A.G. Gancarski
While many Jacksonville-area House members put campaign finance on the back burner before the Legislative Session, Republican Jason Fischer is an exception.
The second-term legislator raised and spent big money in March, both in his campaign account and that of his political committee.
Fischer raised $19,000 in hard money off of 20 checks, with Associated Industries of Florida, lobbyist Ron Book (in two entries), and accountant and pharmacist political committees among the donors.
Fischer has roughly $50,000 in hard money. After facing a general election challenge in 2018, he can be expected to continue amassing resources … especially given indications that he may explore a citywide run in 2023.
The action in Fischer’s political committee is even more interesting:
— Conservative Solutions for Jacksonville brought in $71,500 in March, after a $41,000 February.
— Florida Power and Light donated $7,500.
— A Stronger Florida, funded largely by Charter Communications, donated $10,000.
— The Gary Chartrand Trust donated, as did Texas Teachers, a group in the Lone Star State that brings a corporatist model to education.
Despite over $110,000 going into Fischer’s committee in just two months, it has roughly $12,000 on hand.
The money raised is flowing into a third committee, one that shares a treasurer with Fischer’s (Sarasota School Board member Eric Robinson).
However, the ultimate purpose of the third committee, Citizens for a Conservative Future, is unclear. Most of its spending has gone to Robinson’s firm.
What is clear, however: Fischer’s committee has become its prime funding source.
A total of $96,000 moved out of Fischer’s committee in March to Citizens for a Conservative Future. All told, $246,000 has moved from Fischer’s committee to this one since September 2018.
The committee has roughly $236,000 on hand.
