Drew Wilson
Republican Ardian Zika added another $10,205 to his campaign account last month, putting him further ahead of the competition in the three-way primary race to replace House Speaker Richard Corcoran in House District 37.
Zika’s haul came in across 45 contributions, more than half of which were small dollar donations of $50 or less. He also brought in seven checks for the primary campaign maximum of $1,000.
Max donors included car dealership CFO Alberto Diaz, homebuilding company Tri County Development, real estate groups Exchange Assets and Far Niente Ventures, as well as a political committee tied to future Senate President Wilton Simpson, one of many major Republicans who have endorsed Zika.
The December numbers put Land O Lakes Republican at $147,437 in total fundraising, with $141,380 cash on hand.
Zika faces Bill Gunter and Elle Rudisill in the Republican Primary, neither of whom have kept it close in the money race.
Gunter posted a waiver for the fourth straight month and has $4,421 on hand in his account.
Rudisill has shown contributions every month since filing, but they’ve dropped off substantially since Zika opened his campaign account in August.
Her December report showed $300 raised, and she finished the year with nearly $12,000 cash on hand.
Also running is New Port Richey Democrat Tyler Sambucci, who entered the race on Dec. 12. His inaugural report showed no contributions.
HD 37 carries a heavy advantage for Republicans, so the winner of the primary race is the odds-on favorite to take over for Corcoran in November.
