Adam Brandon expands fundraising lead over Lori Hershey in HD 16

Adam Brandon builds his cash lead.

September saw Adam Brandon expand his fundraising advantage for his 2022 race in Florida House District 16.

Brandon, a lawyer with Rogers Towers who is running for the Republican nomination to succeed outgoing Rep. Jason Fischer in the Southside Jacksonville House District, raised $10,300 in his campaign account in September.

That was the candidate’s best month since June. He has raised more than $112,000 for the campaign, and has more than $106,000 still on hand. He also has nearly $8,000 in a political committee, Genuine Conservatives.

Brandon enjoyed support from prominent names in Jacksonville and Tallahassee. Among notable donors were Jacksonville’s J.B. Coxwell Contracting, as well as Tallahassee’s Dyal Consulting, The Rubin Group and The Southern Group.

For yet another month, Brandon stretched his cash lead over Lori Hershey, a Duval County School Board member who continues to struggle finding traction.

Hershey’s fundraising continued to flatline, with just $800 raised in September, the worst of her four months in the race. She has roughly $25,000 on hand, with $15,000 of her own money part of that sum.

Hershey again had no fundraising to report for her political committee, Faith, Family, & Freedom, which has roughly $8,000 on hand.

When getting into the race, Hershey stressed that voters would recognize that unlike Brandon, who moved to the district recently, she had local roots. While voters may recognize that, donations aren’t resulting.

Brandon, though a newcomer to HD 16, is not new to local politics. He has built relationships over the years, and some big names, including Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry, back him locally.

He seems to have a line to the Governor also. Gov. Ron DeSantis picked him for the 1st Judicial Court of Appeal Judiciary Nominating Commission in 2019.

HD 16, which includes much of the Southside and Mandarin, has a strong Republican lean in its current map.

As of the 2020 book closing report from the state Division of Elections, it had 59,738 Republicans compared to just 42,458 registered Democrats.

Redistricting could change district lines, though. But as the district is drawn currently, incumbent Rep. Jason Fischer beat Democrats by a more than 15 percentage point margin in each of his last two reelection bids.

Fischer isn’t seeking reelection and is instead vying for Duval County Property Appraiser.