Scott Powers
In one of the most combustible House of Representative races, Republican Rep. Scott Plakon and Democrat Tracey Kagan appear to be stockpiling campaign cash for a House District 29 blitz heading into the Nov. 3 General Election.
Plakon, a publisher from Lake Mary, raised about $14,000 and spent about that much in the two-week period covered by the latest campaign finance reports filed with the Florida Division of Elections through Sept. 18. That brings his total raised to more than $238,000. The latest donations included 10 maximum $1,000 checks.
Plakon’s campaign has been spending $5,000 to $7,000 a week over the past couple of months on signs, fundraising expenses, digital advertising, and other minor campaign expenses, but not making any big moves with the money. Consequently that left Plakon with $184,288 in reserve on Sept. 18 for the last six weeks or so.
Kagan, a criminal justice lawyer from Longwood, picked up just under $24,000 during the latest reporting period and has raised more than $160,000 to date. That included a $10,000 check from Florida Democratic Party, and another five maximum $1,000 checks.
Kagan also has been receiving support in hundreds of micro donations of $10 or less, while Plakon’s campaign has relied more on the large checks from corporations and political action committees. In the latest two-week period, she received 174 separate donations, while he receive 22.
Kagan has been spending less than Plakon, only $4,667 in the latest two-week period. On Sept 18 she had $126,361 left to spend.
The HD 29 contest is a rematch of the 2018 election when Plakon defeated Kagan 51%-49%.
There also is an independent candidate. Juan Rodriguez of Lake Mary reported raising $237 during the period, and bringing forward $40 cash on Sept. 18.
HD 28 spreads across western Seminole County, including all or parts of Sanford, Lake Mary, Longwood, and the Wekiva Springs area. It’s entirely suburban and mostly affluent, with some working class neighborhoods. There are some significant African American communities, mainly in the Sanford and Forest City areas, and significant Hispanic, primarily Puerto Rican communities, mainly in Longwood and Forest City.
A similar situation is developing in neighboring House District 30, where neither Democratic Rep. Joy Goff-Marcil nor Republican former Rep. Bob Cortes have yet to put their campaign spending into a high gear.
Cortes, a businessman from Altamonte Springs, has a fundraising advantage. He has been spending some of money, on Spanish-language radio commercials, mailers, and signs, at a rate of a few thousand dollars a week for a couple of months running.
In the latest campaign finance reporting period, he raised a little less than $10,000 and spent about $13,000. To date, Cortes had raised $142,350, and was holding $81,659 on Sept. 18 for any late push.
In the previous reporting period, the Republican Party of Florida pumped up both Plakon’s and Cortes’ campaigns, providing $25,000 cash to Plakon and $20,000 to Cortes.
Goff-Marcil raised a little more than $6,000 in the most recent two-week period, and has raised about $60,000 overall. She spent less than $1,000 in the most recent period, and was holding $52,136 for her stretch run.
HD 30 also is a rematch of 2018 when Goff-Marcil won 53%-47%.
HD 30 represents a narrow swath of north central Orange and south central Seminole Counties, including parts of Altamonte Springs, Casselberry, Maitland, Eatonville, and Winter Park.
The entirely suburban district has flipped several times over the past couple of decades, but has been trending more Democratic. In the latest book-closing report for the primaries, Democrats held a nearly 8-point lead in voter registration.
