Jim Mooney war chest nears $80K to defend HD 120 seat
Image via Colin Hackley.

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His political committee took a break last month.

Rep. Jim Mooney raised $15,000 in November for his unopposed re-election campaign in House District 120. Much of it came from two sectors: media and telecommunications, and medical and pharmaceutical industries.

The Islamorada Republican now holds close to $80,000 between his campaign and political committee, Friends of Jim Mooney, which didn’t post any funding last month.

Florida Internet & Television, a trade association headquartered in Tallahassee, gave $1,000, as did NBCUniversal Media and Comcast Corp.

The lobbying arm of Lumen Technologies, a Louisiana-based telecom giant that recently absorbed CenturyLink, gave $500. A political committee backing the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association kicked in the same.

Washington-based trade association Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, known as PhRMA, donated $1,000. So did pharmacy company Caremark and CDR Maguire, a Miami-based company that provides an array of services, including health assistance, infectious disease aid and COVID-19 testing.

The Florida Osteopathic Medical Association gave $500.

The energy and materials sectors also chipped in. Chevron and Tampa-based TECO Energy, a subsidiary of Emera Inc., contributed $1,000 apiece. West Palm Beach-based White Rock Quarries and the Florida Recyclers Association in Palatka gave $1,000 and $500, respectively.

From the insurance sector, Mooney received $1,000 from the lobbying arm of the Florida Surplus Lines Office in Tallahassee.

Other contributions included $1,000 each from the Florida Police Benevolent Association, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which is in a legal battle over the future of casino gambling in the state.

Mooney’s spending was sparse last month. His only two disbursements, totaling $2,200, were reimbursements to himself and his legislative assistant, Lee Young.

HD 120 encompasses all of Monroe County and the southernmost part of Miami-Dade County, including parts of Homestead, Everglades National Park and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Leisure City and Princeton.

The district leans Republican. More than 53% of Monroe voters cast a ballot for former President Donald Trump in November. Just 46% voted for President Joe Biden.

That trend continued down the ballot, where 55% of voters chose Mooney over Democrat Clint Baras.

Candidates faced a Friday deadline to report all campaign finance activity through Nov. 30.

Jesse Scheckner

Jesse Scheckner has covered South Florida with a focus on Miami-Dade County since 2012. His work has been recognized by the Hearst Foundation, Society of Professional Journalists, Florida Society of News Editors, Florida MMA Awards and Miami New Times. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JesseScheckner.



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