Jacob Ogles
U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan continues to raise money at rapid speed, even as Primary challenger Eddie Speir’s fundraising trails off.
The Longboat Key Republican in the second quarter raised nearly $243,000 as he runs for a 10th term in Congress representing Florida’s 16th congressional District.
Speir, meanwhile, raised just over $7,500, mostly from his private school’s board. He also continued a habit of sending family members rent and campaign salaries.
Meanwhile, another self-funder may shake up the Democratic Primary in the district. Manatee County lawyer Trent Miller reported a $50,000 candidate loan, more than perennial Democratic candidate Jan Schneider has raised over the course of the election cycle.
But in a district where nearly 60% of voters backed Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election, the main act in CD 16 remains the GOP Primary. There, Buchanan sat on almost $1.7 million in cash on hand as of the end of June. By comparison, Speir was down to just over $265,000 at the close of the quarter.
Speir, founder of Inspiration Academy, has put in more than $500,000 in candidate loans for his campaign. He also raised $42,000 in outside donations, but less than one-sixth of that came in the second quarter, with the Aug. 20 Primary drawing closer.
Most of that came in small donations, though he did cash a $3,300 check from Ciaran Dwyer, CEO of metabolic health company Oval. Dwyer serves on the Inspiration Academy’s board of directors, as does Tracy Lawrence, a Resurrection Christian Academy teacher who gave $250 to Speir.
Meanwhile, Speir’s money has continued to go in part to family. Speir spent more than $129,000 in the quarter. Of that, $4,500 went to wife Claire’s real estate company in rent, while nearly $6,400 went to son Tal and a little more than $700 went to son-in-law Noah Rahm in campaign salaries.
He has also pulled Inspiration Academy employees onto the campaign payroll, paying Bible teacher Jeremiah Taylor $3,500, fishing coach Ryan Kozinski $2,500 and English teacher Deb Persson $1,500.
As for Buchanan, he has reported a number of large local donors including Gold Coast Eagle Distributing owner John Saputo, Morton’s Gourmet Market owner Edmund Morton and Anna Maria Oyster Bar owner John Horne, all prominent business leaders who donated thousands.
The incumbent also had corporate supporters, including Verizon Communications, which gave $3,000, and Johnson & Johnson, which has now given $8,000 to Buchanan through its PAC. Buchanan serves as Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.
On the Democratic side, Miller has now added more than $63,000, the bulk of that through his loan. He closed the quarter with about $43,000 in cash.
Meanwhile, Schneider raised more than $18,000 in the quarter, more in outside donations than any candidate but Buchanan. That’s the bulk of the more than $19,000 she raised the entire cycle, but as a frequent candidate, she closed the quarter with more than $37,000 in cash.
