Kelly Hayes
Rep. Andrew Learned raised $22,461 in November, a substantial haul for the House District 59 incumbent’s re-election bid.
Learned raised the money between his campaign account and his affiliated political committee, Serve Florida. Between his two funding sources, Learned has raised $268,530 for the race.
Learned’s opponent, Republican Michael Minardi, raised $3,920 in November. That brings his total raised to $25,070.
Minardi, a well-known lawyer representing clients on cannabis-related issues, is the only Republican in the race to challenge Learned, a moderate Democrat.
Learned reported 127 contributors to his campaign account in November, including 14 $1,000 donations from organizations such as the Seminole Tribe of Florida, United States Sugar Co., Target, NBC Universal Media and the Realtors Political Action Committee.
The incumbent’s committee reported one donor, former Hubbard House Foundation President JoAnn Tredennick, who gave $2,000.
Learned’s campaign spent $3,286 in November, primarily on fundraising consulting services, as well as other small processing fees and service fees. Learned will enter December with $144,541 cash on hand.
Minardi saw 11 contributors in November, including two $1,000 donations from G&G Property Investment Group and Chill Caw Fee LLC.
Minardi spent $3,119 on IT services and processing fees, leaving him with $14,193 on hand at the beginning of December.
Minardi has made a name for himself in Florida as a major proponent for legalized cannabis and intends to run on a pro-pot agenda. He’s the man behind the Sensible Florida ballot initiative that failed to make the ballot in 2020.
Learned won the HD 59 race last year, taking over for Adam Hattersley, who’s also a Democrat and ran unsuccessfully for Congress. Before Hattersley, the district was held by Republicans for years, including by former U.S. Rep. Ross Spano.
Reapportionment ahead of the 2022 election could skew the now purple district back into a Republican advantage, though significant changes aren’t guaranteed.
