Ryan Nicol
Broward State Attorney candidate Joshua Rydell raised nearly $18,000 in January to extend his cash-on-hand lead among the crowded 10-person field.
Rydell currently represents District E on the Coconut Creek Commission and is a former Mayor.
He has added nearly $160,000 in outside money since launching his campaign in October. Rydell has also tacked on a self-loan of just over $5,000. He maintains nearly $145,000 in his campaign coffers.
Rydell’s January haul more than doubled his next-closest opponent, former Assistant State Attorney Harold Pryor. Pryor pulled in just over $7,500 during the month.
All nine of Rydell’s opponents added in, total, just over $22,000 in January. That’s only a little more than $4,000 more than Rydell’s total alone.
Rydell and Pryor are part of an 10-person field competing to be the next State Attorney for the 17th Judicial Circuit, which covers Broward County.
Among the other Democrats running in the contest are Assistant State Attorneys David Cannady, Justin McCormack and Sarahnell Murphy, defense lawyer Joe Kimok, former prosecutor Jim Lewis and former Broward state attorney candidate Teresa Williams.
Former Broward Assistant State Attorney Gregg Rossman has filed as a Republican, while former Sunrise Commissioner Sheila Alu is running as a non-party-affiliated candidate.
Murphy came in third in January fundraising, adding just over $3,500. She has pulled in the third-highest total in outside fundraising, behind Rydell and Pryor. But Murphy has also added a $50,000 loan to her campaign, giving her a cash-on-hand advantage over Pryor.
Murphy is sitting on more than $120,000, while Pryor retains nearly $80,000.
The race has courted a high number of candidates in part because it will be the first open race for Broward State Attorney in more than 40 years.
Current State Attorney Michael Satz has held that role for more than four decades. Satz announced his decision to forgo a reelection bid in June. He says he wants to focus on prosecuting the case against Nikolas Cruz, who is facing charges in the 2018 Stoneman Douglas shooting that left 17 people dead.
Candidates and political committees faced a Monday deadline to report all financial activity through Jan. 31.
