Ryan Nicol
Democratic Rep. Javier Fernández is again leading Republican Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez in the monthly fundraising contest in Senate District 39 after an impressive May haul.
Fernández added more than $33,000 during the month to his campaign account. Florida Future, a political committee affiliated with the Fernández campaign, collected another $70,000.
The haul puts the Democrat well ahead of Rodriguez for the month. Rodriguez brought in less than $3,000 to her campaign, but pulled in another $45,000 through her political committee, Ethics and Honesty in Government.
The two have wrestled back and forth over the monthly fundraising lead in recent months. They are among a field of four running to replace term-limited GOP Sen. Anitere Flores.
Also competing in the contest is Democratic candidate Daniel Horton-Diaz, a former District Chief of Staff for U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. Celso Alfonso has also filed as a non-party affiliated candidate.
Horton-Diaz had not yet filed his May fundraising reports as of this posting, while Alfonso did not file for the race until this week.
Every candidate except Alfonso has qualified for the contest. Qualifying week began Monday and ends on Friday, June 12 at noon.
Both Fernández and Rodriguez are leaving the House after one term to pursue the SD 39 seat.
The race is one of the highest-profile Senate races in the state. Democrats believe they can steal a seat from Republicans this November. Senate GOP leadership, meanwhile, courted Rodriguez to run in an effort to hold onto their 23-17 majority.
SD 39 covers all of Monroe County and part of southern Miami-Dade County.
Candidates and political committees faced a Wednesday deadline to report all financial activities through May 31.
