David Arreola tops $25K in first fundraising report since launching HD 22 bid

Democratic candidate David Arreola has collected just over $25,000 since launching a campaign for the House District 22 seat in mid-October.

That’s according to new fundraising numbers posted with the Division of Elections.

Arreola is competing in a Primary for the Democratic nomination against Amy Trask, who has not yet filed any fundraising information with the state. The General Election will determine a successor for term-limited Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons.

“We are particularly excited that our contributions came overwhelmingly in small amounts from voters here in our community,” Arreola said in a Wednesday statement about the fundraising numbers. “With hundreds of donors from across Florida chipping in, I know we have the widespread support necessary to flip this seat.”

Arreola is a former Gainesville City Commissioner who served two terms after winning a seat in 2017. He then ran unsuccessfully for Mayor in 2022.

The Republican side also features a contested Primary. Former Alachua County Commissioner Raemi Eagle-Glenn is competing against former Levy County Commissioner Chad Johnson.

Johnson collected more than $47,000 for his campaign account in the fourth quarter of 2023, adding another $5,000 through a political committee, Friends of Chad Johnson.

Eagle-Glenn hasn’t yet reported her fourth quarter numbers. But even without that report, she has still out-raised Johnson overall, taking in more than $70,000 compared to Johnson’s nearly $67,000.

Arreola, for what it’s worth, appears to think he’ll be facing off against Eagle-Glenn should he net the Democratic nomination.

“With Republicans preparing to nominate MAGA extremist Raemi Eagle-Glenn, we are in an incredibly strong position to win,” Arreola added in his Wednesday statement.

“While our campaign has been offering solutions to the gun violence epidemic and fighting back against attacks on the freedom to choose, Raemi Eagle-Glenn has been inventing imaginary issues, trafficking in unhinged conspiracy theories, and lying about our free and fair elections. In November, let’s prove we are capable of so much more than MAGA Republican extremism by notching a victory for common-sense, reason, and decency.”

HD 22 covers Gilchrist and Levy counties as well as parts of Alachua County. Candidates face a Wednesday deadline to report all financial activity through Dec. 31.