Fresh off his Special Election win, Tom Keen reports $45K for re-election in HD 35

It’s been less than six months since Rep. Tom Keen flipped House District 35. He’s since raised nearly $45,000 to defend the seat in November.

The Orlando Democrat stepped from election mode directly into the Legislative Session — and 60-day fundraising ban — and closed the first quarter with under $8,000 in his candidate account. But in April and May, he collected more than $18,500, and reported raising almost $26,500 in total since his January election in his candidate account.

Additionally, the political committee Friends of Tom Keen collected another $18,000 in the last two months.

“After an immediate turnaround from the Special Election right into the Legislative Session, I’m honored to have such amazing support as we head back into a campaign so soon,” Keen said in a statement. “Our fundraising continues to grow and is a testament that our message of tackling affordability and protecting reproductive freedom is resonating with Floridians.”

Subtract spending and the committee closed May with more than $8,100 in cash on hand, while Keen’s candidate account had almost $15,000.

He appears to be headed for a rematch with former Osceola County School Board member Erika Booth, who reported more than $6,500 in fundraising before March and has yet to file a May report. The Jensen Beach Republican must do so by June 10.

Dianna Liebnitzky, a St. Cloud Republican, has also filed in a Republican Primary but through May failed to raise any money. A qualification deadline looms on June 14 for any other candidates to file.

Keen beat Booth in January. Participating in the Special Election required Booth to resign her Osceola School Board seat, and she continued forward with candidacy in HD 35.

As far as who is supporting Keen, the biggest donation reported by his political committee was $10,000 from the Orange County Fund for Children and Public Education, a political committee that also sent $1,000 to Keen’s candidate account in April and which also donated to Nate Douglas, a Democrat challenging GOP Rep. Susan Plasencia. The Orlando-based committee in January reported receiving nearly $35,000 from the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association.

Friends of Tom Keen also collected $5,000 from Florida For Everyone, a political committee affiliated with the progressive Florida Alliance. The committee also received $2,000 from Herb Peyton, the retired Chair of Gate Petroleum, who also supported Keen’s Special Election run. Peyton normally supports Republicans, but Keen said he has a family connection to the retired petroleum executive; Peyton is a first cousin to Keen’s mother.

In his candidate account, Keen collected $1,000 checks from groups associated with Florida Realtors. He also collected a grand from the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers union in Orlando.

Beat Kähli, President and CEO of the Avalon Park Group, also made a maximum $1,000 donation to the candidate, as did Window World of Central Florida owner Brian Tillman, whose wife, Serena, made a similar donation. Weston Milliken, an LGBTQ activist and donor based in California, also gave $1,000 to Keen.

The Florida Democratic Party in May also provided more than $2,100 in staff work in-kind, demonstrating the race will be a priority for the state party this cycle.