Scott Powers
Protect Our Future, a committee funded by a young cryptocurrency entrepreneur, has bought $692,000 worth of TV time in Orlando to promote Democratic congressional candidate Maxwell Alejandro Frost.
The PAC’s commercials began playing on Orlando broadcast television last month, pushing Frost for the Florida’s 10th Congressional District seat in northern Orange County.
Protect Our Future is a new political committee founded earlier this year and funded almost entirely by Samuel Bankman-Fried, a 30-year-old billionaire capital entrepreneur who founded the FTX cryptocurrency exchange.
He’s backing Frost, a 24-year-old progressive Democratic organizer who rose last year to become a dominant candidate in fundraising and endorsements in the 10-Democrat battle for the open seat in the Democratic stronghold of CD 10.
The Protect Our Future commercial appeals to progressives, particularly young progressives. It characterizing Frost as a leader in gun law reform, abortion access rights and climate change. It makes reference to his youth, as “a member of the generation inheriting our planet.”
The committee first endorsed Frost in May and pledged to spend $1 million to support him. The committee already is close to that expense level. The latest independent expenditure reports filed with the Federal Election Commission show it has spent $913,000 producing and airing this commercial, and on some digital advertising supporting Frost.
That’s more money — from an outside group — than Frost’s nine Democratic opponents are likely to combine to spend by the Aug. 23 Democratic Primary Election.
“If you want Congress to do something about gun violence, send them a leader who’s helped pass gun law reforms to save lives. If you want Congress to defend abortion rights, send them someone who has fought hard for women’s rights. If you want someone to take climate change seriously, send them a leader from the generation inheriting our planet. If you want Congress to work for the people, send them Maxwell Frost,” a narrator says as various video scenes play out with Frost and Orlando.
Protect Our Future describes itself as committed to supporting congressional candidates “who will be champions for pandemic prevention — candidates who, when elected, will have their eyes on the future.”
When it endorsed Frost in May, the organization said it was backing 20 congressional candidates nationwide.
The new CD 10 covers much of northern Orange County. The seat is open because incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Val Demings is running for Senate.
Others in the Aug. 23 Democratic Primary: state Sen. Randolph Bracy, former U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown and Alan Grayson, Jack Achenbach, financial executive Jeff Boone, the Rev. Terence Gray, and civil rights lawyer Natalie Jackson, businessman Khalid Muneer and teacher Teresa Tachon.
There are several Republicans running as well, including Thuy Lowe, Willie Montague and Calvin Wimbish.
But the new CD 10 should present a pretty solid Democratic lean, based on the past couple of General Elections.
