Wyman Duggan raises nearly $90K more for HD 12 re-election bid, has half a million to spend

TALLAHASSEE, FLA. 1/4/23-Rep. Wyman Duggan, R-Jacksonville, chairs the Banking and Insurance Committee, Wednesday at the Capitol in Tallahassee. COLIN HACKLEY PHOTO

A Jacksonville political veteran isn’t leaving anything to chance when it comes to his re-election to the House, if Q1 fundraising is any indication.

Rep. Wyman Duggan, who represents House District 12 in southern Duval County, raised more than $89,000 between his campaign account and the supportive Citizens For Building Florida’s Future political committee between Jan. 1 and Mar. 31, the last date for which the Division of Elections has records.

The political committee has nearly $455,000 on hand after bringing in $71,500 in Q1. The bulk of the money was raised early in January before the Legislative Session began, and included donors ranging from lobbyists (the Southern Group and the Vogel Group), industry groups (the Florida Farm PAC and the Florida RV PAC), and other groups ranging from Bitcoin Depot to the Miami branch of the Fraternal Order of Police.

Duggan also has more than $70,000 in hard money, after raising $17,550 in Q1 to his campaign account, a number padded by insurance interests including Geico and subsidiaries, Allstate, American Traditions Insurance, Florida Agents for Insurance Reform, and others.

Duggan has no competition in the Republican Primary, but a Democrat has opened a campaign account.

Benjamin Sandlin, whose campaign bio says he is a preschool teacher, is a musical theater graduate from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts with student government experience at the University of Central Florida.

He is attempting to qualify for the ballot by petition, and has yet to file his initial fundraising report.

HD 12 has a slight Republican lean, with more than 46,000 Republicans and more than 38,000 Democrats, with more than 113,000 voters in the district as of the 2024 Presidential Primary.