Jacob Ogles
Ocoee lawyer Coretta Anthony-Smith appears to hold a major money lead in the Senate District 15 Special Election, but it’s mostly built off of a candidate loan.
She closed a May fundraising period reporting more cash on hand than three Democratic Primary opponents — state Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson and former state Sen. Randolph Bracy — who all have more experience seeking office.
But there are important caveats.
Anthony-Smith has added more than $214,000 since her campaign launch in April. But $175,000 comes out of pocket in the form of a campaign loan, which can be returned to the candidate if not spent.
Anthony-Smith signaled a willingness to provide self-funding when she jumped in the race.
“If I have the money, I’m willing to put my own money in it too, because I believe in myself,” she told Florida Politics in April.
Nevertheless, she also reported $39,000 in outside donations, more than any other candidate to date has reported for the campaign in the Special Election cycle.
Donations include support from the legal community in Orlando, with $1,000 donations coming from law firms including Law Niemand, Law Couch, Todd E. Copeland Associates and the Law Officers of Michael A. Miller. Individual lawyers also donated $1,000, including Walter Arguelles, Brooke Boltz, Jeffrey Byrd, Tyrone King, Mac Phillips and Walter Rogers.
Anthony-Smith also received $1,000 donations from the Alliance Chiropractic Group and Chiropractor Yadira Pace.
Bracy Davis, a sitting lawmaker, has reported a little more than $10,000 to her campaign. Importantly, all of that came in before the Legislative Session, and technically before she formally announced her intentions to run to succeed the late state Sen. Geraldine Thompson. The Representative was able to transfer funds already raised for her re-election campaign in 2026.
With the Legislative Session extended, that means Lavon Bracy faces an extended moratorium on raising money.
“I’m not allowed to fundraise at this time, and while that certainly presents a challenge, I made the intentional decision to remain in my position as Representative and not immediately resign — because my duty to serve outweighs political convenience,” Bracy Davis told Florida Politics.
“With the recent and tragic passing of Sen. Thompson, much of west Orange County risks being left without representation during a critical moment in the budget conference and the legislative process. I could not, in good conscience, walk away and leave the people without a voice. This race has never just been about politics — it’s about purpose. I remain committed to completing the work I was elected to do and showing up for the people who entrusted me with this responsibility.”
Bracy Davis also chairs the political committee Liberated by Democracy. That committee raised $7,500 in January, including $5,000 from Longwood beverage distributor John Williams and $2,500 from Trulieve.
The committee closed the March quarter with almost $16,000 in cash, while Bracy Davis’ campaign had about $200 in the bank as of May 8.
By comparison, Anthony-Smith still had more than $182,000 cash on hand as of May 8, and had spent nearly $32,000 ahead of a June 24 Democratic Primary.
Meanwhile, Grayson has loaned his campaign $9,000 and spent more than $4,800.
Friends of Alan Grayson, a political committee launched to support Grayson in a different Senate campaign last year, hasn’t reported any new fundraising in 2025.
Grayson jumped into the SD 15 race in April, after any first quarter reporting would have been reported for the new year. The committee last year raised almost $127,000 and burned through all of it.
As for Bracy, he has reported no fundraising, but has not filed a May report. Those were due at the end of day on Friday. Bracy, who challenged Thompson last year, filed in April but immediately began amassing fines for failing to timely report his reports.
He eventually reported that he had raised no money as of April 8. There is a possibility he could have raised money before May 8, but has yet to report it.
He notably relaunched his A Better Us committee in March, but that committee has also not reported any fundraising. A prior iteration of the committee raised $30,000 for his race last year, but spent all but about $280 of that.
Republican Willie Montague has also reported almost $4,300 in fundraising. He will face whoever wins the Democratic Primary in a Sept. 2 Special General Election.
