A.G. Gancarski
State Rep. Bobby Payne, a Palatka Republican representing House District 19, has amassed what looks to be a prohibitive cash advantage against Democratic challenger Paul Still.
Payne’s last two reporting periods have been strong — between Aug. 24 and Sept. 14, he raised a total of $30,325.
Of that sum, $21,025 was raised Aug. 24-31, from 62 individual contributions. Among the donors: Putnam County Sheriff Gator DeLoach and various regional Chamber of Commerce groups.
The district covers Bradford, Putnam and Union counties, and part of Clay County.
The Sept. 1-14 period brought in $9,300, with corporate interests signaling approval. Among those donors: Duke Energy PAC, Comcast, U.S. Sugar, and PHRMA.
Payne has raised $144,871 in all and has over $131,000 on hand.
Meanwhile, Still — an elected Supervisor for the Bradford County Soil and Water Conservation Board — has not seemed to get traction.
He brought in $460 for Aug. 24-Sept. 14. He has just over $5,000 on hand, an amount covered by a personal loan at the campaign launch.
HD 19 has a GOP plurality. Of its 99,647 voters, 44,804 are registered Republican. An additional 36,250 voters are Democrats, with the rest lacking party affiliation or belonging to various third parties.
