The incumbent has seen national support from groups like AIPAC.
U.S. Rep. Laurel Lee has raised more than $2 million toward her re-election bid through September. That’s four times the amount collected by her Democratic opponent, Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp.
Federal Election Commission reports show the Thonotosassa Republican raised more than $330,000 in the third quarter for her re-election campaign. Additionally, her sponsored leadership committee, the Florida Freedom Fund PAC, raised another $52,000.
Lee closed the quarter with $1.42 million in cash on hand for her re-election campaign, while the Leadership PAC had about $113,000.
Kemp, who filed against Lee in April, has raised north of $455,000 and had less than $222,000 of that left as of the end of September.
Kemp raised $195,000 over the third quarter. She also stepped up spending in that quarter, pumping more than $125,000 into the race. Lee in the same three-month period spent almost $187,000.
Lee won her seat representing Florida’s 15th Congressional District in 2022, when she defeated Democrat Alan Cohn with 58.5% of the vote. That was in a district that Donald Trump carried over Joe Biden with less than 51% support in 2020.
The district went more handily for Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2022, with the Republican Governor winning almost 59% of the vote. Notably, Lee outperformed U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio within the district, with the Senator winning just over 57% of the vote on the path to his own re-election to a third term.
Lee served as Florida Secretary of State, appointed by DeSantis, before leaving that position to run for Congress. She served before that as a Judge.
Kemp represents east Hillsborough County now on the County Commission.
Lee has enjoyed the benefits of incumbency, including support from a number of national advocacy groups. In the last quarter, she received $10,000 in earmarked donations through the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). That came as Lee has remained an outspoken ally of Israel in the wake of Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas last year and increasing conflict with Iran and Hezbollah this year.
Other major donors include the American Chemistry PAC, which has given a total of $5,000, and Guidewell Mutual in Jacksonville, which has donated $7,000 now. Microsoft also gave $5,000, and the National Association of Realtors has now donated $10,000. Mosaic gave $4,500 and the Geo Group gave $6,000. UBS Americas, a financial services company, has given $10,000.
She also collected numerous individual donations through WinRed.
While Kemp received union support this Summer from the International Brotherhood of electrical Workers and from the UA Union Plumbers & Pipeworkers, she has primarily raised from individuals through WinDem and Act Blue. Prominent individual donors include former University of South Florida President Betty Castor and Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik.
Source: Jacob Ogles, Florida Politics
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