Money Continues Flowing Into Senate Races Across Florida

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – Money continues flowing into the Senate races across the Sunshine State.

Trying to win a crowded Senate primary in the Tampa Bay area, St. Petersburg Democrat Augie Ribeiro early this month injected an additional $100,000 into his campaign, according to a newly filed finance report.

Ribeiro had earlier loaned $302,500 to the campaign in Senate District 19, which includes parts of Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. The additional $100,000 was listed in the report as a contribution instead of a loan. In all, Ribeiro's campaign totaled $248,751 in contributions as of Aug. 5, along with the $302,500 in loans. He had spent $473,467, the report shows.

Ribeiro is competing in the primary with state Rep. Ed Narain, D-Tampa, state Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, and former state Rep. Betty Reed, D-Tampa.

The District 19 seat is open because Senate Minority Leader Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa, faces term limits this year.

Narain raised $23,795 from July 30 to Aug. 5, bringing his overall contribution total to $234,403, according to a newly filed report. He had about $47,000 on hand as of the end of the period.

Rouson, meanwhile, raised $13,875 during the week-long period, bringing his overall total to $138,933. He had about $43,000 on hand. Reed had raised a total of $31,507 as of July 29, according to the state Division of Elections website.

In a Palm Beach County Senate district, state Rep. Irv Slosberg, D-Boca Raton has pumped an additional $260,000 into his bid to defeat state Sen. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, according to a newly filed finance report.

The $260,000 in loans between July 30 and Aug. 5 brought to $730,000 the amount Slosberg has funneled to his campaign. He also spent $241,462 from his campaign account during the recent week-long period, as the Aug. 30 primary draws near. In all, Slosberg had received $79,556 in contributions as of Aug. 5 to go along with the $730,000 in loans. He had spent $769,582 as of Aug. 5, the report shows.

Clemens, meanwhile, raised $16,700 between July 30 and Aug. 5, bringing the overall total to $219,937. He also earlier loaned $20,000 to the campaign and had spent $182,224 as of Aug. 5. A Clemens-led political committee, known as Each Vote Counts, also raised $64,000 during the week-long period and had about $57,000 in cash on hand.

Trying to return to Tallahassee in a redrawn Senate district, Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, has continued building a financial edge over his Democratic challenger, state Rep. Jose Javier Rodriguez.

Diaz de la Portilla raised $29,085 from July 30 to Aug. 5, bringing his overall total to $591,785, according to newly posted records on the state Division of Elections website.

Diaz de la Portilla had nearly $457,000 on hand in his campaign account as of Aug. 5.

Democrats have viewed the redrawn Senate District 37 as a potential opportunity to pick up a seat in the GOP-dominated Senate.

Rodriguez raised $15,735 from July 30 to Aug. 5, bringing his overall total to $248,488. He had nearly $234,000 on hand, the records show.

For more on Campaign 2016, click here.

The News Service of Florida contributed to this report.