Marlon Hill, Kionne McGhee dominate funding race in Miami-Dade County Commission contest

Two candidates — Marlon Hill and Rep. Kionne McGhee — have continued to dominate fundraising in the five-candidate field for Miami-Dade County Commission District 9. 

Hill has raised a total of $401,193 and spent $335,448 over the life of the campaign, leaving $65,475 on hand. McGhee has raised $202,088 and spent $169,819, giving him $32,269 left to burn. 

McGhee also has a political action committee, Words Matter, that has raised $346,330 and spent $343,717.

Hill, a partner at Hamilton, Miller & Birthisel, raised $29,676 from June 27 to July 10, and $3,260 from July 11 to July 17. He paid $7,500 to Marin and Sons for consulting and campaign management on June 30 and an additional $47,285 to the same company for the same purpose on July 2.

McGhee raised $7,075 from June 27 to July 10 and $5,370 in the most recent filing period. He spent $31,610 from June 27 to July 10 and $20,710 from July 11 to 17. McGhee, who graduated from Howard University and Texas Southern University with a law degree, spent $16,100 at the UPS Store for content and mail in the last two periods.

McGhee and Hill have been neck and neck in fundraising for months.

Homestead Councilman Elvis Maldonado has raised $105,360 over the campaign and spent $82,137, leaving $23,223 on hand. Maldonado raised $26,525 in between June 27 and July 10 and an additional $6,050 between July 11 and 17, and he spent a total of $38,227 in the last two periods.

Much of that money, $33,926, was paid to Green Point Group for phone banking, digital marketing, consulting, printing and email marketing.

South Bay Community Council member Johnny Farias has raised $77,868 in his campaign and spent $75,516. Farias has just $2,352 on hand and raised a total of $2,225 over the last two filing periods. Farias spent $7,042 between June 27 and July 10.

The final candidate in the district, pastor Mark Coats, has raised a total of $62,800 and spent $56,946. He has $5,854 remaining. 

Coats raised $550 over the last two filing periods, and spent $3,090 over the corresponding span.