After Margaret Good’s record-setting start, Rep. Buchanan outraises challenger by $162k
Coming off a record-setting fundraising performance last summer, Margaret Good announced a smaller haul in the latest campaign finance reports, and is still trailing Congressman Vern Buchanan’s re-election campaign by more than $1 million.
Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, held on to his strong lead thanks to $524,000 in fourth quarter donations, outraising state Rep. Good, D-Sarasota, by more than $160,000. That’s an increase over the third quarter, when Buchanan collected $370,000.
Good made waves in third quarter when she broke the record for money raised by a Democrat in the first quarter of the race to represent Florida’s 16th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which covers Manatee and parts of Sarasota and Hillsborough counties. She collected $450,000 — about $80,000 more than Buchanan — in that time.
The latest reports show that Good raised $362,000 in Q4, bringing her campaign fundraising total to $812,000. Buchanan has raised about $1.9 million this cycle.
“Margaret Good’s fundraising is already losing steam with a 20 percent drop from her first filing. She even raised less than David Shapiro did in his second report,” Max Goodman, Buchanan’s campaign manager, said in a statement, referring to the Democrat nominee in 2018.
“Looks like Hugh Culverhouse, her most prominent backer and donor, isn’t the only one jumping ship,” he added, referring to a recent report that a Sarasota land developer has swapped his allegiance to Buchanan.
According to campaign finance records, Culverhouse has already donated the maximum amount — $5,600 — to Good’s campaign. He also donated to Buchanan in Q4, Goodman said.
In a release, Good’s campaign emphasized their grassroots movement to connect with local voters. She received donations from more than 1,600 people who live in the district.
“I’m grateful for the thousands of supporters who are working with us to create positive change and who, like me, are focused on ensuring this district has the representation it deserves,” Good said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished so far — this is just the beginning.”
Through Q3, Good spent about $8,000 on consulting and software, while Buchanan’s early fundraising success has allowed his campaign to spend more than $100,000 on advertising and political consulting.
“We’re honored to receive such broad support from people across the district who are responding to Vern’s effective and successful record of fighting for seniors, veterans, middle-class families, the environment and the protection of animals,” Goodman said.
Fourth quarter financial reports, detailing contributions and expenditures, have not been publicly posted by the Federal Election Commission, but the latest information shows that Buchanan had about $533,000 of cash on hand as of Sept. 30, compared to $370,000 for Good.
Buchanan and Good are expected to face one another on Election Day, Nov. 3.
This story was originally published January 16, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "After Margaret Good’s record-setting start, Rep. Buchanan outraises challenger by $162k."
