Adam Hattersley ends 2019 with $275,000 raised

Democratic Rep. Adam Hattersley has raised more than any other candidate in the race for Florida’s 15th Congressional District.

Hattersley raised nearly $160,000 from more than 2,000 individual donors in the final quarter of 2019, bringing his to-date fundraising total to nearly $275,000, according to Hattersley’s campaign. The official finance report was not yet available on the Federal Election Commission website as of this report.

Hattersley’s campaign claims he’s raised more than any Democrat has ever raised at this point in the race for the east Hillsborough district.

Incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Ross Spano, meanwhile, raised $109,000 in the last three months of 2019. That’s better performance than he’s seen yet in the 2020 campaign, but still leaves him short of his either of his would-be Democratic challengers.

Spano’s reports show nearly $125,000 cash on hand, but also lists outstanding loans totaling more than $80,000, leaving him with about $40,000 in the bank.

Spano faced fundraising trouble after illegally borrowing money from friends for his 2018 election in which he defeated Democrat Kristen Carlson. After an ethics probe, Spano said he would repay the loans. He is still under federal investigation over the loans, which amounted to campaign contributions far in excess of allowable limits.

Alan Cohn, Hattersley’s opponent in the Democratic primary, isn’t far behind. While his fourth quarter reports have not yet been posted to the FEC database, Cohn announced earlier this month that he raised $117,000 in the fourth quarter, bringing his total earnings to $190,000.

Neither Hattersley nor Cohn announced their fourth quarter spending.

Hattersley currently holds the District 59 in the Florida House, which significantly overlaps CD 15.

Cohn is a former Sarasota-area newscaster and former congressional candidate.

The two Democrats have focused their campaigns so far on going after Spano based on his campaign finance scandal. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has not endorsed a Democrat in the race, but has included Spano on their list of take-down targets for 2020, which will likely benefit the eventual Democratic nominee.