Kevin Hayslett collects $520K in Q2, narrows lead held by Anna Paulina Luna

Is the gap between Anna Paulina Luna and Kevin Hayslett closing?

Former prosecutor Kevin Hayslett is narrowing the lead held by Air Force veteran Anna Paulina Luna as the two compete for the Republican nomination in Florida’s 13th Congressional District.

Hayslett was the highest GOP fundraiser in Quarter 2, collecting $520,786 and bringing his total to $1,271,606. Luna, on the other hand, collected $336,717 in Q2, keeping her $522,166 ahead of Hayslett, having amassed $1,793,772 in the race.

As for cash on hand, Hayslett beats the 2020 Republican nominee with $729,942 in his pocket. Luna, on the other hand, has $553,826 cash on hand.

Some of Hayslett’s maxed-out donors, who have donated $2,900 to his campaign, include Ronald Wanek, the founder of America’s largest home furniture manufacturer and retailer Ashley Furniture; Thomas A. James, Chairman Emeritus of Raymond James Financial; and Peter Collins, co-founder of Forge Capital Partners.

Maxed-out donors, who have donated $2,900 to Luna’s campaign this quarter, include Jallo Oil Inc. owner Paul Jallo, developer Patrick Neal, philanthropist Amanda Schumacher, CEO and founder of J.W. Childs Associates John Childs and former President Donald Trump-appointed Chairman of the Commission for the Preservation of America’s Heritage Abroad Paul Packer.

Both Hayslett and Luna saw $2,900 donations from Marcus and Casey Adolfsson — Marcus is a General Partner at TampaBay.Ventures.

As far as spending, Hayslett dished out $475,641 this last quarter, including a $164,000 TV ad campaign. Luna spent $273,225 in the same time frame.

The third highest GOP fundraiser in the CD 13 race is Republican strategist Amanda Makki, who collected $126,718 in Q2, bringing her total raised to $894,659. Makki spent $153,877 in Q2, and at the end of the quarter, had $486,357 cash on hand.

A fourth Republican candidate, Christine Quinn, raised $12,631 in Q2. Quinn has so far collected $43,485 since launching her campaign, and will start the next quarter with $2,630 cash on hand.

The district, which has changed due to redistricting, now extends further north into traditionally red parts of Pinellas County and eliminates parts of St. Petersburg, the currently drawn district’s largest city and a Democratic stronghold. The district goes from one where Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 Presidential Election by 4 percentage points to a seat Republican Donald Trump won by 7 points.

This has left one Democratic candidate — former Barack Obama administration official Eric Lynn — in the race. Lynn raised $330,000 from April through June. That brings his total to over $1.4 million between his campaign account and the Eric Lynn Victory Fund.

Candidates are running to replace outgoing Democratic U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist as he runs for Governor.