Ryan Nicol
Michael Grieco, the Democratic candidate in House District 113, has ground to make up in the cash-on-hand race. He’s well on his way to doing so if the latest fundraising reports are any indication.
The Republican nominee, Jonathan Parker, entered September with a large cash-on-hand lead over Grieco. However, that was due in large part to Parker going through the Republican primary uncontested.
Meanwhile, Grieco had to get through a three-way primary. He defeated Kubs Lalchandani and Deede Weithorn in that contest.
The most recent fundraising data from the Florida Division of Elections show Grieco earned $18,969 for Sept. 1-14 while spending just $4,341.
Parker was just barely in the black during that same time period. He raised $4,953 and spent $4,840.
Parker still holds a large cash-on-hand lead, besting Grieco $78,109 to $22,949. But that gap will shrink if Grieco continues to outpace Parker in future fundraising periods.
This isn’t Parker’s first run for the HD 113 seat. He was defeated easily in 2016 by current state Rep. David Richardson 65 percent-35 percent.
Richardson attempted a run for Congress but was defeated in the primary for Florida’s 27th Congressional District by Donna Shalala. He was unopposed in both 2014 and 2012.
Richardson’s past success should signal a strong advantage for the Democrat in this race, but Grieco lacks the advantage of incumbency and has some baggage to overcome. He was punished following finance and ethics violations during his previous time as a Miami Beach City Commissioner.
