Audrey Henson raises $250K in first two weeks of HD 60 campaign

Audrey Henson. Image via Facebook.

Pinellas businesswoman Audrey Henson has collected $259,300 since launching her campaign for House District 60 just under two weeks ago.

Henson’s campaign announced the money raised comes without transferring any funds from her previous congressional campaign account. Henson was previously running for Florida’s 13th Congressional District, but at the start of June, dropped her campaign to instead run in HD 60.

“Democrats assume that lower Pinellas belongs to them, and for over a decade liberals have taken the great people of St. Pete and Pinellas Park for granted using this seat as a stepping stone for higher political aspirations,” Henson said in a statement.

“Their D.C. talking points will no longer work as out-of-touch politicians are leading our nation into a recession as inflation and gas prices continue to soar. Having raised more than $250,000 in just two weeks, I’ve proven there’s not only the enthusiasm to flip this seat, but the resources necessary to get out our message.”

Henson’s campaign provided the latest fundraising update. More details will be available when candidate finance reports are due. As of the end of March, Henson also had $212,687 cash on hand in her congressional campaign account, according to the most recent data available from the Federal Election Commission.

Henson will be headed straight into the General Election against Democratic candidate Lindsay Cross, an environmental scientist. The district is analogous to one held now by Rep. Ben Diamond, a St. Petersburg Democrat who also recently exited the CD 13 contest. Diamond has endorsed Cross as his preferred successor.

The Republican candidate will likely need a hefty war chest as she tries to flip the district red. About 54.92% of voters in the newly drawn district voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election, while just 43.51% supported Donald Trump.

While Henson has made big gains in the fundraising game, Cross has still maintained a successful fundraising campaign. Since entering the race, Cross’s campaign has raised $160,904, and her affiliated political committee has collected $11,850, in addition to $16,951 rolled over from a previous Senate run in 2018.