Nick Primrose nears $200K raised in HD 18 run

Nick Primrose. Image via JAXPORT.

Nick Primrose has raised nearly $200,000 for his run to succeed state Rep. Cyndi Stevenson.

The Republican announced his campaign has raised $143,604 for his run in House District 18. The former Florida Elections Commission Chair collected $23,800 of that in the month of May, continuing a steady pace in fundraising since entering the race earlier this year.

Meanwhile, the Friends of Nick Primrose political committee has also continued to gather funding.

The committee reported a total of $54,100 since its launch in March, including includes $9,500 raised last month.

In total, that means $197,704 has come in supporting Primrose’s ambitions. He has already spent $22,923, and wrapped May with $174,782 in cash-on-hand.

That’s in comparison to less than $32,000 raised to date for Republican Kim Kendall, the only other candidate filed for the open seat. Kendall reported $5,250 raised in May.

The bulk of funds in Kendall’s coffers still come from a $50,000 candidate loan. But the candidate has also limited expenses to date. Kendall wrapped May with $78,342 in the bank.

Primrose, a former Deputy General Counsel for Gov. Ron DeSantis, reported a range of financial supporters. Developers Pat Neal and David Silverstein both wrote $1,000 campaign checks to Primrose. Two political committees tied to plumbers’ and pipefitters’ unions each gave similar $1,000 donations.

So did a number of lobbyists and legal firms including David Browning, Christopher Moya and Shumaker Advisors. Shumaker also donated more than $1,500 to Primrose’s political committee.

The biggest donation reported by Primrose’s political committee in May came from Dream Finders Homes, which donated $4,000. Lobbyist Clay Hollis also donated $2,500.

A Primary is scheduled in August 2024 to determine the Republican nominee.

Stevenson won re-election unopposed in 2022. Meanwhile, more than 72% of voters in the House District supported DeSantis’ re-election in November, and more than 70% backed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’s re-election. No Democrats have filed for the open House seat.