A.G. Gancarski
Attorney General Ashley Moody officially entered re-election mode in March, raising almost $625,000 for her campaign during the month.
The money raised represents the strongest single month for the Republican AG since September 2021, which was the month she opened her campaign account for her re-election bid.
The majority of the March haul went to an associated political committee, Friends of Ashley Moody. The $417,050 raised represented the best month for the committee since June of last year, and the second-best month since the end of the 2018 campaign.
Top-level donations for the month included $30,000 checks from Ft. Myers’ Creighton Construction and former Pinch A Penny CEO John Thomas. Among the donors at the $25,000 level were TECO Energy and the Florida Prosperity Fund, a committee chaired by Associated Industries of Florida President Brewster Bevis.
Moody added $206,870 to her campaign account in March as well, with $24,000 coming in eight $3,000 checks associated with The Villages senior community in Central Florida. Real estate interests, law firms, and automobile dealerships from around the state were represented well in the March fundraising report.
Moody faces no primary competition as of now, while three Democrats have filed for that party’s August Primary. All of them are likely to be at a substantial cash disadvantage in the General Election. Between her campaign account and political committee, Moody already has over $4.5 million on hand.
Santa Rosa Beach lawyer Daniel Uhlfelder, who came to statewide prominence portraying the “Grim Reaper” in performance-art protests of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ COVID-19 policies, also launched in March. He will report donations to the campaign and affiliated political committee, Hold Tallahassee Accountable, totaling $79,464.71.
An “incredibly grateful” Uhlfelder trumpeted the fundraising Monday.
“Floridians are stepping up in unbelievable numbers to help us hold Tallahassee accountable. They are sick of the chaos, corruption, hate, and division. Floridians tell me every day they want an attorney general who will fight for voting rights, consumer rights, and fundamental human rights. I’m proud of the foundation we are building for a truly grassroots campaign, and grateful to the 1,100 people who have come on board so far,” he said.
Former Orlando-area State Attorney Aramis Ayala recently entered the race, and her March report reflected just over $27,000 in donations. The biggest donation came from one of the biggest names in NBA history, with the legendary Shaquille O’Neal giving the maximum $3,000 to Ayala’s campaign.
Fort Lauderdale lawyer Jim Lewis continues to underwhelm, raising just $1,600 in March. He has a little more than $16,000 on hand, with $15,000 of that being from a personal loan.
