Ryan Nicol
After leading the House District 105 race in fundraising, Republican candidates David Borrero and Bibiana Potestad are putting that money to use as they battle in the House District 105 primary.
Potestad, a lawyer, is the top fundraiser overall. She has added more than $187,000 this cycle.
Potestad spent more than $11,000 in her most recent financial reports, which cover July 25-31. More than $10,000 of that went toward a radio ad buy for the final stretch of the campaign.
Borrero, meanwhile, spent nearly $18,000 in the same period. Borrero paid DRC Consulting more than $10,000 for door hangers, direct mail work and phone banking. Another $3,400 went to Melissa Reinoso for campaigning expenses such as meals and supplies. Most of Borrero’s other expenditures went toward paid canvassing.
Both Borrero and Potestad have spent more than $100,000 since June 1. Potestad retains around $19,000 as of July 31, while Borrero holds around $11,000.
Pedro Barrios, who is also battling for the GOP nod, has been a distant third in terms of fundraising. He has barely topped $5,000 raised in outside contributions and has added another $3,100 in loans. Barrios has about $3,000 still on hand.
The HD 105 contest also features a competitive Democratic primary. Less money has flowed into that contest between former HD 105 candidate Javier Estevez and immigration attorney Maureen Porras.
Estevez added $7,000 from July 25-31, giving him more than $46,000 raised overall. He spent a little over $3,300 on digital communication expenses during the period but is still sitting on around $31,000 as of July 31.
Porras has raised nearly $37,000 in total and spent more than $7,400 in the most recent reporting period. That money largely went to MDW Communications for direct mail and digital ad expenditures.
Porras still has around $17,000 on hand as of July 31.
The five candidates are seeking to replace Republican Rep. Ana Maria Rodriguez, who is seeking a Senate seat after just one term in the House. HD 105 covers parts of Miami-Dade, Broward and Collier counties.
Candidates and political committees faced an Aug. 7 deadline to report all financial activity through July 31. They will submit their final pre-primary reports by Friday. Those reports will cover all activity through Thursday.
