Kelly Hayes
St. Petersburg City Council member Gina Driscoll collected $23,272 in April, continuing her reelection campaign for District 6 as the lead fundraiser.
Driscoll’s April haul includes $20,273 raised for her campaign account, along with $3,000 collected for her affiliated political committee, Friends of Gina Driscoll. April was the incumbent’s second highest fundraising report since she launched her campaign in January.
Her campaign account saw about 75 donors in April, primarily individual contributors and a handful of businesses and PACs.
Driscoll received $1,000 drops from the Suncoast Police Benevolent Association PAC, 78 Labor Union PAC, media consulting business Here’s An Idea, affordable housing developer Blue Sky Communities, lawyers Matt Towery, Carolee Blackmon and James Holton, Premier Eye Care CEO Lorna Taylor and Doyle Wealth Management CPA and President Robert Doyle.
Friends of Ben Diamond also donated $500 to Driscoll’s campaign.
Her political committee raised $3,000 from two donors — business mogul Bill Edwards, who gave $2,000, and real estate investor Patrick Richard, who gave $1,000.
As for spending, Driscoll’s campaign only dished out $2,463 last month on consulting services and processing fees. Her political committee spent $1,046 in April, also mostly on consulting services.
Driscoll, who has raised $137,501 since the launch of her reelection campaign, is left with $111,552 cash on hand between her two funding sources.
Candidate Brett Vickers, who entered the race April 5, reported raising only $25 in his April finance report, attributed to associated real estate company Great Choice Realty Professionals. Vickers did not report any expenditures.
A previous challenger, Anthony Miffin, dropped out of the race in April, and another candidate, Jevon Gammon, just joined the race at the start of May, meaning he lacks an April funding report.
Driscoll, who was first elected to the District 6 seat in 2017, is the Council vice chair. She will appear on the Aug. 24 St. Pete Primary Election ballot, which will also include the open Mayor’s race.
The district has long been held by Democrats, including Driscoll’s predecessor, Nurse, but is seen as a winnable seat for Republicans despite its large minority constituency in parts of South St. Pete. Vickers is a Republican, though the race is technically nonpartisan.
Democrats have a 6-2 majority on the dais. Ed Montanari and Robert Blackmon are the Republicans.
