Katherine Fernandez Rundle maintains big cash lead in re-election bid

Katherine Fernandez Rundle has built a huge cash surplus in her bid to retain her position as the State Attorney in Miami-Dade’s 11th Judicial Circuit. Rundle, who has served in the office 27 years and been re-elected six times since 1993, has raised nearly $600,000 and given her campaign an additional $50,000 in loans.

Rundle has also spent $501,524 on her campaign, leaving $143,157 in cash on hand. 

Her opponent, Melba Pearson, has raised $162,779 and spent $151,646, leaving $11,133 remaining.

Rundle, who served 15 years as assistant State Attorney prior to her election in 1993, ran unopposed in her last election. She spent more in one week — $245,570 from July 18 to 24 — than Pearson has raised in the campaign.

Rundle spent much of that money on getting her name out into the community. She paid $74,000 to the G Media Group for a radio ad on July 20 and $27,148 to Influence Communications for mailers on the same day.

Rundle also paid $58,120 to Edge Communications for advertising and direct mail and $41,465 to Stephanie Broomfield and Associates for community outreach, phone bank and a media buy in that funding period.

Despite the large funding disparity in the campaign, Rundle is still raising money. 

Her campaign raised $14,925 from July 18 to July 24 and $14,031 from July 25 to July 31.

The Miami-Dade Democratic Party called for Rundle to drop out of the race last month due to her concerns about her prosecutorial record, and Pearson recently cited internal polling that shows the race is a statistical tie. 

Pearson raised $11,314 from July 11 to July 17 and $7,908 from July 18 to July 24, and she spent $21,430 in the former period and $9,960 in the later period.

The two candidates will face off on Aug. 18, and the winner will be the county’s next State Attorney.