Ryan Nicol
Republican officials have begun to line up behind Jim Mooney in House District 120, but the money continues to head to his Republican rival, Rhonda Rebman Lopez.
Lopez and Mooney are battling with attorney Alexandria Suarez in a three-way contest for the GOP nomination.
Outgoing HD 120 Rep. Holly Raschein endorsed Mooney as her preferred successor. Sen. Anitere Flores — whose district covers much of the same ground as HD 120 — is also backing Mooney.
Despite that, Lopez has now led the fundraising contest for the ninth straight month. She has topped her opponents every month since entering the contest in September.
Fundraising has slowed in the contest due to the COVID-19 crisis. While Lopez routinely nearly topped or exceeded $20,000 per month prior to March, she added just under $11,000 in May.
That’s her best fundraising month since the outbreak began. Lopez did supplement her March and April hauls with self-loans totaling $35,000, though she didn’t pitch in any of her own money in May.
Flores’ endorsement came earlier this week. Raschein made her endorsement known in mid-May. Despite Raschein’s announcement, Mooney finished last in the field of four candidates in terms of May fundraising, adding less than $4,000.
Coming in second to Lopez was Clint Barras, the only Democrat in the contest. Barras currently serves as a vice president at the web design and marketing company Two Oceans Digital. He collected more than $5,200 in May.
Suarez, the remaining GOP candidate raised just over $4,200 in the month.
In total, Lopez has courted approximately $220,000 in addition to the $35,000 in self-loans. She has just over $220,000 remaining in cash-on hand.
Mooney sits in second, with nearly $90,000 raised and more than $80,000 remaining. Suarez has hauled in just under $48,000 and has about $40,000 in her war chest.
Barras, meanwhile, has brought in just over $22,000 since entering the contest in February. He has just over $19,000 still available.
So far, only Barras and Lopez have qualified for the contest. Qualifying week began Monday and ends Friday, June 12 at noon.
Candidates and political committees faced a Wednesday deadline to report all financial activities through May 31.
HD 120 covers Monroe County as well as parts of southern Miami-Dade County.
