Republican Jason Brodeur heads into SD 9 battle with $504K in hand

The General Election battle for Florida Senate District 9 begins with Republican former Rep. Jason Brodeur having more than $500,000 in his war chest and Democrat Patricia Sigman with more than $300,000.

Brodeur, of Sanford, comes through August and into the fall campaign season without having had to battle in a primary. Nonetheless, Brodeur’s campaign has been fairly free-spending for years as he sought to shore up post-election power.

He enters the fall campaign for the open SD 9 seat with $225,023 in his official campaign fund and another $278,621 in his independent political committee, Friends of Jason Brodeur, according to the latest available reports from the Florida Division of Elections, through Aug. 21.

Sigman, of Altamonte Springs, emerged from a five-way Democratic primary on Aug. 18 with much of her campaign fund spent down, but she largely kept a lid on spending from her independent committee United For Change.

As a result, her official campaign cleared the primary with $52,583 left on Aug. 21, while United For Change has $260,677.

The race is likely to draw plenty of attention and money, as Democrats have targeted the seat as entirely winnable in a district long-held by Republicans who now have just a 1 point advantage in voter registration. Republicans long to hold onto one of the few legislative seats they retain in Central Florida.

Perhaps as impactful as anything the candidates’ campaigns and political committees might do, the state parties already have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in both candidates.

The Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee has provided $202,198 of in-kind support to Sigman’s campaign, paying for staff, polling, research, and office rent. Most of that was covered, in turn, by donations to that committee from the Florida Democratic Party in July.

The Florida Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee has provided $374,801 in support for Brodeur’s campaign. However, some of that has been reimbursed with $230,000 donated to that committee by Brodeur’s Friends of Jason Brodeur

SD 9 covers Seminole County and parts of southern Volusia County. The seat is opening because Republican Sen. David Simmons is term limited.