With more than $650,000 distributed last week, the state doled out a record $12.96 million in matching funds to this year’s statewide candidates, a 31.5 percent increase over the 2018 election cycle.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, who was re-elected Nov. 8, received a total of $7.27 million in matching funds, including $306,945 last week. Under the program, matches are provided for contributions of $250 or less from individuals to statewide candidates’ campaign accounts.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist received $320,315 last week to bring his overall matching-funds total to $3.87 million.
Republican Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who was re-elected Nov. 8, pulled in $3,947 last week to bring his total to $221,050.
Florida statewide candidates got nearly $13 million in taxpayer matching funds https://t.co/V07fldkikb
— Buzz on Politics by Tampa Bay Times (@PoliticsTBTimes) November 18, 2022
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Collects Over $6.5 Million In State Matching Funds#desantis #elections #campaign https://t.co/i7f9nu0HMh
— The Free Press (@tampafreepress) October 12, 2022
Former state Rep. Adam Hattersley, a Democrat who lost to Patronis, received a total of $186,369, with $14,285 last week. In her successful re-election campaign, Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody picked up $6,500 last week, bringing her matching-funds total to $291,333.
Her Democratic challenger, Aramis Ayala, didn’t participate in the program. Newly elected Republican Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and his Democratic challenger, Naomi Blemur, did not draw money from the program.
Outgoing Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, who lost a Democratic gubernatorial primary, and Daniel Uhlfelder, who lost a Democratic primary for attorney general, also received matching funds. Candidates drew $9.85 million in matching funds in 2018, $4.3 million in 2014 and $6.06 million in 2010.
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