Ryan Nicol
Republican candidate Rhonda Rebman Lopez has once again hauled in more money than her opponents as she pursues the House District 120 seat.
The latest reports filed with the Division of Elections show Lopez added just over $20,000 during the month. That total led Islamorada Councilman and former Mayor Jim Mooney, who managed to bring in more than $13,000.
Lopez is the most recent Republican to file, entering the contest in September. But she’s led the field in fundraising each month she’s been in the race.
Lopez last ran for office in 2018, competing in the race for House District 115. She lost the Republican primary battle to Vance Aloupis, who went on to claim victory in the general election.
Also competing for the Republican nomination are Mooney — who entered the race in August — and attorney Alexandria Suarez. Suarez swapped over to the HD 120 race after when Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez joined that contest. Suarez has originally sought that Senate seat.
She trailed both Lopez and Mooney in January fundraising, adding just under $3,000.
Lopez has not only led the HD 120 field in fundraising. She’s been among the strongest non-incumbent fundraisers in the entire state.
Lopez now has upward of $173,000 in cash on hand after just five months as a candidate. That more than two-and-a-half times Mooney’s war chest, which contains nearly $67,000.
The newest entrant in the race, Clint Barras, won’t file a fundraising report until next month, as he didn’t enter the race until earlier this month.
Barras, a Vice President at the web design and marketing company Two Oceans Digital, is the only Democrat competing for the seat.
GOP state Rep. Holly Raschein is term-limited in 2020, making the HD 120 contest an open one. The district covers Monroe County as well as parts of southern Miami-Dade County.
Candidates and political committees faced a Monday deadline to report all financial activity through Jan. 31.
