Jacob Ogles
Republican Erik Arroyo in March raised almost $12,000 from 36 donors in his effort to unseat state Rep. Margaret Good.
Most of the donations came during a March 21 fundraiser held for the state House candidate in Sarasota.
Arroyo said he was grateful for the financial support he received at the event and outside of it. Ultimately, he looks forward to tackling the matters important to voters.
“People care about issues in Florida and in this community,” he said. “It’s ultimately not about the money. It’s about the message.”
So where do Arroyo’s donations place his hopes?
Good, the Democratic incumbent, pulled in almost $18,000 in March. That number seemed especially notable for being raised in four days before the Legislative session started.
In total, Arroyo has raked in $17,825, and already spent about $3,500 getting word out on his fledging campaign.
Good has pulled in close to $41,000 since winning her first full term in November. She has spent more than $15,000 of it already.
Donna Barcomb, Sarasota Charter Review Board member, also filed for the Republican nomination but hasn’t posted March numbers yet.
Good’s donations so far include a number of state players, including Publix, the Florida Hospital Association and Florida Senior Living.
Meanwhile, Arroyo’s coffers primarily include local dollars in support of his District 72 run.
His donors include $1,000 from PGT Industries CEO Jeff Jackson, who hosted Arroyo’s fundraiser. Other Sarasota business leaders like Realtor Jaime Carrion and Cool Today president Jaime DiDomenico, who each also gave $1,000 donations.
The race holds potential to be one of the biggest Florida contests in the 2020 cycle.
Good won the seat in a nationally watched special election in February. In a district where Republicans outnumber Democrats, she won by about 7 percent.
But the November contest against former state Rep. Ray Pilon proved much closer. Ultimately, she won re-election with a margin of victory less than 1,200 votes.
