Chuck Clemons, Kayser Enneking start 2020 with $100K+ in the bank

Chuck Clemons.

Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons and Democratic challenger Kayser Enneking each finished 2019 with more than $100,000 in their campaign accounts, new campaign finance reports show.

Clemons is running for a third term in House District 21, which covers much of Alachua County as well as all of Dixie and Gilchrist Counties.

In December, the incumbent raised nearly $50,000 — $31,350 in hard money and another $18,000 through his affiliated political committee, Florida Shines.

The campaign account’s ledger showed a couple dozen checks for $1,000, the maximum allowable contribution for state legislative races. Among them was a check from Gainesville Sen. Keith Perry’s reelection campaign.

Clemons has raised just shy of $130,000 since filing for reelection in December 2018 and has spent a little over $21,000. He entered 2020 with $108,500 in hard money banked. His political committee has about $67,000 at the ready for an overall war chest of $175,000.

Enneking, who filed for the seat on Sept. 30, added $17,365 to her campaign account last month, bringing her to-date total to $111,140 through three months in the race.

She also raised $20,000 through her political committee, Florida Knows Excellence, all of it from Melrose physician Joseph Rush.

Like Clemons, Enneking has kept spending to a minimum thus far, ending the year with $100,200 in campaign cash and $20,000 in the committee account.

HD 21 is a top target for Florida Democrats in the 2020 cycle. Clemons cruised into office by 7 points in 2016, though in 2018 the margin narrowed to 3 points. The same cycle saw the seat go for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum at the top of the ticket.

The $55,000 difference between Clemons and Enneking could narrow considerably over the next two months as Clemons will be barred from raising money for his reelection campaign during the 2020 Legislative Session.

Currently neither candidate faces a primary election challenger.