Ryan Nicol
Democratic Rep. Matt Willhite will hold a fundraiser at the Governor’s Club in Tallahassee at the end of November as he pursues a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission.
The announcement comes after October campaign finance reports showed Michelle McGovern topping the District 6 field in monthly fundraising. She and Willhite have been the clear cash leaders in the four-person race so far.
Willhite will hold the fundraiser on Nov. 30, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. The event will run from 5 p.m. through 6:30 p.m. at the Governor’s Club Library, at 202 S. Adams Street. Light refreshments will be available, per a flyer advertising the event.
Willhite raised less than $6,700 during October, marking his lowest monthly fundraising total since he entered the District 6 contest in April. He courted $1,0000 from the Florida Beer Wholesalers Good Government Committee and another $1,000 from Heather Turnbull of Rubin, Turnbull and Associates. The Capital Advocacy Group contributed $1,000 as well. Joseph Salzverg of GrayRobinson also donated $200 to Willhite’s campaign.
Despite his low October totals, Willhite maintains a slight overall cash lead thanks to his political committee, Floridians for Public Safety. He holds more than $208,000 between those two accounts.
McGovern retains nearly $165,000 in her campaign account and another $36,000 in her political committee, Team McGovern. But that PC is shared with her husband, John, who is also running for the Wellington Village Council. That cash could technically be shared with John McGovern’s bid as well.
Even if that full PC amount is allotted to Michelle McGovern’s campaign, that leaves her with $201,000 between both accounts, just shy of Willhite’s $208,000 total.
McGovern did pull in nearly $27,000 through her campaign account in October and another $6,500 via her PC. That bundle of cash easily topped Willhite and the other candidates in the field. Democratic candidate Sylvia L. Sharps raised only $450 in October. Sara Baxter, the lone Republican candidate, added only $100.
The agriculture sector came in huge for McGovern, donating nearly $9,500 during the month. The newly founded Government Law Group chipped in $1,000 to McGovern’s campaign account as well.
Willhite’s November fundraiser will be aimed at maintaining the money advantage in the District 6 contest. The district includes the communities of Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay.
Candidates and political committees faced a Wednesday deadline to report all financial activity through Oct. 31.
