Drew Wilson
A new mailer is heading out to Senate District 25 voters blasting Republican candidate Belinda Keiser for her past campaign contributions to Democratic politicians.
“’Blue wave’ Belinda Keiser gave money to Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the loud-mouthed, ultra-liberal party-boss that ran the DNC under Barack Hussein Obama,” the mailer reads. “Debbie Wasserman Schultz ran her party so shady that she had to resign after the famous email leak because she knew her behavior was immoral and shameful.”
Further down on the full-page mailer, paid for by the Venice-based political committee Make American Great Again, is a clipping from a 2016 New York Times article from when the Democratic congresswoman stepped down as DNC chair, saying it came about “after a trove of leaked emails showed party officials conspiring to sabotage the campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont.”
Also included are pictures of spreadsheets highlighting the contributions Keiser made to Schultz, dating as far back as 1996 to as recently as 2014.
“’Blue wave’ Belinda Keiser wants us to believe she’s a conservative,” the reverse side of the mailer reads. “What kind of conservative gives money to Obama-era Democrat party boss Debbie Wasserman Shultz???”
The attacks on Keiser’s past contributions are nothing new.
Last month, a political committee tied to the Florida Medical Association released a “Brady Bunch” inspired ad hammering her for donations to Wasserman Schultz as well as Hillary Clinton, Charlie Crist, Bob Graham, Al Gore, Alcee Hastings, Buddy MacKay and Bill Nelson.
All told, Keiser has given nearly $200,000 to Democratic candidates running at the state and federal level over the years, and many were made well after the former Democrat claimed to have joined the Republican party in 2007. She now claims to have switched her party affiliation in 2001.
This election cycle alone, she’s sent checks to Plantation state Sen. Lauren Book and Crist’s re-election campaign in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.
Keiser, who lives 80 miles south of SD 25, entered the race shortly after Senate President Joe Negron announced he would leave his seat early. The special primary and general elections to replace Negron will be held concurrently with the regularly scheduled midterm elections.
Keiser faces Stuart state Rep. Gayle Harrell in the Aug. 28 Republican primary. The winner of that contest will face Democratic nominee Robert Levy in the Nov. 6 general election.
As of July 6, Keiser led the money race with $87,000 raised and $700,000 in candidate loans. She has $187,000 in the bank. Harrell has raised $74,000 and kicked in $100,000 in loans and has $159,000 on hand. Levy has brought in $16,000 and anteed up $150,000 in loans and has an on-hand total of $82,000.
SD 25 covers all of St. Lucie and Martin counties, along with a small portion of Palm Beach County. The safe Republican seat voted plus-12 for Donald Trump two years ago.
The mailer is below.
