Drew Wilson
Winter Springs Republican David Smith added another $15,845 to his campaign account during the first half of September, bringing his overall fundraising to $248,000.
Smith is up against Casselberry Democrat Lee Mangold in the race to replace term-limited Republican Rep. Jason Brodeur in the Seminole County state House seat.
Among the 33 checks Smith cashed between Sept. 1 and Sept. 14 were a dozen checks for the maximum campaign donation of $1,000, including contributions from several entities tied to the House of Mouse. Showing up alongside a handful of political committees and a check from lobbyist Ron Book were contributions from Disney Photo Imaging, Magical Cruise Company and the Magic Kingdom.
Business Force PC also showed up with a $1,000 contribution. The group, a spinoff of the Orlando area Chamber of Commerce, endorsed Smith and 11 other state House candidates two weeks ago.
Spending measured in at about $9,400, with a $2,700 payment to McShane LLC for advertising topping the ledger. Another $2,000 was spent on video production with the remainder heading to several individuals for contract labor.
Smith’s overall total includes $85,000 in candidate loans. He finished the reporting period with $135,700 at the ready.
Mangold’s new report showed about $3,250 raised, with all but a handful of his rake coming in from individual donors. Other entities on his donor roll included the Seminole County Democratic Executive Committee and Booth’s Cobblestones. He also received $991 worth of “in-kind” support from New York-based political committee The People PAC for video production work.
The report brings him up to $40,358 in total fundraising, including $10,000 in candidate loans. He finished the reporting period with $18,560 on hand.
Smith and Mangold were the only two candidates who qualified to succeed term-limited Brodeur in HD 28, which covers part of northeastern Seminole County including Sanford, Winter Springs, Casselberry and Oviedo. They will go head-to-head in the Nov. 6 general election.
HD 28 has a GOP lean.
According to the most recent bookclosing report from the Florida Division of Elections, Republican voters make up nearly 40 percent of the electorate compared to a 33 percent share for Democrats, and Brodeur has not faced a Democratic opponent on Election Day in his three re-election campaigns since the seat was redrawn in 2012.
The seat is not out of reach for Democrats, however, especially if the so-called “blue wave” hits Florida. It only voted plus-4 for Donald Trump two years ago.
