Renzo Downey
Former Florida Democratic Party Chair Allison Tant spent more than $60,000 in her campaign’s latest finance report, the biggest spending period yet in the race for House District 9.
In total, the Tallahassee candidate has spent $143,000 since she launched her campaign in January 2019. But the two-week period from June 27 to July 10 solidifies Tant as the candidate to beat as she lines up against fellow Democrat Arnitta Grice-Walker and former Republican Rep. Jim Kallinger.
That spending came mostly from a $54,000 check to Virginia-based Deliver Strategies for production and design services. The firm has previously done business for the House Democratic Caucus and Rep. Loranne Ausley, whom Tant hopes to succeed.
Tant’s campaign raised a less-than-normal $6,500 this period while her political committee, People First Leadership, raised another $7,500. But they add to her lead as she has now raised $316,000 in her campaign account and another $42,000 by her committee.
Grice-Walker, a math teacher, has only raised $2,720 throughout the campaign, including $255 in the latest period. A $50 fine for filing her financial report a day late is another setback for her campaign.
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination on Aug. 18 will face Kallinger, who represented part of Orange County from 2000 to 2004 but entered the HD 9 race last month. With $5,000 of his own cash now staked in his campaign, for a total of $6,800 in contributions this period, the now-Tallahassee-based consultant still faces an uphill battle if he hopes to return to the House.
Ausley, Sen. Bill Montford — who Ausley is vying to replace — and U.S. Rep. Al Lawson all endorsed Tant this month, putting the weight of Tallahassee’s Democratic lawmakers behind her.
During the two-week period, Tant received $2,000 in donations from the Florida Police benevolent Association, $1,000 from the Florida CPA Political Action Committee and another $1,000 from Gay Sachs. Meanwhile, the entirety of the $7,500 raised by her own committee came from Florida Education Association Advocacy Fund.
