James St. George nears $1M in funding for HD 19 bid

In the crowded race for CD3, James St. George is pulling ahead with cash on hand.

Republican James St. George is approaching $1 million in overall fundraising in his bid to succeed House Speaker Paul Renner in House District 19.

Through the end of May, the candidate has collected and self-contributed a total of $899,055 through his official campaign account, with another $44,000 flowing in through his affiliated political committee, Friends of James St. George PC.

While the total includes $750,000 of St. George’s own money, $500,000 of which was deposited during the April-through-May reporting period, past evidence indicates his personal stake isn’t a bluff to scare off competitors.

In 2020, the physician was one of 10 candidates who sought the Republican nomination in Florida’s 3rd Congressional District, and he proved willing to spend more than $1 million of his own money to fund a campaign operation that could compete.

The result of the 2020 contest was muddled due to the crowded ballot — the nominee, now-U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack, won with just 25% of the vote. St. George did finish in the upper tier, however.

Another crowded ballot may be in his future. Currently, four Republicans are vying for the nomination in HD 19: St. George, Darryl Boyer, Sam Greco and Matthew Nellans. There may be additions or subtractions to the lineup between now and the June 14 candidate qualifying deadline.

Of the lot, St. George and Greco appear to have the momentum.

Greco has been rolling out endorsements from a slew of Republican lawmakers, including Renner and House Speaker Pro Tempore Chuck Clemons. St. George, meanwhile, has secured coveted endorsements from the state’s major police and firefighter unions.

But endorsements comprise only half the arms race. The other half — funding — is a clear advantage for St. George, at least during the first leg of the race.

Greco had not filed his April-through-May report as of Monday evening, and it’s possible it could show some financial muscle. But as of the most recent filings, Greco’s operation is backed by $88,000 from donors and $20,000 in candidate loans.

Democrat Thomas Morley is also running for the seat, but the Flagler- and St. Johns-based district is safely Republican. The one wrinkle his candidacy brings to the table is that it could serve to shut non-Republicans out of voting in the primary election, which Florida allows if all candidates for an office belong to the same political party.