Ryan Nicol
Former GOP Senate President Mike Haridopolos is backing lawyer Tom Fabricio in the Republican primary for House District 103.
Fabricio is battling Miami Lakes Vice Mayor Nelson Rodriguez for the Republican nomination in HD 103. The winner will take on Democratic Rep. Cindy Polo in the Nov. 3 general election.
“Tom is one of the hardest working candidates in Florida,” Haridopolos said in a Wednesday statement. “I’ve been so impressed with his work ethic and he’s the kind of person we need in government today.”
Haridopolos served as Senate President from 2010 to 2012 and now runs a consulting firm in Tallahassee.
“I appreciate the endorsement and counsel of President Haridopolos,” Fabricio added Wednesday. “He has been a true conservative leader in the Florida Legislature, and I look forward to working with him when elected to the Florida House.”
The Haridopolos announcement follows endorsements from GOP Sen. Manny Diaz, former Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera and former HD 103 candidate Frank Mingo.
Diaz formerly represented HD 103 before moving to the Senate in 2018. Mingo ran against Polo in that race, losing by 6 percentage points.
The district includes parts of Miami Lakes and Doral in Miami-Dade County and extends into Miramar in Broward County.
Fabricio has been a better fundraiser than Rodriguez this cycle. He’s raised more than $54,000 in outside money and added $10,000 in self-loans, while Rodriguez has collected less than $34,000.
Fabricio’s money advantage allowed him to spend $21,000 on a mail campaign in the latest financial reporting period, covering July 25-31. Fabricio has just under $20,000 still on hand as of July 31, while Rodriguez holds only $2,800.
The Republican primary will take place next Tuesday. Early voting in the contest has already begun.
