Catalina Lauf pulls in $416K over first quarter campaigning in CD 19

Conservative writer and influencer Catalina Lauf raised a net $416,000 in her first quarter running in Florida’s 19th Congressional District.

The Bonita Springs Republican, a special adviser to the U.S. Department of Commerce during President Donald Trump’s first administration, jumped into the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds in October.

She managed a six-figure haul in just the last three months of 2025 without putting any candidate loans into her coffers. That alone sets her apart from other top money raisers Jim Oberweis and Jim Schwartzel, who both lent seven figures to their own campaigns.

Notably, Lauf reported nearly $434,000 in receipts but ultimately refunded more than $18,000 in donations for various reasons.

When the quarter was done, and after she spent almost $200,000 getting a campaign in motion, Lauf closed 2025 with almost $216,000 still in the bank.

The vast majority of contributions to Lauf’s campaign came from unitemized contributions, donations of less than $200. Small donors contributed more than $304,000 to the campaign.

Lauf is an experienced federal candidate, having run for Congress in 2020 against Oberweis in Illinois’ 14th Congressional District. Oberweis won the GOP Primary and went on to lose a close General Election that year. Both have since moved to Southwest Florida.

Lauf also founded the Defense of Freedom PAC, where she remains Executive Director.

Perhaps drawing on her experience in federal fundraising, Lauf raised donations from around the country, with virtually all fundraising conducted through the WinRed platform. Donations came from individuals in Florida, Alabama, California, Georgia, Michigan, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia.

Among the biggest individual donors was Andrew Boszhardt, owner of Philadelphia-based Great Oaks Venture Capital. He gave $3,500 to Lauf’s campaign. Consumer Financial Services CEO Jeff Bricat, of Illinois, gave $2,000 over the course of the quarter. Jennifer Brockman of Michigan gave $3,325.

In addition to Oberweis and Schwartzel, Lauf faces philanthropist Ola Hawatmeh and former U.S. Reps. Chris Collins and Madison Cawthorn, Marine veteran Mike Pedersen, MAGA activist Johnny Fratto, business owner Dylan Modarelli and Stephen Elliot in a Republican Primary.