Ryan Nicol
Democratic candidate Clint Barras has beat out Republican Jim Mooney for the second straight period, as Barras added more than $43,000 to his campaign account from Sept. 5 to 18.
Mooney raised more than $15,000 through his campaign and another $3,000 through his political committee, Friends of Jim Mooney. Both candidates are seeking to replace term-limited Republican Rep. Holly Raschein in House District 120.
The Florida Democratic Party (FDP) contributed $15,000 to Barras’ bid, helping inflate his money totals for the two-week period.
Still, Barras courted $28,000 from additional donors, enough to nearly double Mooney’s haul. Barras tapped into out-of-state donors to help raise that cash. Just 22% of that $28,000 came from Florida donors. Only 6% of the 817 donations were from individuals listed as Florida residents.
Mooney collected $1,000 from two organizations associated with high-powered lobbyist Ron Book. Several beer distributors also kicked in $1,000. Gold Coast Beverage and two organizations connected to the Florida Beer Wholesalers Association each gave a maximum donation to Mooney’s campaign. Gold Coast beverage kicked in another $2,000 to Mooney’s PC as well.
Mooney has still raised the most money between the two. He has collected nearly $148,000 through his campaign account since launching his HD 120 bid in August 2019. He has collected another $5,500 through his PC.
Barras has raised just over $123,000 since entering the race in February of this year.
Barras has far more cash available, thanks in part to securing the Democratic nomination unchallenged. Mooney, meanwhile, had to battle in a three-way contest to win the GOP nod. That sapped a lot of his resources.
As of Sept. 18, Barras has more than $104,000 still available. Mooney holds just over $19,000, an $85,000 deficit.
Neither candidate spent much in their latest reports. Barras spent $6,500, mostly on advertising and staff costs. Mooney spent close to $4,700, much of which went to staff and printing expenses.
HD 120 covers Monroe County as well as parts of southern Miami-Dade County. Candidates and political committees faced a Friday deadline to report all financial activity through Sept. 18.
