Former Republican Rep. Rick Roth added nearly $165,000 last quarter toward his bid for Senate District 26. All but $15,000 came from his bank account.

His lone Democratic opponent in the contest, former Rep. David Silvers, raised about $48,000, all from outside sources.

Heading into 2026, both candidates enjoyed six-figure war chests in the race to succeed Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman, who has represented Palm Beach County in the upper chamber since 2018.

Roth, who represented the county in the House from 2016 to 2024, eschewed his political committee, Palm Beach Prosperity Fund, in amassing funds between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, raising solely through his campaign account.

Beyond the $150,000 self-funded infusion to his campaign, Roth received 44 contributions in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Several came from political committees. He accepted $1,000 apiece from Inverness Republican Sen. Ralph Massullo’s political committee, Better Lives for Floridians, and Conservatives for Effective Government, a PC run by consultant David Ramba.

Friends of Rachel Plakon, the PC of Lake Mary Republican Rep. Rachel Plakon, gave $750. Florida Always First, a PC that backed former Republican Rep. Alina Garcia, now Miami-Dade County’s Supervisor of Elections, kicked in $500.

Industry interests gave too. Roth received $1,000 from Clewiston-based Berner Oil Inc., Delray Beach-based plant nursery Atchison Exotics Inc. and the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Perry Farms, based in Moore Haven, gave $750.

Roth spent $2,668 in Q4, leaving himself with about $288,000 by New Year’s Day. The lion’s share of his spending, $2,266, went to St. Petersburg-based Direct Mail Systems for advertising.

He also spent about $300 on a licensing fee and $30 on checks. The rest covered bank and donation-processing fees.

Silvers, who represented Housed District 89 from 2016 to 2024, collected $11,000 through his campaign account and $36,800 through his political committee, Friends of David Silvers, in Q4.

He also spent $30,300, leaving about $195,000 in his coffers by the quarter’s end.

His biggest gain, a $20,000 check, came from motorsports driver and auto magnate Rodin Younessi. His second-biggest gain, a $5,000 contribution, came from Miami-headquartered Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits.

Silvers received $3,500 from firefighter unions, $2,000 from the Florida OBGYN PAC and $1,000 from the International Longshoreman Association. Humana Inc. gave $2,500.

From the government relations sector, Silvers took $1,000 apiece from Capitol Alliance Group, Rubin Turnbull & Associates, TSE Consulting LLC, Florida Partners LLC, Lewis Longman & Walker, Lisa Miller & Associates and Venture PAC, a political committee run by Jones Walker LLP Director of Strategy and Management Chris Moya.

His Q4 spending went almost exclusively to consulting, including $15,000 to Tallahassee-based ENH Industries Inc., $10,000 to Tampa-based Renaissance Campaign Strategies and $5,250 to West Palm Beach-based Cornerstone Solutions.

The rest covered bank fees.

A third candidate, Republican lawyer Stephen Iacullo, filed for the SD 26 race Oct. 23, 2025, but did not file his Q4 campaign finance report by Monday’s deadline, according to the Division of Elections website.

SD 26 covers a southern portion of Palm Beach County, spanning the inland municipalities of Belle Glade, Golf, South Bay and Wellington; coastal Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Highland Beach and Ocean Ridge; and a northern part of Boca Raton.

The 2026 Primary is Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.

Former Tampa City Council member Mike Suarez is by far the top fundraiser so far in the race for House District 64.

Suarez raised nearly $32,000 in the fourth quarter of 2025, more than twice what his closest opponent raised in the same period. But that candidate, Luis Salazar, didn’t enter the race until about halfway through the period.

Still, Suarez maintains about $29,000 in his coffers, compared to just shy of $10,000 for Salazar.

Both are Democrats. They also face fellow Democrat José “Dante” Sánchez-Sánchez, but he has not yet filed a campaign finance report despite the passage of Monday’s filing deadline. One Republican is running, Amaro Lionheart. He also has not yet filed a finance report.

The candidates are vying to replace term-limited Rep. Susan Valdés, who is now a Republican but was elected as a Democrat.

The district has a voter advantage for Democrats, who make up more than 37% of the electorate. Republican voters, meanwhile, account for nearly 29% of the district’s voters, according to the most recent L2 voter data.

Suarez brought in 82 contributions last quarter, averaging about $386 each.

Top donors cutting maximum $1,000 checks include Travis Mitchell & Associates, a local government relations firm; Parkway Corporation CEO Robert Zuritsky and its Chair, Joe Zuritsky; Blue Sky Communities President Shawn Wilson; developer Bernard Arenas; Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen’s Hillsborough Together political committee; developer Jonathan Levy; contractor Joseph Williams; the Florida Insurance Council/ The Travelers Companies; the Tower Hill Insurance Group; and Tampa Bay Entertainment Properties, which is Jeff Vinik’s events operations firm.

Suarez’s top expenditure, at nearly $6,500, was to Tampa-based Womack Strategies for political consulting, run by communications strategies Michael Womack. Suarez also spent $3,885 on his campaign kickoff expenses at Florida Avenue Brewing Co. and paid campaign staffer Sebastian Leon about $2,100.

Salazar raised $15,497 from the time he entered the race in late October through December, and spent about $5,500 during that same period.

Salazar is running a grassroots campaign, with 335 contributions averaging less than $47 each. He only took in two top-dollar $1,000 contributions and just a handful of $500 checks.

His top expenditure was nearly $1,500 paid to Alex Honda for consulting, followed by $704 paid to Mark Hanisee, a former Pinellas County Democratic Party Chair, also for consulting fees.

“Our campaign is powered by people, not special interests,” Salazar said. “The fact that over 400 individuals chose to invest in this movement so early on says everything about the hunger for change. I am humbled and energized by the support.”

Retired Sarasota Police Department Sgt. Jim DeNiro has entered the race for Sarasota County Commission in District 4, setting up a Republican Primary challenge against first-term Commissioner Joe Neunder.

DeNiro, a lifelong Republican, said his campaign will focus on affordability, public safety, growth management, environmental protection and greater accountability in county government. He said his nearly 40 years of public service in Sarasota County has prepared him to oversee county operations and budgets.

DeNiro retired from the Sarasota Police Department after a career that included criminal investigations, narcotics enforcement, patrol operations, traffic and marine units, emergency management, and leadership of the Underwater Search and Recovery Unit. He was also responsible for managing unit budgets, personnel deployment, training expenses and equipment purchases during his tenure.

“Sarasota County families are paying close attention to rising costs, and county government should do the same,” DeNiro said in a statement. “When the County Commission approves a record $2.5 billion budget that draws roughly $23 million from county reserves, that level of spending warrants careful scrutiny, continued oversight, and a renewed focus on fiscal discipline.”

DeNiro said District 4 is under pressure from rapid population growth, raising concerns about traffic congestion, infrastructure capacity, storm preparedness and the preservation of neighborhood and coastal character.

“In District 4, we feel growth every day — on our roads, in our neighborhoods, and along our coastlines,” DeNiro said. “Growth must be managed responsibly, with infrastructure, public safety, and environmental protection keeping pace — not falling behind.”

DeNiro also highlighted his service on the county’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Oversight Committee, where he worked to ensure conservation programs funded by taxpayers are transparent and effectively protect water quality and wildlife habitat. DeNiro also served on the Traffic Advisory Committee and was involved with local civic and nonprofit organizations, including efforts aimed at combating human trafficking.

DeNiro lives in Sarasota County with his family and is married with two children. Now working as a licensed Realtor and mortgage loan officer, DeNiro said his experience helping families, retirees, veterans and first-time homebuyers has reinforced his belief that county government should remain efficient and taxes kept low.