A.G. Gancarski
State Sen. Aaron Bean has nearly doubled his net worth during his time in the Senate, per a review of the Northeast Florida Republican’s Form 6 filings.
The filing for 2018 reveals a net worth of $1.163 million, up from $638,808 on the 2012 disclosure.
Bean’s holdings largely are in real estate. His home in Fernandina Beach is valued at $500,000, with rentals of $190,000 and $168,000 in Fernandina and Yulee.
Assets included $13,000 in cash, with roughly $145,000 in a 401K and $215,000 in a Fidelity IRA, and another $84,000 in the Florida Retirement System.
Bean also reports interest in High Energy Auction Company and Aaron Bean Consulting.
The Beans included a joint tax return as part of their filing: taxable income was $136,081.
Bean’s Senate District 4 has a strong GOP plurality. Of its just over 360,000 voters, almost 175,000 are Republicans, with 94,000+ Democrats and the rest being NPAs.
Sen. Bean’s financial position is stronger than that of his Duval Senate colleague, District 5 Democrat Audrey Gibson.
Gibson, who leads the caucus, has yet to file her most recent Form 6. However, the document she filed last year for 2017 revealed a net worth of just under $100,000.
Though Bean is better positioned financially than his Duval Delegation colleague (and every Jacksonville member of the House except Rep. Wyman Duggan), Republicans representing Jacksonville suburbs are doing better still.
Fleming Island Sen. Rob Bradley has maintained his financial position in recent years, but the Appropriations Chairman’s disclosure remains remarkably consistent.
The Senator had $1.477 million as of the end of 2018. To compare, he had $1.42 million at the end of 2017. And $1.358 million at the end of 2013.
The Senator has almost $1.8 million in assets, including over $400,000 stakes in the since-renamed law firm Kopelousos, Bradley and Garrison and Hibernia Property Management.
Of his roughly $300,000 in debts, most of the money is borrowed against his home, valued at $450,000.
Of Northeast Florida Senators, Sen. Travis Hutson is the wealthiest by far.
The St. Johns County Republican’s 2018 financial disclosure reveals just over $7 million in net worth, with $5.6 million in the appropriately named Hutson Dynasty Trust.
Hutson’s net worth has stayed relatively constant over the years, with variations being in the valuation from the Hutson Dynasty Trust.
In 2012, he reported just over $6.7 million. The 2013 filing and 2014 document saw him closer to $7 million. The 2016 document saw him over $7.2 million.
On the House side, suburban/exurban Republican Reps. Travis Cummings, Cyndi Stevenson, and Bobby Payne all have strong net worths.
Cummings has over $3.6 million, with Stevenson and Payne comfortably multi-millionaires as well.
