Jacob Ogles
Rep. Randy Fine closed 2023 with more than six figures in cash on hand for his Senate race. Meanwhile, Primary opponent Robyn Hattaway ended the year with nearly $50,000 in the bank.
Fine, who announced early last year he was running in Senate District 19, raised substantial sums through the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, he raised close to $21,000, while spending just over $1,000.
That brought his total fundraising for the year to almost $134,000. Subtract spending, and he wrapped the year with more than $121,000 in cash on hand.
The fundraising reports do not include the run-up to the 2024 Legislative Session, when sitting lawmakers face a prohibition on raising money.
Donors giving Fine maximum donations of $1,000 included the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Duke Energy, the Florida CPA Political Action Committee and Black Investments.
Hattaway, a lawyer with her roots in Brevard County, filed last March. She raised less than half of Fine’s total, but likely more than the lawmaker can ignore while running for an open seat.
During the fourth quarter, Hattaway reported nearly $8,100 in new donations but spent more than $1,200 of that. Maximum donors to her campaign include Astronaut Properties, Genesis VII and Architectural Specialties of Brevard.
She closed the quarter with more than $48,000.
Fine and Hattaway face off in a Republican Primary on Aug. 20, assuming both candidates qualify. The winner is expected to face Democrat Vance Ahrens. This district, however, leans heavily Republican. In 2022, Gov. Ron DeSantis won more than 63% of the vote in the district.
Ahrens raised just under $2,800 for the seat over the course of 2023 and spent just under $1,700. She closed the year with about $1,100 in cash on hand.
The candidates are running to succeed Sen. Debbie Mayfield, a Rockledge Republican, who cannot run again thanks to term limits.
