Jesse Scheckner
Veteran GOP operative Alina García raked in about $72K last month toward her bid to take House District 115 this November, her campaign reported this week.
That haul, combined with what García raised between her campaign account and political committee over the prior four months, places her total gains since she began running for state office this year at more than $427,000.
García’s official fundraising numbers aren’t due until Friday.
“I am thrilled by the outpouring of support from so many people through our community,” García said in a statement. “It’s a true testament of their faith in my ability to forge a brighter future for all Florida families.”
An anti-abortion, anti-communism candidate, García initially filed to run for a state Senate seat but shifted to HD 115 in April, when incumbent Miami Republican Rep. Vance Aloupis would forgo a third House term.
García’s work history stretches back decades. She served as U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s first legislative aide when he was elected to the Florida House in 1999.
She has also worked for Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, Hialeah Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, former U.S. Rep. David Rivera and former state Sen. Frank Artiles.
In a Jan. 24 endorsement, Rubio described her as a “consensus-builder and common-sense leader who will never stop fighting for our community.”
She’s also “an experienced public servant who has earned the respect of her community,” Republican Speaker-designate Paul Renner said in an endorsement last week.
After a bit of campaign reshuffling that saw fellow Republican Alexis Calatyud leave the HD 115 race for a Senate bid last month, García was left alone in running for the seat Aloupis will vacate later this year.
That lasted until Monday when Democratic Palmetto Bay resident Christie Cantin Davis filed to run.
HD 115 covers a diverse portion of Miami-Dade County, including the coastal municipalities of Cutler Bay, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest and the unincorporated neighborhoods of The Falls, Kendall and Westchester.
