House Seat 116: With Rep. Marcelo Llorente, R-Miami, facing term limits, four Republicans are running for the seat he is leaving in Miami-Dade. Miami-Dade public schools administrator and former Rep. Carlos Manrique pulled in some impressive fund-raising, bringing in more than $111,000 and spending more than $74,000. He leads the Republican pack. Assistant State Attorney Carlos Trujillo is an impressive candidate and raised more than $76,000 but spent most of it -- leaving around $16,000 on hand at the end of July for the final weeks of the primary. Business owner Whilly Bermudez raised more than $42,000 and loaned his campaign $25,000. He spent more than $38,000 so he had around $29,000 on hand at the end of July. Despite loaning his campaign $20,000, attorney Francisco Amador spent almost every penny of the more than $35,000 in his war chest. Whoever wins the Republican nod --and Manrique is the clear favorite --should be headed to Tallahassee despite facing two write-in opponents come November.
House Seat 117: Seven Republicans and a Democrat are running for the seat held by Rep. Julio Robaina, R-Miami, who is term-limited and angling for a Senate seat. There are two Republican candidates who have assembled impressive war chests. Businessman Michael Bileca raised almost $145,000 in contributions and loaned his campaign another $145,000. The Bileca campaign spent more than $157,000 but still had around $133,000 on hand at the end of July. City planner and grad student Ralph Rosado raised almost $100,000, loaned his campaign $60,000 and spent $83,000 -- leaving around $77,000 on hand at the end of July. The other Republicans in the race simply do not have the money to compete with Bileca and Rosado. Afghanistan veteran and businessman Jose Pazos raised more than $20,000, loaned his campaign $2,000 and had around $12,000 on hand at the end of July. Nonprofit director Ana Alliegro raised more than $10,000, loaned her campaign more than $11,000 and spent more than $15,500 for her bid. Former Navy Seal and business owner Marcus Rivchin had around $3,000 on hand at the end of July. Attorney Ernie Martinez had around $2,000 on hand at the end of July. Grad student Juan Carlos Juankay Robaina had around $2,200 on hand at the end of July. Attorney Lisa Lesperance, with around $47,000 on hand at the end of July, will await the winner of the Republican primary. The Republican primary will be an interesting contest and, if Lesperance starts raising more, this has the makings of a contest to watch in November.
House Seat 118: Representing parts of Miami-Dade, Rep. Dwight Bullard, D-Miami, faces challenges in the Democratic primary and from a Republican in the general election. Bullards fund-raising has not been impressive. He pulled in more than $37,000 and had spent more than $24,000 at the end of July. It should be enough for Bullard to hold on. Kionne McGhee, who is challenging Bullard for the Democratic nomination, raised more than $6,300 and spent just less than $2,900 of that. Republican candidate Charlie Lopez will take on the winner in November. Lopez raised more than $4,200 and loaned his campaign $2,100, but had less than $500 on hand at the end of July. Bullard appears headed back to Tallahassee despite his fund-raising.
House Seat 119: With Rep. Juan C. Zapata, R-Miami, facing term limits, four candidates will battle in the general election for this open seat in Miami-Dade. Attorney and business owner Frank Artilles is the Republican candidate in the race. By the end of July, he had raised more than $118,000, loaned his campaign more than $20,000 and spent more than $67,000. He will face a serious Democratic candidate in November: Katie Edwards, the executive director of the Dade County Farm Bureau. Edwards has assembled an impressive war chest, bringing in more than $126,000 in contributions and more than $44,000 through in-kind donations. She has spent more than $40,000. Independent candidate Graziella Rennee Denny is running without party affiliation, and Nestor Alfonso Iglesias is running as the TEA Party candidate. This is shaping up as one of the closest contests for a House seat across the state.
House Seat 120: Republicans would love to defeat incoming House Democratic Leader Ron Saunders, D-Key West, who represents all of Monroe County and parts of Miami-Dade. The GOP is pinning its hopes on former Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson, who raised more than $47,000 and spent more than $33,000. He should defeat Matt Gardi, who had less than $1,500 on hand at the end of July, for the Republican nomination. But Saunders is a cagy politician with around $56,000 in the bank. He is a solid favorite to defeat the Republican nominee and TEA Party candidate Henry Llorella to win another term.
