Drew Wilson
Former Rep. Jim Boyd is off to a quick start in his campaign for Senate District 21, and he’s looking to keep that momentum going.
The Bradenton Republican has scheduled a campaign fundraiser in Lakewood Ranch. It will be held Oct. 29 at the GROVE Restaurant Ballroom, 10670 Boardwalk Loop. Supporters can RSVP for the event online.
Boyd is seeking to replace term-limited Senate President Bill Galvano, also a Bradenton Republican, in 2020. He launched his Senate bid last month, and his first finance report already gives him an edge over Democratic contender Amanda Linton, currently his sole opponent.
In the first two weeks of his campaign, Boyd raised $24,250 and spent just $80. Linton has raised about $1,700 since entering the race in July and has a little over $300 in the bank.
Even without the fundraising advantage, Boyd is the front-runner.
He’s already locked down an endorsement from Galvano as well as nods from influential Sens. Travis Hutson, Joe Gruters, Kathleen Passidomo and Wilton Simpson.
Simpson is set to take over as Senate President after the 2020 elections, while Hutson and Passidomo are the top contenders for the gavel come 2022. Gruters doubles as the Republican Party of Florida chair.
Boyd, who served in the House from 2010-18, will also benefit from SD 21’s built-in advantage for Republicans.
According to the most recent voter registration numbers for the Manatee- and Hillsborough-based district, Republicans make up 43 percent of the electorate while Democrats make up 30 percent.
That gap has translated at the polls. Though Galvano went unopposed in his two elections since the Senate map was redrawn, President Donald Trump carried the district by 18 points in 2016.
