Candidates vie for votes, campaign donations in Florida

Reporter: Corey Lazar
Published: Updated:
Surges in early voting, beyond 2014 totals. Photo via MGN.
Surges in early voting, beyond 2014 totals. Photo via MGN.

FORT MYERS, Fla. — As election day approaches, both presidential candidates are not only battling for every vote, but every dollar, as well.

Florida is a battleground state that also ranks in the top five states in campaign fundraising for both candidates.

Retiree Tony Painter and his partner Jerry have been Hillary Clinton supporters since she was First Lady. Their donation of several thousand dollars to the Clinton campaign was geared toward the fight for gay rights.

“To protect that — I was willing to stand up and say here, ‘I will help do it,'” Painter said.

Naples resident and small business owner Alma Delrio strongly supports Donald Trump, saying he will bring America back to the basics.

“He is doing this out of his own pocket and for those of us who have been in America our whole lives,” Delrio said. “You see all the money behind politicians. Then you ask yourself why would Donald Trump be doing this, he has enough money. So all of us should come out and help his campaign.”

Delrio proudly donated $60 as her inaugural campaign donation to the Donald Trump Office in Cape Coral.

Southwest Florida has a significant amount of large donors for both campaigns, according to data from the Federal Election Commission.

Donald Trump Donors

    • Frank Semcer (Bonita Springs): $5,400
    • Anne McNulty (Naples): $5,400
    • Michael Katin (Naples): $5,400

Hillary Clinton Donors

    • Darryl Pottors (Fort Myers): $5,400
    • Thomas Dewitt (Naples): $5,400
    • Charles Wesley (Naples): $5,400

Florida has many large bundlers, people who hold fundraisers to donate to political action committees, located throughout the state. Unlike regular donors, bundlers have no limit on the amount of money they can donate.

West Palm Beach resident Daniel Abraham, the founder of SlimFast, and John Morgan of Morgan & Morgan, raised $14 million and $626,000 respectively for the Clinton campaign, according to data from OpenSecrets. The Trump campaign hasn’t released the identities of their large bundlers.

Donations to each campaign can be tracked online at http://opensecrets.org/ and the Federal Election Commission website.

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