Drew Wilson
The Republican Party of Florida raised more than triple what the Florida Democratic Party managed during the last three months of 2019.
New finance reports show the state GOP collected $5.24 million during the reporting period, with six-figure donations heading in from Heritage Insurance Holdings, the Florida Medical Association, Dosal Tobacco and the GEO Group, among many others.
In all, RPOF deposited 403 checks last quarter, with the average donation weighing in at around $13,000.
The fourth-quarter haul also goes down as the party’s best of the year, narrowly edging out the opening quarter, which saw $5.1 million flow into the account.
About $1.76 million flowed out of the account during the reporting period, leaving RPOF with $20.56 million at the ready heading into an election year.
The party funds are separate from the $6.5 million rake the Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee showed in its fourth-quarter report.
Overall, RPOF is on stronger financial footing than the Florida Democratic Party, which raised $1.56 million over the same stretch.
FDP’s report had a few six-figure donors — $150,000 came from the Andrew Gillum-linked Forward Florida, Orlando PAC chipped in $121,000, and Jose Acosta of New Jersey chipped in $100,000 even.
The Q4 haul was the party’s second best of the year, coming in about $180,000 behind their third-quarter total.
About $741,000 in spending was also reported, leaving FDP with about $15.3 million on hand at the start of the year.
