you see how much is raised and spent in the general election.
The day after Jose Felix Diaz defeated Alex Diaz de la Portilla in a contentious campaign, the Republican State Leadership Committee, an organization of Republican state officials, donated $100,000 to the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee (FRSCC).
The FRSCC is the fundraising arm for Senate Republican leaders and is controlled by future Senate presidents Bill Galvano and Wilton Simpson.
“We are grateful for the RSLC’s support,” said Erin Isaac, a spokesperson for the FRSCC. “It is no secret that SD 40 was designed for democrats by the democrats. Their attempt to draw this district to their advantage gives them a significant voter registration edge, but we are confident we have the better candidate in Jose Felix Diaz.”
Diaz, affectionately known as “Pepi” now faces Democrat Annette Taddeo in a race to be decided Sept. 26.
“The citizens of the 40th Senate District know Diaz will fight for lower taxes, smaller government and more economic freedom when they send him to Tallahassee in the fall,” said RSLC president Matt Walter. “We are looking forward to helping him keep his district under Republican leadership and are ready to assist him with whatever resources he needs during his general election.”
In a release, Walter emphasized that Diaz had served on the Board for the RSLC’s Future Majority Project (FMP), which seeks to “identify, recruit, train and support candidates who better reflect the full diversity of our nation.”
