Jesse Scheckner
Miami Beach Commissioner David Richardson stacked more than $500,000 in his first month of fundraising to help retake a seat in the House this November, according to his campaign.
Richardson’s campaign announced the haul Wednesday. His team has yet to file its official figures with the Florida Division of Elections.
Richardson is running to secure the open seat representing House District 106, which runs along the Miami-Dade County coast between Miami Beach and Aventura.
Of his gains last month, $260,000 was a self-loan and more than $241,000 came through his campaign and political committee.
“Seeing the overwhelming support our campaign has received so quickly, especially from small-dollar donors, is so humbling,” Richardson said in a statement. “It’s clear that our district needs a proven fighter to take on challenges that are being ignored by Tallahassee leaders.”
He continued: “We are leading the fight to bring change to Tallahassee and that means uplifting LGBTQ+ voices, making our state government transparent, and focusing on issues that actually affect everyday Floridians instead of diving into divisive culture wars. I am ready to get back to work in the Florida Legislature, focus on listening to our diverse stakeholders and delivering results for Miami-Dade County. When our community unites against overreach and hate, we can achieve so much more for so many more.”
Richardson, who became the first openly gay person to be elected to the state Legislature with his historic 2012 election to the House, announced Feb. 16 that he will again vie for a seat in the state’s lower chamber.
He pointed to a “new onslaught of legislative attacks on LGBTQ Floridians,” including a measure (HB 1557) Gov. Ron DeSantis signed last week limiting teacher-led classroom instruction and discussion of gender and sexual orientation, as inspiration.
Richardson, who has committed to serving on the City Commission until November, said progressives need to stand up and fight.
“We’ve accomplished so much over the last three years in local government, including new ways to make our community welcoming for our diverse constituents, but more needs to be done at the state level,” he said. “Families face a growing affordability crisis that state leaders continue to ignore and we need to make sure that the state is giving Miami-Dade County and our cities within the county a fair share of state funding so we can deploy solutions to our pressing challenges.”
So far, Richardson is set to face one Primary opponent: Bay Harbor Islands Council Member and former Mayor Jordan Leonard, who by the end of February had raised more than $291,000.
Two Republicans are also slated to square off: Fabián Basabe, a former reality TV star who last year launched an unsuccessful bid for the Miami Beach Commission, and Wena “Lynn Su” Sutjapojnukul.
