Jesse Scheckner
Republican Rep. David Borrero managed to stay ahead of Democratic lawyer Laura Kelley in fundraising for the House District 111 race in April and May, but not by much.
In the two-month span, Borrero collected $23,000 between his campaign account and political committee, Floridians for Prosperity. The haul, minus $17,500 in spending, brought his war chest total to almost $62,000.
Kelley, meanwhile, raised nearly $20,000 over the same stretch and received close to $800 worth of in-kind aid. She also spent $7,000, leaving herself with more than $24,000 heading into June.
Of note, her campaign account outraised Borrero’s. Campaign accounts have a $1,000-per-donor limit, a restriction by which political committees don’t have to abide.
Kelley also depended far more on personal checks than Borrero did. Of the 142 monetary contributions she accepted in the April-May period, 94% were from people, nearly all of them lawyers.
Borrero, a construction professional, leaned heavily on political and business contributions, including a $5,000 check from Burke Construction Group in Doral, $2,500 from the Florida Police Benevolent Association, $2,500 from lobbyist Ron Book and his wife, and $2,000 from the Florida Communications and Development Group.
Kelley, a first-time candidate, said in a statement that her campaign is “thrilled to see such overwhelming support from the community.”
“Our campaign’s success reflects the deep commitment of individuals and families who want a Representative that listens to their needs and fights for their interests. And while contributions to (my) campaign came from individuals and local businesses, (my) opponent was funded by PACs and special interests,” she said.
“My donors and supporters are families that want to see change in the way the state manages affordable housing, women’s health care, and rising prices, while my opponent is supported by the very same interests and political committees that got us here.”
A former Sweetwater City Commissioner, Borrero won his House seat in 2020 with nearly 54% of the vote. He won re-election unopposed two years later.
As a lawmaker, Borrero has passed legislation calling for congressional term limits, easing restrictions on commercial drivers and establishing a yearly “Victims of Communism Day” in Florida.
He’s also sponsored measures to ban the display of flags that depict “racial, sexual orientation and gender, or political ideology viewpoints” at state government buildings and ban virtually all abortions.
HD 111 covers a northwest portion of Miami-Dade, including all or part of the cities of Doral, Hialeah Gardens, Medley, Miami Lakes and Sweetwater.
The Primary Election is on Aug. 20, 2024, followed by the General Election on Nov. 5.
Candidates faced a Monday deadline to report all campaign finance activity through May 31.
