Fundraising slows for Danny Becton in Duval Property Appraiser race

Jacksonville City Councilman Danny Becton. Image via AG Gancarski

August was the last month Danny Becton found himself alone in the Duval County Property Appraiser’s race, and it was his slowest fundraising month since launch.

Becton crossed the $100,000 raised mark when August totals were factored in, but the $3,650 haul was by far the worst of the four months he has been in the race.

After launching with $68,100 in May, he had two months of fundraising in June and July that didn’t add up to $30,000 between them.

In that context, tepid totals in August continue a troubling trend for Becton, a second-term Jacksonville City Council member who represents the Baymeadows area. And the donor disinvestment comes at a time when a fundraising powerhouse, also a Republican, has entered the race.

Rep. Jason Fischer, who represents House District 16 in the Mandarin area, launched his campaign after ending his Senate bid last month. Fischer was far and away the leading fundraiser in what looked to be potentially a three-way Primary to succeed Sen. Aaron Bean in Senate District 6, but Senate leadership coalesced around Rep. Clay Yarborough.

Fischer will reunite with consultant Tim Baker for this campaign, and the money is already there. Fischer seeded the account with $136,000+ from his Senate campaign. And there is more still in political committees on the state level. The Friends of Jason Fischer committee has nearly $800,000 on hand at this writing, which covers committee filings through the end of July. Fischer’s Conservative Solutions for Jacksonville has another $55,000, and those filings are through the end of August.

Fischer served a term on the Duval County School Board before running for the House in 2016. He was backed strongly by Mayor Lenny Curry, who endorsed Fischer ahead of a tightly contested Primary win.

Though two Republicans are filed for Property Appraiser, no Democrats are running. The March 2023 first election is effectively an open Primary. Voters of all parties get to vote for the candidate of their choosing, and unless one gets a simple majority, the top two advance to a May election.