Peter Schorsch
The main committee supporting GOP state Senate campaigns went into overdrive last quarter according to new fundraising reports filed with the Florida Division of Elections.
The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee raised more than $3.2 million from July through the end of September.
Those numbers are way up from the April to June reporting period when FRSCC took in $720,000.
Putting the new numbers side by side with the past three off-cycle Q3 reports, however, shows there is a bit more pep in the committee’s step of late.
Over the same three month stretch in 2011, FRSCC brought in a little over $2.1 million. Two years later, the committee had a $1.85 million third quarter, while Q3 2015 saw a little more than $2 million head to the committee’s coffers.
The special election in Miami-Dade’s SD 40 can claim credit for the some of that boost, same as the 2015 special in SD 6 and the 2011 contest for the old SD 1, but those quarters still fall short of Q3 2017.
The only other difference maker is Bradenton Sen. Bill Galvano, who took over fundraising duties for the committee in the summer.
His own committee, “Innovate Florida,” brought in about $650,000 over the past few months, including $218,500 in September alone, and handed $150,000 of that haul over to FRSCC.
The exceptional quarter hasn’t gone unnoticed by top Senate Republicans, either.
“The record fundraising levels reached over the last few months reflect the strength of our Republican leadership and the faith donors place in our commitment to proven and effective policy that benefits all Floridians,” said Majority Leader Wilton Simpson.
Simpson is set to take over the Senate presidency after the 2020 elections, and his committee, “Jobs for Florida” also handed over quite a bit to FRSCC this summer. It sent over $160,000 in August and threw in another $100,000 last month.
