Jacob Ogles
State Rep. Margaret Good remains a darling of Democratic donors, and holds nearly twice as much cash on hand as Republican opponent Ray Pilon.
Financial reports Friday show Good, a Sarasota Democrat representing state House District 72 , added $17,019 to her campaign account in the first two weeks of September. She also received $20,666 in various in-kind donations, and closed the reporting period with $124,056.
Pilon, a former state representative for the district, raised $13,250 in contributions and $27 in-kind. He now boasts $67,343 in cash-on-hand.
But Good’s also spending money with more fervor. Reports show she spent $23,139 in early September, while Pilon spent just $435.
That may be a matter of Pilon simply turning back to fundraising mode after primary season. Pilon easily dispatched political newcomer Jason Miller in an Aug. 28 Republican primary, while Good ran unopposed.
But despite her cash advantage, Good could still be on defense come November. Republicans make up about 42 percent of registered voters in District 72, with Democrats making up almost 33 percent.
Good, though, won that district in a special election in February, stunning the political world when she defeated Republican James Buchanan, the son of U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.
And in the August primary election, more Democrats voted than did so during the February special election, while less Republicans came out. Of course, Republicans still outnumbered Democrats at the polls.
Good has recently been canvassing with Democratic Congressional candidate David Shapiro, hoping to build strength for the entire Democratic ticket. Shapiro runs against the older Buchanan.
“We defeated one,” Good said of the Buchanans. “Why not the other?”
But Pilon notes he has defeated Democratic incumbents before. In 2010, he first won election to the state House by unseating state Rep. Keith Fitzgerald.
The seat notably was drawn more favorably to Democrats that year. Pilon won re-election in 2012 and 2014, before forgoing a run in 2016 for an unsuccessful state Senate run.
