Ryan Nicol
Democratic House District 105 candidate Javier Estevez is formally launching his 2020 campaign in Collier County with a Wednesday evening event at Bambusa Bar & Grill.
This is the second straight cycle Estevez will compete for the HD 105 seat.
He narrowly defeated Ross Hancock in the 2018 Democratic primary and went on to barely lose out in a razor-thin general election. Estevez was defeated by current Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez by a 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent margin. That’s a difference of just 417 votes.
But Estevez won’t have Rodriguez to contend with this time around. She’s seeking the Senate District 39 seat, making the HD 105 contest an open race once again.
Estevez announced he would seek the seat once again in May, but Wednesday’s event will serve as the official launch event in Collier County. The gathering at the Naples restaurant will take place from 6:30-9 p.m.
HD 105 covers parts of Miami-Dade, Broward and Collier counties.
“As a first-generation American, the son of Cuban immigrants, I know firsthand the issues impacting our community,” Estevez said in a statement announcing the event.
“I am excited to launch my campaign to bring real change House District 105 by protecting quality public education, tackling affordable housing, and ensuring healthcare is accessible and affordable for all.”
Estevez hasn’t been incredibly active on the fundraising front. He’s pulled a little more than $7,600 since filing for the race in May.
That total has been dwarfed by two of his potential Republican opponents. Attorney Bibiana Potestad has netted nearly $67,000 in just two months. In that same period, Sweetwater City Commissioner J. David Borrero collected more than $54,000.
A third candidate, Pedro Barrios, is also seeking the Republican nomination.
Perhaps Estevez will attempt to shift it into a higher gear following Wednesday’s event.
He did rely heavily on small donations last cycle, however, and was easily outraised by Rodriguez. She topped him in fundraising by a $332,000 to $14,000 margin. Yet, Estevez still made it a tight race.
He seemed confident he would be able to repeat that level of competitiveness this time around.
“In 2020, we will continue to grow our people powered campaign that was fueled by a diverse coalition of supporters across House District 105,” Estevez said. “We will finish what we started in 2018 by flipping House District 105 come November.”
