News Articles
Campaign finance leads grow over recent fundraising quarter
Panama City News-Herald, January 14, 2010
MATT DIXON / News Herald Writer
PANAMA CITY -- The holiday season was good to the frontrunners in area political campaigns.
Over the last three-month period, those with fundraising leads in area races padded their margins by more than $82,000, according to recently released campaign finance reports.
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"We were pleased with the quarter. Especially in comparison to what other candidates brought in" said Lyndsey Cruley, a consultant with state Rep. Greg Evers' senate campaign. Evers is running to replace term-limited Sen. Durrell Peaden for the district that includes parts of seven counties, including all of northern Bay County.
The Milton Republican increased his fundraising lead over Rep. Dave Murzin, R -- Pensacola, by more than $25,000.
The biggest fundraising jump happened in the race to replace Democrat Al Lawson, another term-limited senator. The district extends from Madison County into eastern Panama City.
In that race, Democrat Bill Montford, CEO for the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, increased his fundraising lead over former state Rep. Curtis Richardson, a Democrat, by nearly $42,000.
"When you consider the multitude of candidates vying for campaign contributions, coupled with the financial challenges of the holiday season; our campaign's ability to raise $54,000 in the 4th quarter speaks volumes," read a release announcing Montford's fourth quarter results.
Montford's $54,000 fourth-quarter total does represent his worst fundraising period. During the past two quarters, he collected $110,000 and $61,000, respectively.
Montford became the race's fundraising leader, when former state Rep. Loranne Ausley announced she was running for Florida's Chief Financial Officer.
In the area's lone competitive House race, the fourth quarter saw incumbent Rep. Marti Coley, R -- Marianna, extended her lead over Democrat David Pleat by nearly $15,000.
Coley brought in $20,550, her best single quarter. All of the nearly $17,000 Pleat, a Destin attorney, raised overall has been self-financed.
"We have even not had a formal fundraiser in the district yet," said Mark Zubaly, a consultant with Coley's campaign. He said that they planned to hold fundraisers in both western Bay County and Tallahassee in the near future.
Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R -- Panama City, has so far raised $85,702, and Rep. Brad Drake, R -- Defuniak Springs, has brought in just over $24,000. Both are running unopposed.
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