Drew Wilson
Former Rep. Jason Brodeur raised more than $143,000 last month in his bid to take over for term-limited Sen. David Simmons in Central Florida’s Senate District 9.
Brodeur, a Sanford Republican, brought in $37,625 in hard money with another $106,050 coming in through his committee account, Friends of Jason Brodeur.
The campaign report included nearly three dozen checks for $1,000, the maximum allowable contribution for state legislative races. All told, he received 51 contributions last month, with the average check weighing in at $737.75.
Among the $1,000 donors last month were lobbyists Fred Karlinsky of Greenberg Traurig, Marty Fiorentino of the Fiorentino Group and lobby firms Capital City Consulting, Johnson & Blanton, Metz Husband & Daughton and Ramba Consulting Group.
The committee report included 40 contributions, anchored by a $50,000 check from Friends of Matt Caldwell, a political committee run by the 2018 GOP nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture. Health insurer Florida Blue also chipped in $10,000.
Brodeur, who served in the House from 2010 through 2018, has raised a total of $336,755 in campaign cash since declaring for SD 9 in early 2017. He has $193,730 banked.
His political committee, meanwhile, has raked in more than $1.5 million since it was opened four years ago. He has $214,485 on hand in that account for a total war chest of $408,215.
Brodeur is currently the only Republican seeking the seat, which includes all of Seminole and part of Volusia County. He faces Democrats Justin Miller and Frederick Ashby II, neither of whom have gained traction in fundraising — Miller has about $6,000 banked while Ashby has about $200.
SD 9’s partisan lead gives Brodeur the best odds of succeeding Simmons come November 2020.
