A.G. Gancarski
A recent St. Pete Polls survey of the Jacksonville mayoral race had LeAnna Gutierrez Cumber in fifth place, but she leads in another metric.
The most recent campaign finance reports from the Duval County Supervisor of Elections show that the Republican City Council member spent more from her campaign account than all other candidates during the two week period from Jan. 28 to Feb. 10.
Cumber spent $169,267 in hard money during the two week span, following up on $68,277 spent from the campaign account in the preceding two week period. The biggest recipient of money during the most recent two weeks of accounting was FP1 Strategies, which received more than $135,000 for advertising and media production, website hosting, and political consulting services.
Cumber’s campaign defended its approach to the campaign in the wake of the unfavorable poll last week in a memo to supporters. That document reassured potentially restive supporters that the campaign’s internal polling showed that there was a path in the “wide open” race against Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce CEO Daniel Davis, who was at second place with 17.5% in the poll. Cumber polled at 4% meanwhile.
Cumber had just over $161,000 left in hard money as of Feb. 10. Recent tallies aren’t available for her JAX First political committee, but as of the end of January the account still had more than $1.8 million on hand.
Davis, meanwhile, was the second biggest spender from his campaign account during the two weeks ending Feb. 10, with $76,624 disbursed. Of that spend, $62,700 went to FlexPoint Media. Consultant Caroline Wiles also received more than $6,000 during the two week stretch.
Davis still had more than $370,000 in his campaign account as of Feb. 10. His Building a Better Economy political committee exited January with more than $2.6 million on hand, which leaves him as far and away the cash on hand leader.
The leader in the aforementioned St. Pete Polls survey continues to spend conservatively, meanwhile.
Democrat Donna Deegan, who took 35% support in that poll, spent just $5,264 during the two weeks ending Feb. 10. She has nearly $320,000 cash on hand in her campaign account, and her Donna for Duval political committee had about $335,000 on hand as of the end of last month.
