Drew Wilson
Estero Republican Rep. Ray Rodrigues is raising campaign cash in Fort Myers next week.
The July 1 event is slated for 5:30 p.m. at Buckingham Farms 12391 Orange River Blvd. Proceeds will benefit his Senate District 27 campaign and his affiliated political committee.
The host committee features a litany of influential names.
Topping the list: Senate President designate Wilton Simpson, Senate Majority Leader Kathleen Passidomo, term-limited SD 27 Sen. Lizbeth Benacquisto, State Attorney Amira Fox, Sheriff Carmine Marceno, and Reps. Mike Grant, Spencer Roach and Bob Rommel.
including former Rep. Gary Aubuchon, Bonita Springs Councilmember Laura Carr, Fort Myers Beach Mayor Anita Cerecita, Cape Coral Mayor Joe Coviello, Sanibel Vice Mayor Mick Denham, former Rep. Dudley Goodlette, Fort Myers Mayor Peter Simmons and Fort Myers Councilmembers Gaile Anthony and Fred Burson.
Due to Phase Two reopening guidelines, the event space is capped at 50. Supporters must RSVP with the campaign to attend.
Rodrigues is one of the most prolific fundraisers running for state office this cycle, with $410,000 raised and $192,000 on hand in his campaign account and nearly $550,000 more banked between his two political committees, Friends of Ray Rodrigues and Free Markets for Florida.
Much of that cash was raised while Rodrigues was running for SD 27 unopposed, though he’s maintained throughout that he wouldn’t win the seat without a fight.
He’s proven correct — fellow Republican Rep. Heather Fitzenhagen, who had been running for Congress, filed for the seat earlier this month.
Her entry instantly turned the SD 27 primary into a top tier race in Florida this August. Rodrigues already boasts backing from Senate Republican leadership, though Fitzenhagen boasts strong relationships with members of the Southwest Florida congressional delegation.
Democrat Rachel Brown will face the Republican nominee in November, though the district’s partisan lean gives her long odds of toppling the eventual Republican nominee.
The fundraiser invitation is below.
