Ryan Nicol
Democratic Sen. Tina Polsky pulled in $13,000 in August as she now faces a challenger for her Senate District 29 seat.
Republican candidate Brian Norton filed to run for the seat in late August. A first time candidate in 2020, Norton served as the GOP nominee in the SD 29 contest last fall. Polsky topped him in the General Election, however, earning 56% of the vote to Norton’s 44%.
But with the redistricting process ahead, Norton has refiled with the hopes SD 29’s new shape may be a bit more favorable to Republicans. The district currently spans parts of Palm Beach County including South Bay, Belle Glade and Wellington, and also dips into Broward County.
Polsky starts with a significant head start in terms of fundraising. She currently holds more than $133,000 between her campaign account and political committee, Americans for Progress. Norton, meanwhile, didn’t raise any money in August after filing for the race on Aug. 23.
Polsky added $6,000 through her campaign account in August. That came courtesy of six separate $1,000 campaign donations, three of which were from organizations associated with Disney. Two law firms — Gunster and Duane Morris — also donated $1,000 each, as did a Realtor PAC.
Polsky’s PC collected $7,000 during the month. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), one of the country’s largest unions, donated $2,500 to her PC. The cigar maker Swedish Match also donated $2,500. Tampa-based lobbying firms ASG Consulting Group and RSA Consulting Group each donated $1,000 as well.
Polsky spent just under $1,800 in August. The largest expenditure was a $1,250 payment to Johnson Strategies for mail media consulting.
Last year’s Democratic Primary Election featured a testy battle between Polsky and former Rep. Irv Slosberg. Polsky took a gamble, leaving the House after just one term to pursue the SD 29 seat. Polsky ultimately cruised to victory, securing more than 69% of the vote to win the Democratic nomination.
So far, Polsky is unopposed on the Democratic side this cycle.
Candidates and political committees faced a Friday deadline to report all financial activity through Aug. 31.
