JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With five weeks until Jacksonville’s general election, the record-breaking pace of fundraising in the city’s mayoral election continues for the remaining candidates, Republican Daniel Davis and Democrat Donna Deegan.
In addition to the money raised by their campaigns, Davis and Deegan are each supported by political action committees: Davis’ “Building a Better Economy PC” and Deegan’s “Donna for Duval.” This week, those committees turned in their financial reports for March to the state Division of Elections. Both reports showed a wave of contributions following the first city election on March 21.
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Building a Better Economy PC brought in $557,000 during the month of March, with nearly all of it coming in the last week of the month. The largest single contribution came from Summit Contracting Group, a Jacksonville-based company that bills itself as the nation’s largest multifamily general contractor. The company had previously given contributions of $50,000 and $25,000.
Two donors gave $50,000 each to the Davis PAC in the month of March: Pamela Lecates of Jacksonville, and The PARC Group, Inc., a local developer of communities including Nocatee and eTown. Vadis, Inc, which shares an address with PARC Group, gave $25,000, as did several other well-known Jacksonville businesses: Gate Petroleum, The Haskell Company, Miller Electric Company, and Elite Parking Services of America.
Donna for Duval brought in $185,000 during the entire month. Local attorney Steve Pajcic was among the largest contributors, giving $50,000. Sallyn Pajcic, the widow of Steve Pajcic’s late brother Gary, also gave $50,000. Each had previously contributed $50,000 in February.
Former CSX CEO and chairman Michael Ward also gave to Donna for Duval, contributing $48,000 in March. Ward, who has given to numerous Republican and Democratic candidates over the years, had contributed $100,000 last summer to the political action committee “A Rising Tide.” That committee was supporting Democrat Audrey Gibson in her run for mayor until she was eliminated in the first election.
LEARN ABOUT THE CANDIDATES: Voter’s Guide
While the political action committees report their financials to the state once a month, the campaigns themselves are giving updates to the Duval County Supervisor of Elections office approximately once a week, until the election.
The general election, open to all registered voters in the county, is Tuesday, May 16. Early voting begins Monday, May 1.