Ryan Nicol
The Donna Shalala campaign says it added $600,000 during the final quarter of 2019, leaving her with more than $1.2 million in cash on hand as she attempts to defend her seat.
Shalala is the incumbent Democrat representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District. She won that seat in 2018, succeeding retiring GOP U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.
That 2018 contest saw Shalala defeat broadcaster Maria Elvira Salazar, who ran as a Republican. With Salazar filing to run in 2020, the race could be headed for a rematch in November.
“We told the people of my district that I would be ready on day one to represent them in Congress, and our campaign’s strong fundraising performance is a testament to us delivering on that promise,” Shalala said in a statement on her fourth quarter fundraising numbers.
“Whether it’s fighting to protect access to affordable health insurance, combating the climate crisis, or working to grow and expand our economy, I have been a tireless advocate for South Florida – but there is a still a lot of work to do. We must build on the good work we’ve started and continue to get results for the people of Miami-Dade.”
Shalala defeated Salazar by a somewhat comfortable 6 point margin in 2018. This time around she’ll be aided by the inherent advantage that comes with incumbency.
The fourth quarter fundraising number Shalala’s campaign cited is nearly twice her third quarter haul.
Shalala added nearly $314,000 from July through September. That total actually fell short of Salazar, who hauled in more than $504,000.
Even more impressive is that Salazar accrued that total in just two months, as she didn’t join the race until Aug. 1.
Salazar’s fourth quarter numbers are not yet available. It remains to be seen whether she too saw a fundraising bump to end the year, and whether it will be enough to again out-raise the Democratic incumbent.
Federal candidates face a Jan. 31 deadline to report all fundraising activity through the end of 2019.
