Among the important state races this year, at least for Democrats, is the contest for House District 110, vacated by termed-out Republican State Rep. and Speaker Jose Oliva, who will come back as a lobbyist in a couple years.
Teacher and community organizer Annette Collazo, a Democrat, got a big boost in her campaign this month when she collected almost $28,000 in contributions in two weeks.
That’s more than five times as much as her Republican opponent and Oliva’s handpicked successor, Miami-Dade Community Council 5 Vice Chair Alex Rizo, who raised $4,500 in the same time period and whose momentum seems to have slowed since he first started fundraising in December, collecting $57K in his first two months.
In the first campaign finance report filed since the primary, a period that ends Sept. 4, Collazo reported raising $27,748 from 459 contributions. That’s almost half the $63,500 she has raised since March. And because Rizo has spent almost twice as much from his $87.5K nut, that has narrowed the gap to within four digits. She has $43,600 on hand. He has $50,500.
Rizo, who co-founded the Hialeah-Miami Lakes Republican Club, has been fundraising for three months longer and his money is from a smaller pool of more special interest donors, like the 31 political action committees — out of a total 129 checks — for a total of $28,000. It includes a $1,000 check from Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez’s Hialeah For Progress PAC. He also has smallish bundles from Martin Caparros ($5,000), former Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina‘s onetime real estate business partner, gasoline magnate Maximo Alvarez ($3,000) and real estate investor Henry Pernas ($2,000).
Read related: More than 20 new PACs prepare for 2019 and 2020 elections
But his expenses include payments to political hack David “Disgustin” Custin, who has access to other PACs, so we don’t really know how much money he has ready to attack and call Collazo a socialist — because that is what all the Republicans are doing these days.
The bulk of Collazo’s donations are $110 and smaller and come from all over the country from Democrats who see this as a flippable Florida House seat. Tech Solidarity, a group that solicits donations from the tech community, put Collazo on their state slate in Florida and that has really helped her get support from all over.
When she first started, she said, she couldn’t wait to get her first big campaign check. But the most meaningful contribution has been a $5 donation from an older woman with no real disposable income.
“It was the first time she donated to a candidate’s campaign,” Collazo said. “For me, that’s an absolute honor.”
And her new PAC, Teachers to Tallahassee, has a little more than the $2,500 check from the D.C.-based Flippable Florida Victory fund.
“I’m honored that so many people in and outside of the district are investing in me,” Collazo said. “People see that I am a candidate who will truly represent our community in Tallahassee, not interests which ultimately work against our community.”
She means mine blasting. Because Rizo has a donation from lobbyist Ron Book, who has represented Northwest Dade quarries whose operations are literally cracking open the walls and floors in homes in Miami Lakes and the surrounding neighborhoods.
“My donation list tells the story of what my campaign is about. My opponent’s donor list tells a very different story and includes mining interests,” Collazo said, challenging Rizo to return the donation.
“It’s offensive to the community. I wouldn’t have taken it and he should return it. Maybe he didn’t know,” she told Political Cortadito.
Ladra is also concerned about charter school interests. Rizo is a former teacher and assistant principal who now owns companies that specialize in tutoring and education consulting (read: charter schools). And he is getting help from Sen. Manny Diaz, Jr., a charter school champion who actually put Rizo’s name on a food distribution event. It may not be illegal but it’s gross and shady AF.
The GOP clearly wants to keep the seat and they may have an advantage because there is a slight majority of Republican registered voters in the district, which covers Miami Lakes, Hialeah and surrounding areas. But with the way that the presidential race is going to bring Democrats out, the fact that NPAs are increasing and that Collazo, a homegrown Cubanita, le cae bien a los Republicanos, makes this the best opportunity the Dems will get in 110. The party should be helping her more, like they’re helping Javier Fernandez win the open Senate seat in district 39.
Collazo is out walking and knocking on doors in the middle of the pandemic, following social distancing guidelines, of course. Some people will only talk through the window. Sadly and frighteningly, a few times she found voters on her list have passed away from COVID-19.
But she knows she must seize this momentum and keep working.
“This is our best reporting period so far — but we aren’t going to slow down,” she said. “I believe our message will carry the day in this race and I’m committed to raising the necessary funds to reach voters with that message.”
Could Dems take House Seat 110? Annette Collazo is working on it added by Ladra on
View all posts by Ladra →
