Jacob Ogles
The Club For Growth continues to invest in a heated Congressional primary in Southwest Florida.
A 24-hour-hour campaign expenditure report shows further buys to promote Byron Donalds, the free-market advocacy group’s favored candidate.
Spending reports show Club For Growth Action dropped $272,000 this week on the race for video advertisements. That brings the total in TV spending for the group to $1.6 million in CD 19.
With the purchase of $4,000 in non-metro market radio advertisements this week, Club for Growth has purchased $7,000 in radio marketing as well.
It shows a further commitment in the race to rising Donalds’ profile. Indeed, the organization has spent more than any candidate campaign in the race; the total in fact is more money than most candidates have raised. The Naples Republican, one of nine candidates in a GOP primary for the open seat, has been bolstered by outside support.
This week, Florida Family Action announced it would back Donalds. And Club For Growth already kicked off TV ads and purchased more than $1 million in air time.
The support is important for Donalds. The sitting state lawmaker placed a close second in a recent voter survey by St. Pete Polls, but he was in fourth place in cash on hand at the end of the second quarter.
Money leader Casey Askar, notably the only candidate besting Donalds in the recent poll, booked $1.42 million in media, $131,000 of it for slots this week. Dr. William Figlesthaler has booked $1.31 million in time.
Donalds’ campaign, meanwhile, purchased $148,000 to reserve time while Rep. Dane Eagle bought $139,000.
Beyond those purchases, spending reports indicate many of the lower tier candidates are not spending in the same league as the top four cash holders. Former Minnesota lawmaker Dan Severson has reserved $20,000 in time, and Collier County Deputy Daniel Kowal has purchased about $1,000. Fort Myers Mayor Randy Henderson bought $400 last week but has reserved no time this week or in the future.
