Anne Geggis
Democrat Katherine Waldron vanquished her three Primary rivals last month, and now her Republican rival to represent House District 93 is ramping up his spending.
Saulis Banionis dropped more in a week’s stretch than he has for all other reporting periods combined as he competes to represent the inland Palm Beach County district in the Legislature.
Banionis is a medical doctor who completed post-graduate training in surgery, internal medicine and pain management. He’ll have an uphill battle in November, and not just because he holds $3,982 for his campaign, compared to Waldron’s $19,396 campaign kitty.
The district leans heavily Democratic. Voters in this district went for President Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020 by more than 10 points, according to Matt Isbell of MCI Maps.
Reports that cover Aug. 1 to Aug. 26 show that Waldron raised $7,360 to the $6,800 Banionis raised.
During that stretch, the businesswoman received the support of Joseph Abruzzo, the Palm Beach County Clerk who gave $500. Collectively, real estate political committees gave her $3,000, and contributions from lawyers added up to $2,200.
Waldron, a Port of Palm Beach Commissioner, also received $500 from a cruise ship company that sails out of the same port: Paradise Cruise Line Management, based in Deerfield Beach.
Post-Primary, Waldron has spent just $1,205 on campaign services, phone banking and tickets to two events.
Her Republican rival, meanwhile, dropped $10,460 between Aug. 19 to Aug. 26. That was $4,000 more than he reported spending in all the 14 previous reports combined. Banionis’ biggest expense was $8,702 at The Campaign Store in Tampa, to buy campaign signs, t-shirts, stakes. He also spent $750 for tickets to attend a Republican Party of Palm Beach County event.
Reports show Banionis’ biggest supporters are his fellow physicians. His fellow physicians gave him $3,625 collectively, accounting for more than half of all his donations between Aug. 1 and Aug. 26. The biggest donation came from Jeffrey Stricker, a Dothan, Alabama physician, who gave him $1,000.
The district covers unincorporated Palm Beach County, Wellington and portions of Greenacres and western Boynton Beach.
