Jacob Ogles
Sarasota Democrat Margaret Good raised $362,000 in the final quarter of 2019.
In total, she has pulled in $812,000 on her quest to unseat U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan.
“I’m grateful for the thousands of supporters who are working with us to create positive change and who, like me, are focused on ensuring this district has the representation it deserves,” said Good, now a state Representative.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far — this is just the beginning.”
The money raised in the quarter was about $162,000 less than the $524,000 Buchanan announced Tuesday. The incumbent Republican said he pulled in $1.91 million throughout 2019.
But Good’s team said the key figure that matters would be cash on hand. Buchanan, at the end of the third quarter, reported $533,938 in the bank. While full details on donations have not yet become public for either campaign, it’s likely Buchanan finished 2019 with under $1 million in cash.
That’s mainly because Buchanan has paid back candidate loans for money he spent in 2018 defending his seat from a challenge by Democrat David Shapiro.
Good’s team also stressed that money comes chiefly from human beings instead of committees and corporations. Of 2,480 donations to Good’s campaign, 1,638 come from individuals. And a sizable portion of her contributions in the last quarter came from people living in the district — about 73% of donations.
Buchanan’s camp, though, said the true revelation from Good’s quarterly report was that finances are waning.
“Margaret Good’s fundraising is already losing steam with a 20 percent drop from her first filing,” said Max Goodman, Buchanan campaign manager. “She even raised less than David Shapiro did in his second report. Looks like Hugh Culverhouse, her most prominent backer and donor, isn’t the only one jumping ship.”
The race looks to be one of the hottest contests in Florida in 2020.
Good, recruited into the race by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, announced in July she was running for Congress instead of seeking reelection in Florida House District 72.
In her first fundraising quarter, she outraised Buchanan’s totals for the period. The $450,000 she raised then was more than any Democrat raised running in Florida’s 16th Congressional District.
2 comments
V-O-T-E D-E-M 2020
January 15, 2020 at 2:51 pm
The Republicans in most of Florida’s counties operate not unlike a street gang controlling the neighborhood – and, now, they’ve been into it statewide for some 22 years. Entrenched. Unchallenged. They rule the roost and their special interests profit from the GOPpers’ actions – and the special interests keep the gangsters in power with their campaign contributions. it’ll take a MOVEMENT to overcome them and to make sure they don’t reappear – but the old pharts in this area keep voting for the GOP gang – and the younger people, the minorities, and the working class often just don’t bother to vote. So – tough to put together a movement. In the end, though, changing demographics will get the job done, sooner or later. Good Luck, Margaret, but you’ll probably need a lot more help than the local, moribund, Democratic Party can usually put together.
Janu
January 16, 2020 at 4:24 pm
Ms. Good might want to complete a first term in the state legislature before trying to unseat a multi-term U.S. Congressman, despite her political ambitions.
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