Ryan Nicol
Democratic Sen. José Javier Rodríguez is holding a large money advantage heading into the General Election, as he sits on more than $667,000.
Sen. Rodríguez holds more than $454,000 in his campaign account and another $213,000 in Initiative for Florida’s Future, an associated political committee.
His Republican opponent, Ileana Garcia, has just under $100,000 in cash on hand between her campaign and her political committee, No More Socialism. That puts her at a significant money deficit as Nov. 3 approaches.
Both candidates will receive help from their respective party committees, however, which could help Garcia make up some of that money gap.
Garcia has also been raising money for a far shorter period than Rodríguez. Garcia only filed for the seat on June 1, just ahead of the state’s qualifying deadline. Rodríguez, meanwhile, has been raising money for years following his victory in 2016.
Non-party affiliated Alex Rodriguez holds less than $800.
It’s possible Garcia will lessen that money gap on her own in the weeks ahead. Since Garcia entered the contest though, Rodríguez has mostly continued to extend his lead.
That’s true in the latest financial reports as well, which cover Aug. 14-21. Sen. Rodríguez added nearly $28,000 during that period and spent just over $25,000 for a net of around $2,700. Garcia added less than $2,200 during the same span.
Garcia founded Latinas For Trump and went on to work in the Donald Trump administration, serving as a deputy press secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.
Now, she’s attempting to put the SD 37 seat in play for Republicans as they remain on defense in nearby Senate District 39.
SD 37 covers portions of Miami-Dade County including Coral Gables, Key Biscayne, Palmetto Bay and Pinecrest. Rodríguez won the seat in 2016 by just over 3 percentage points to succeed GOP Sen. Miguel Diaz De la Portilla.
Candidates and political committees faced a Friday deadline to report all financial activity through Aug. 21.
