Jacob Ogles
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan pulled in nearly $600,000 in donations over the second quarter of 2021. That means he has already raised more than $1 million for his bid for a ninth term in the House representing Florida’s 16th Congressional District.
“I’m humbled by such a strong show of support so early in the campaign,” Buchanan said. “People are responding to my positive agenda of recovery and rebuilding, protecting veterans’ benefits and safeguarding Social Security and Medicare.”
Buchanan faced Democratic opponents in 2018 and 2020 that were backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. He ultimately won both election cycles by landslide margins, huge improvements from his initial run in 2006, when he won by 369 votes out of more than 240,000 cast.
This year, he faces a Primary challenge from former Sarasota City Commission candidate Martin Hyde. Perennial candidate Jan Schneider has filed as a Democrat, as has Benjamin Miranda-Padilla.
Buchanan’s campaign reported $593,989 in the quarter. That includes no loans from the candidate, one of the wealthiest members of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The incumbent’s campaign said he has “received broad support for his pro-growth, free-market policies and his leadership to reform military training procedures, stop animal cruelty, fight the drug epidemic and improve water quality.”
Buchanan last year was named Legislator of the Year by the U.S. Humane Society, the first member of the House to win the award twice.
Within Florida, Buchanan is co-chair of the Florida Congressional Delegation, and he has close ties to the business community in the state from work with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
He’s one of the longest-serving Republicans on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.
He passed six legislative initiatives into law last Congress as a member of the minority caucus. His office said that brings his total initiatives to become law to 23.
