Bryan Beckman raises $20K in first week running for HD 58

Image via Bryan Beckman

Democrat Bryan Beckman raised more than $20,000 in his first week as a candidate for House District 58, according to his campaign, as he seeks to unseat Republican incumbent Rep. Kim Berfield in the north-Pinellas district.

While reports are not yet available to support the campaign’s fundraising announcement, the campaign says all contributions were made by individuals and argues that the grassroots fundraising contrasts with Berfield.

“The support for my campaign since last week’s launch has been overwhelming,” Beckman said in a prepared statement. “My campaign is fueled by local, individual donors. Our current Representative takes huge sums of money from big corporation lobbyists and her friends in Tallahassee. This results in a skewed set of priorities that don’t address the needs of families. Voters are tired of it.”

Still, Beckman will have a large fundraising gap to bridge. Berfield has raised more than $123,000 since early 2023 and retains about $90,000 of that in her campaign account. Further, she has another $137,000 available in her affiliated political committee, Friends of Kim Berfield.

To Beckman’s point, Berfield’s first-quarter fundraising for her committee included 10 contributions, totaling $19,000, with three of the donors being political committees, another a government relations firm and the rest companies from various industries. Her campaign raised $7,000 in the same span, from nine contributions. Those included six political committees, a government relations firm, Pfizer and just one individual.

Berfield had been unopposed before Beckman’s entrance into the race, setting up a General Election battle.

Beckman is the Executive Committee Chair for the Florida Suncoast Sierra Club, a group that advocates for environmentally friendly policy that works to curb climate change and support sustainability and resilience. He’s also a member of the group’s Ready for 100 board, which seeks to transition communities to 100% clean energy.

Beckman will have a challenging road ahead to flip the seat. Republicans control nearly 38% of the HD 58 electorate, compared to less than 30% for Democrats, according to the most recent L2 voter data.

Beckman said he is running to remove barriers he believes Florida lawmakers — a supermajority of which are Republicans — have passed laws that make it more difficult for residents to save money and raise a family.

“Insurance, housing, and healthcare costs are out of control in Pinellas and Florida,” Beckman continued. “Women’s reproductive freedoms are being taken away. Florida is last in the nation in paying our teachers. Our state is not adequately addressing rising temperatures, flooding in our neighborhoods, or pollution.”

Beckman served as Campaign Manager this year for his wife’s unsuccessful bid for Clearwater Mayor. Her race in Clearwater took a markedly partisan tone, despite being a race for a nonpartisan seat. Kathleen Beckman lost to Bruce Rector, a Republican who secured nearly 63% of the vote in March.

But the race proved Bryan Beckman knows how to raise money. She outraised Rector in her race with nearly $148,000 brought in, compared to nearly $133,000 for Rector.