Matt Gaetz maintains strong fundraising lead in CD 1

The recent string of attack ads against U.S. Rep Matt Gaetz doesn’t seem to have had an effect on his fundraising for re-election in Florida’s 1st Congressional District, campaign finance records show.

The Republican incumbent raised $188,821 and spent $802,788 — including $526,000 on advertising — between July 1 and Aug. 3. He had $758,759 cash on hand at the end of the reporting period.

Gaetz received $4,300 from radio broadcaster David Hoxeng. Another $2,270 came from the National Association of Broadcasters political committee, for which Hoxeng serves on its Radio Board of Directors.

In the previous reporting period Gaetz had received $17,400 from George O’Neill Jr., an heir to the Rockefeller fortune who had contact with a Russian agent.

“The O’Neill family are direct descendants of the Rockefellers,” Gaetz campaign manager Dawn McArdle said. “That’s about as America first as it gets.”

Gaetz’s challenger Mark Lombardo pledged to spend $1 million of his own money on his quest to unseat Gaetz. According to campaign finance records Lombardo has poured $740,000 into his campaign. The last reporting period he raised $31,107 and spent $341,351.

Much of that money went to the Palmetto-based firm SSC Strategies for media buys. The campaign gave Ad Victory LLC $27,000 for digital ads and spent $6,000 on yard signs.

Lombardo, who describes himself as an “America-first conservative” and a “political outsider,” has launched a series of attack ads against Gaetz.

The winner of the Aug. 23 Republican Primary Election will go up against Democrat Peggy Schiller in the Nov. 8 General Election. Schiller became the Democratic nominee by default when her opponent Rebekah Jones was disqualified from the race after Schiller filed a lawsuit against her. Jones is appealing that decision.

Schiller raised $7,473 in the last reporting period and spent $7,163, with $3,000 going to Juan-Carlos Planas PA.