Jacob Ogles
State Rep. Doug Bankson holds a massive fundraising advantage as he runs for re-election.
The Apopka Republican has raised upward of $108,000 for his House District 39 campaign, roughly four times Democratic challenger Marsha Summersill.
That’s a major difference in what had been a battleground district in 2022, when both Bankson and Democrat Tiffany Hughes both raised six-figure sums for a then-open seat. But Bankson, then an Apopka City Commissioner, won the seat that year with a strong 56% showing to Hughes’ 44%.
The race remains on the Republican Party of Florida’s radar this year, and the state party has provided $39,000 worth of in-kind support to date in the form of campaign staff, polling and research.
That has allowed Bankson to keep his own expenses low. He has reported under $26,000 in expenditures himself, and as of Sept. 6, he had almost $83,000 in cash on hand.
As for Summersill, the longtime children’s advocate has raised just under $27,000, and spent more than $20,000 of that.
Summersill does boast labor support, reporting $1,000 donations from the Florida AFL-CIO and from the IBEW Local 606 and the Communications Workers of America Fund political committees. Ruth’s List Florida and the Florida Leadership Council, showing progressive groups making some investment into the race.
Meanwhile, a number of professional advocacy groups have put money toward Bankson’s re-election. He reported maximum donations from Enterprise Holdings, the Florida Chiropractic Society, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Associated Industries of Florida, the Realtors Political Advocacy Committee and lobbyist Ronald Book.
He also has donations from committees tied to state Rep. Jennifer Canady, who is in line to be House Speaker if Republicans hold the chamber after the 2028 elections.
When Bankson won the seat two years ago, nearly 57% of voters also supported Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ re-election and more than 54% voted for Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio to win a third term.
But in the last Presidential Election, a bare majority of HD 39 voters, just over 50%, supported Democrat Joe Biden while less than 49% backed Republican Donald Trump, despite Trump winning the state overall.
The district was redrawn ahead of the 2022 election cycle, and no incumbent ran in that election for the Seminole County district.
