David Silvers outraises, outspends Rick Roth as SD 26 race enters final month

Democrat David Silvers significantly outraised and outspent Republican Rick Roth, a fellow former Representative, in the race for the soon-to-be open Senate District 26 seat in Palm Beach County during August and September. Between Aug. 1 and Oct. 2, Silvers added more than $121,000 to his campaign coffers while spending close to $206,000, most of it on TV and digital ads. He also enjoyed more than $28,000 in in-kind aid from the Florida Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (FDLCC) for “research.” Roth, meanwhile, raised $2,000 but spent about $130,500, more than half on advertising. Silvers was far better off, fundingwise, by Oct. 3, holding roughly $201,500 between his campaign account and political committee, Friends of David Silvers, exactly one month before Election Day. Roth had about a quarter of that: $51,500 between his campaign account and PC, Palm Beach Prosperity Fund, which has been largely inactive since June, its only expenditures being website upkeep. Altogether, Silvers amassed about $508,000, including a $25,000 self-loan, since Jan. 1, 2024. Roth raised $352,500 over the same period, including a $250,000 self-loan. Silvers’ August and September gains came primarily from legal, lobbying, healthcare, health insurance and political interests. His largest contributions, totaling $20,000, came from Palm Beach County-headquartered law firm Lytal Reiter Smith & Ivey. The Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar gave him $3,000, while Gunster, Arrow Group and Fort Lauderdale-based Becker & Poliakoff each donated $1,000. Optometry PAC contributed $10,000. HCA Healthcare gave $3,000. Cigna Group chipped in $2,500, and Silvers got $1,000 apiece from the political arms of the Florida Medical Association, Florida Insurance Council, Florida Family Medicine, Palm Beach County Optometric Association and the Florida Radiological Society. Biopharma company Gilead Sciences Inc. gave $1,000 as well via an office based in North Carolina. From the political sector, Silvers got $10,000 from Florida Sunshine PC, whose Chair, Screven Watson, is a former Executive Director of the Florida Democratic Party; $7,500 from Friends of Arringtons, a PC chaired by Kissimmee Democratic Sen. Kristen Arrington; $1,000 from South Miami Mayor Javier Fernández’s PC, Leadership for South Miami; $1,000 from Down Ballot Democrats; and $500 from Coral Springs Democratic Rep. Dan Daley’s PC. Brighter Florida — a PC funded by Disney, General Motors, Progressive, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, and the Florida Operators Association — kicked in $1,500. The Florida Operators Association gave the same. From agriculture, Silvers got $1,000 each from Agro-Industrial Management Inc. in West Palm Beach, American Export Corp., Closter Farms, Stofin Co. and Vandergift-Williams Farms. Other contributions included $15,000 from Publix Super Markets, $6,000 from the Florida Education Association, $5,000 from five companies under the JM Family Automotive LLC umbrella, $3,000 from the Florida Association of Realtors, $1,000 from Amscot Corp. and $1,000 from Florida Professional Firefighters. Silvers’ spending included $137,500 to Cornerstone Solutions for a media buy. He also paid the West Palm Beach-based company $8,600 for printing and signage, and $1,800 for texts. For consulting, he paid $6,000 to Tampa-based Renaissance Campaign Strategies, $6,000 to Tallahassee-headquartered ENH Industries LLC and $5,000 to Cornerstone Solutions. Other expenditures included a $40,000 contribution to the FDLCC and $500 to the Palm Beach County Future Fund. The rest covered banking and donation-processing fees. Roth, a farmer by trade, added funds primarily from agricultural donors. That included $520 from Gary Wishnatzki, Chair of Plant City-based Wish Farms; $500 from the Homestead-based Dade Farm PAC; $500 from the Dade City-based Florida Poultry Federation; $100 from Eva Webb, whose last listed position on LinkedIn was Executive Director of the Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau. He also wrote his campaign a $25 check, not listed as a self-loan. Roth spent nearly $81,600 on a media ad buy through Odessa-based Tactical Campaign LLC. Another $10,500 went to Yellow Belly Marketing in Tennessee for social media marketing. Other spending included $20,600 to Wyoming-based Stealth Strategies Group for consulting services, $16,800 to Arsenal Government and Public Affairs Group in Vermont for public affairs consulting and $930 for a campaign event organized by the Republican Party of Palm Beach County. SD 26 covers a southern portion of Palm Beach County, spanning the inland municipalities of Belle Glade, Golf, South Bay and Wellington; coastal Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Highland Beach and Ocean Ridge; and a northern part of Boca Raton. Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman has represented the district since 2018. Term limits force her from office this year. Silvers, a lawyer, served in the House from 2016 to 2024, during which he championed mental health reforms, healthcare expansion, criminal justice reforms and education. Roth served during the same stretch, prioritizing tax reforms, agriculture, agritourism and human trafficking prevention. The General Election is Nov. 3. The post David Silvers outraises, outspends Rick Roth as SD 26 race enters final month appeared first on Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government..