Peter Schorsch
St. Petersburg Democratic Rep. Wengay Newton made it through the fundraising pause brought about by the 2018 Legislative Session without ceding much ground to his primary challengers.
Newton started the year with about $15,000 on hand, and after keeping spending low last month, he’s still at that level despite his last campaign income being a little over $1,000 a day before lawmakers convened in Tallahassee.
Vito Sheeley, who has picked up some high-profile endorsements, added $850 in contributions and burned through nearly half his war chest with a $4,000 payment to Blue Ticket Consulting last month.
His top donor for the month was Midway-based JBK Insurance, which gave $250, followed by St. Pete sales consultant Nick Carper with a check for $150 and a half-dozen other donors who gave $100 or less.
Sheeley has raised about $8,600 since filing for the seat in July and went into March with about $1,500 in the bank.
St. Pete attorney and activist Keisha Bell, who filed Feb. 1, took over the No. 2 spot in cash on hand after showing nearly $5,000 raised in her inaugural report.
St. Petersburg retirees Janet Paroo and Alvin Frazier topped her list with checks for $250, while the bulk of the rest came in through a flurry of small-dollar donors in the last week of the month.
Bell received 60 contributions in February, more than 50 of which were for $100 or less. She also got $570 worth of “in-kind” support, including marketing, stamps and business cards.
Bell’s $934 in expenditures included about $600 for marketing, with most of the rest covering small purchases such as travel and office supplies.
She finished the month with about $3,940 in the bank.
HD 70 covers pieces of Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties including chunks of St. Pete and Sarasota as well as the communities of Memphis, Samoset and Ruskin.
It is a Democratic stronghold. In 2016, Newton was elected over Republican Cori Fournier by a 50-point margin.
