Ryan Nicol
Delray Beach attorney Michael D. Weinstein crossed the $75,000 mark in his bid for the Democratic nomination in House District 81.
Nearly half of that total — $35,000 — came from Weinstein’s own bank account in the form of a self-loan. He’s added just over $40,000 in outside contributions.
In the latest fundraising report, covering June 13-26, Weinstein collected just over $15,000. That was enough to edge his Democratic primary opponent, former Rep. Kelly Skidmore.
Skidmore’s campaign brought in just over $12,000 during that span. Floridians for Early Education, a political committee supporting her bid, added another $1,500 for a total of more than $13,500. That’s just over $1,000 short of Weinstein’s total.
Two Republicans are also competing in the left-leaning district. Both have been slower to raise money, however.
Saulis Banionis collected just $600 in the latest period for a total of $5,600 overall. Silmo Moura showed $0 raised from June 13-26. Both candidates have less than $3,000 remaining in their respective accounts.
Weinstein leads in cash on hand, thanks again to hefty self-loans to his campaign. Weinstein maintains more than $53,000 going forward. Skidmore has nearly $37,000 between her campaign and PC.
HD 81 covers parts of Palm Beach County near Lake Okeechobee including Pahokee and Belle Glade.
Skidmore and Weinstein launched their bid in mid-March after Rep. Tina Polsky announced she would pursue a Senate seat.
Both have collected their share of endorsements. A pair of Palm Beach County first responder unions endorsed Weinstein last week. Skidmore has also garnered support from current and former lawmakers, including from former HD 81 Rep. Joe Abruzzo.
Candidates and political committees faced a Friday, July 3 deadline to report all financial activity through June 26.
