PANAMA CITY — Jay Trumbull has gotten out to a substantial fundraising lead in the Florida House District 6 Republican primary race.
Trumbull’s campaign contributions come from a wide range of sources, including local residents, business owners, political action committees and trade groups based in Tallahassee, according to campaign finance disclosures. Many of those groups, who sometimes lobby for legislation beneficial to their organization, have given the $1,000 maximum contribution.
As of Friday, Trumbull’s contributions added up to $184,901.
Trumbull’s contributors include, among others, the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association, the Florida Beer Wholesalers Good Government, the Florida Ground Water Association Political Action Committee, the Florida Independent Spirits Association, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Insurance Council, Floridians for a Strong Economy and Floridians For Prosperity.
Trumbull said he has a wide range of support for his campaign.
“I’ve been endorsed by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the National Rifle Association, United Christians of Florida, conservative members of the Legislature, and hundreds of local individual donors and volunteers,” he said in a prepared statement. “Their endorsements and support for me is based on my agenda, not on theirs. I’ll govern by the same guidelines and principles as I’ve outlined on my campaign.”
Trumbull’s fundraising list also includes six family members of the Patronis family, who are related to state Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City, who can’t run for re-election due to term limits.
Patronis has said previously he was not endorsing any of the candidates.
“I do have a lot of support from the Patronis family, but Jimmy has not officially endorsed,” Trumbull said in a prepared statement. “Our family has been in business with the Patronis family in a joint venture called ‘Econfina Water.’ That business has taught me a lot about preserving and guaranteeing one of Florida’s most precious resources: fresh water, and I am glad to be associated with the Patronis family. They are honorable people. Jimmy has left big shoes for anyone to fill in the Legislature, and I think that whoever the next state representative is will call on both him and former Speaker Allan Bense for a lot of advice.”
Melissa Hagan has raised $97,759. She put more than $36,000 of her money into the campaign in contributions and loans, figures from the Florida Division of Elections show. Other than herself, nobody on her contribution list has donated an individual contribution of $1,000. Her contributors included mainly local residents and local businesses such as Wilson’s Landscaping of Panama City, which contributed $175, and Southern Woodworks of Bay County, which contributed $150.
She said she was focusing on her campaign and not others as it relates to fundraising.
“As you can see, I don’t have any contributions from PACs,” she said. “It comes down to votes, not dollars. I am looking at getting support from the voters and going directly to the voters, using the money I’ve collected to make sure I get my message out to all of the voters in District 6. I want to be their representative.”
Hagan, who stepped down from her position as chief development officer at Gulf Coast State College to run for office, said she’s loaned her campaign about $20,000 and collected another approximately $60,000 from fundraisers.
She said contributing her own money shows her commitment to the campaign.
“I wanted to show people I have skin in the game to be their state representative,” she said.
Thelma Rohan, a medical practice owner and former Bay County School Board member, has raised $77,389. She and her family members also contributed a substantial amount to the campaign. Rohan has loaned the campaign more than $40,000. Her contribution list also includes local residents and businesses, such as Panama City Orthopedics, which contributed $1,000.
She was critical of Trumbull’s acceptance of the PAC money.
“As Matthew 6:24 says, no one can serve two masters; if most of your money comes from Tallahassee, then you’re likely to serve Tallahassee,” Rohan said in a prepared statement. “All of my support comes from District 6 because I want to serve District 6.”
Tho Bishop, who has previously served as a deputy communications director for the House Financial Services Committee in Washington, D.C., has raised $8,100, mainly from local residents, but one contribution for $1,000 was from Bachus for Congress, which supports retiring Alabama Congressman Spencer Bachus.
Bishop also was critical of Trumbull’s acceptance of the PAC money. Bishop said his campaign is getting a lot of local support since the recent Republican primary debate, and he expects that will show up in contributions in the next report and at the polls on Election Day.
He said Trumbull’s campaign is tied to special interests.
“It’s not unfamiliar in politics when a person whose platform largely has been about taking money from Tallahassee and giving it to certain businesses here, that normally you are going to attract big time money,” he said. “It is much harder to bribe people with (my platform of) getting government off your back and promoting individual liberty.”
The primary election is Aug. 26.