Ryan Nicol
Democratic candidate Jervonte Edmonds added just under $11,400 in May as he pursues the House District 88 seat set to be vacated by Democratic Rep. Omari Hardy.
Edmonds entered the contest in early May. Paulette Armstead, a former candidate for Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections, joined the contest last week. She won’t file her first fundraising reports until July, however.
Edmonds founded Suits For Seniors, a high school mentoring program aiming to prepare students for their future careers. Edmonds has also worked as executive director of the West Palm Beach Police Athletic League, sat on the executive board of the Palm Beach County Black Chamber of Commerce and served as President of Palm Beach Young Black Progressives.
The May fundraising report is the first such report filed by Edmonds. The totals, filed with the Division of Elections, shows Edmonds mostly relying on smaller donations, as opposed to maxed-out $1,000 contributions. Edmonds collected 107 contributions in total during the period, averaging just over $106 per donor. More than 60% of those donations were for $50 or less.
Earlier this year, Edmonds was filed to run for a West Palm Beach City Commission seat, but ended up withdrawing.
Armstead has mounted two other bids for the Florida House in District 92. She lost in the Democratic primary to now-Rep. Patricia Williams both times. Armstead appears to be living just outside the HD 88 district lines, according to an address submitted to the Division of Elections. Florida law only requires candidates to be a resident of the district “upon taking office.” That gives Armstead time to change residences and still qualify for the race.
Hardy, the current HD 88 seat-holder, has announced a run for the Special Election in Florida’s 20th Congressional District to replace the late U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings. Florida’s resign-to-run law requires Hardy to officially step down from his House seat by July 30. He would leave midway through his first term in the House after ousting former Rep. Al Jacquet in the Aug. 2020 Democratic primary.
HD 88 spans parts of Palm Beach County including Lake Park, Riviera Beach and Mangonia Park. Candidates and political committees face a June 10 deadline to report all financial activity through May 31.
