House Seat 41: Rep. Stephen Precourt, R-Winter Garden, is the heavy favorite to represent parts of Lake, Orange and Osceola counties for another two years. He is burning quickly through his war chest. While he raised more than $103,000, he had spent more than $71,000 of it by the end of July. That should not be a worry this election cycle. College instructor Lee Douglas has the Democratic nomination and has not posted impressive fund-raising, hauling in less than $3,600 by the end of July. Jon Foley is running in the general election as the TEA Party candidate.
House Seat 42: Representing parts of Lake, Marion and Sumter counties, Rep. Marlene OToole, R-The Villages, will not be challenged by any Democrats or Republicans this year. She had around $35,000 in the bank at the end of July -- which should be more than enough to squash independent challenger Jeff Shoobridge who had less than $500 on hand.
House Seat 43: Rep. Ron Schultz, R-Homosassa, represents all of Citrus County and parts of Hernando and Levy counties. Schultz has posted less than impressive fund-raising figures -- more than $19,000 in contributions and kicking in $5,000 in loans. Nor has he spent much -- less than $8,000 so far, with almost $6,000 of that being spent in the last two weeks of July. Despite this, he is a favorite to keep his seat from Republican primary challenger Jimmie T. Smith who raised a little more than $8,000 and had spent almost $3,700 at the end of July. There is no Democratic candidate in the race, so whoever wins the Republican primary is headed to Tallahassee.
House Seat 44: In this district, covering parts of Hernando, Pasco and Sumter counties, Democrats have an impressive candidate looking to defeat Rep. Ron Schenck, R-Spring Hill, in November. Former Hernando County Commissioner Diane Rowden should be able to hold off rivals Jay Thompson and David Werder for the Democratic nomination. Rowden has compiled a decent war chest so far, having raised more than $41,000 and spent more than $16,500. But she will need to step up her fund-raising efforts. Schenck gathered in more than $82,000 and has been thrifty with it so far, spending just $6,200. This race could be one to watch come November but, until Rowden kicks up her fund-raising efforts, Schenck should be considered the favorite to hold on to his seat.
House Seat 45: With Rep. Tom Anderson, R-Dunedin, retiring, the Republicans will be able to hold on to this seat representing parts of Pasco and Pinellas counties. No Democrats are in the race. Richard Corcoran, former chief of staff under Marco Rubio, is the favorite to win the Republican nomination, but his task is not an easy one. Corcoran has raised more than $192,000 in the race so far but had spent almost $175,000 of that by the end of July. He is being challenged by businesswoman Kathryn Starkey who was elected to the Pasco County School Board. Starkey raised more than $128,000 and spent more than $71,000 -- meaning she has more than $50,000 cash on hand in the final weeks of the primary. Businessman Fabian Calvo is a solid candidate, but he simply has not been able to keep up with his Republican rivals in the money chase and has spent almost every penny of the more than $44,000 his campaign has raised. This primary will be one to watch -- but the general election in November should be a snoozer since whoever wins the Republican nomination will only face a write-in candidate.
