Spencer Fordin
Former Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas kicked his fundraising into overdrive last week, raising more than he had in any period since February. Penelas raised $108,530 from July 25 to July 31 in his bid to reclaim his old office, and he’s raised a total of $1,453,451 for his campaign since last October.
Penelas has spent $1,306,602 of his campaign funds, leaving $146,849 in cash on hand. The Miami native secured his latest haul from 125 contributors at an average of $868 per donor.
He also spent heavily in that span. Penelas spent $179,474 in the latest funding period, which is more than four of his six competitors for the office have spent in total. The bulk of that money — a total of $155,010 — was paid to AKPD Message and Media for advertising and production.
Bold Vision, the political committee attached to the Penelas campaign, has raised $3,384,415 and spent $1,937,121, leaving $1,447,294 in cash on hand. Bold Vision raised $191,500 in the latest funding period.
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava — one of three County Commissioners in the race — has raised a total of $898,155 and spent $650,062, leaving $248,093 remaining. Cava raised $59,004 from July 25 to July 31, which was her highest fundraising total for any period dating back to May of 2019.
That total came from 359 contributors at an average of $164 per donor.
Penelas has steadily raised more than his rivals for the position.
Levine Cava spent $22,429 from July 25 to July 31.
Her political action committee, Our Democracy, has raised a total of $2,699,598 and spent $2,259,231, leaving $449,367 remaining. Our Democracy raised $48,903 and spent $212,190 in the latest funding period.
The final two County Commissioners in the race — Esteban Bovo and Xavier Suarez — trail both Penelas and Cava in total fundraising. Bovo has raised $515,121 and spent $394,161, leaving $120,960 remaining. Bovo spent more than half of his total expenditures — $212,915 — in the period between July 25 and July 31.
Most of that money — $204,829 — went to DRC Consulting for a TV ad buy, email marketing and communications.
The Bovo PAC, A Better Miami Dade, has raised $1,513,330 and spent $1,266,822.
Suarez has raised $136,400 and spent $110,828, leaving $25,572 remaining. He raised $8,200 in the latest filing period. His committee, Imagine Miami, has raised $1,517,525 and spent $1,478,304.
The final three candidates — Monique Nicole Barley, Carlos Antonio de Armas and Lyudmila Dormond — have raised much more modest totals and do not have political committees to aid their cause.
All three did not raise any money in the latest filing period.
Barley has raised $1,077 and hasn’t spent anything on her campaign thus far.
Dortmund has raised $5,840 and spent $2,505, leaving $3,335 on hand.
De Armas, meanwhile, has raised just $305 and spent all but $5.
The seven candidates are vying to replace Carlos Gimenez, who is term limited out of office. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the Aug. 18 primary, the top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
