Rep. Buchanan tops challenger Good again in fundraising. One donation made the difference
A last-minute donation made the biggest difference in the most recent financial reports filed in the race between U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan and state Rep. Margaret Good.
Buchanan pitched in $150,000 of his wealth on the last day of the quarter, which ended on March 31, to shore up his fundraising total for the three-month fundraising period. He ended the quarter raising about $439,000.
Without that significant contribution from Buchanan, R-Longboat Key, his Democratic challenger, Good, D-Sarasota, would have had a stronger showing than the seven-term congressman. Good brought in nearly $353,000. The only time Good outraised Buchanan was in the third quarter of last year, shortly after she announced her campaign.
According to the Federal Election Commission, this latest fundraising haul puts Good campaign’s total contributions past the $1 million mark. Buchanan still holds a huge lead, with more than $2.3 million raised. So far this election cycle, Buchanan has chipped in $250,000 of his own money.
Good’s campaign is still mostly funded by individuals, campaign finance records show. Buchanan hauled in $149,000 from political action committees, compared to Good’s $57,000 from similar kinds of groups.
“This is all you need to know: Margaret has raised less than half of what Buchanan has, she’s underperforming David Shapiro, who lost by 10 points in 2018, and her fundraising has slipped for the second consecutive quarter,” said Max Goodman, Buchanan’s campaign manager. “That’s the definition of a sinking ship.”
Good’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
This quarter hasn’t been without controversy for both candidates. In February, Good railed against Buchanan for hosting a National Republican Congressional Committee fundraiser, with Vice President Mike Pence as a headliner, at his Longboat Key home.
More recently, the NRCC has accused Good of shady campaign activity after New Day Florida, a state political action committee, spent $1,500 to support Good’s campaign for Congress.
Heading into the second quarter, the coronavirus pandemic stands to disrupt traditional campaign strategies, such as going door-to-door and hosting candidate meet-and-greets. The nationwide COVID-19 outbreak has also become a top issue for both candidates.
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Buchanan supported the $2 trillion stimulus package and was one of the first representatives to urge President Donald Trump to declare a national emergency.
At the state level, Good has called for the Florida Legislature to hold a special session to address Florida’s unemployment system, which has been overwhelmed due to an economic downturn in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. Good’s campaign website has also been updated with a link to direct voters to COVID-19 resources.
Buchanan and Good are set to face off on Nov. 3, Election Day.
This story was originally published April 16, 2020 at 4:22 PM.
