Mitch Perry
Siesta Key Democrat Margaret Good raised nearly twice as much campaign money than Republican James Buchanan in December in the special election for House District 72.
Good raised $106,830 in December, Buchanan $55,000. Libertarian Alison Foxall raised $3,480 last month.
The special election will take place on Feb. 13 to replace Republican Alex Miller, who stepped down unexpectedly from the seat late last summer.
Buchanan,the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, was the early favorite in the race, as Republicans have generally dominated legislative elections in the Sarasota area (the district encompasses parts of Sarasota and western Sarasota County, as well as all of Siesta Key).
Buchanan also had a head start in fundraising, as he began campaigning for the House District 71 last March. He switched to the HD 72 seat in September once it became an open seat.
And while Buchanan’s $282,630 leads the race in fundraising, Good actually has more cash-on-hand with just over four weeks before the election.
Good has raised $227,314, but has $146,220 cash on hand. Buchanan now has $125,547 cash on hand.
The race between Good and Buchanan is becoming contentious.
On Wednesday, the Good campaign lashed out at a negative television ad paid for by the Republican Party of Florida that attacks her for being a liberal attorney who has “defended allegations of fraud, negligence, Ponzi schemes, and financial mismanagement.”
The Good campaign called on Buchanan to “man up” and request that the RPOF to take down “their false advertisements.”
Buchanan declined to comment on the ad.
