Darren Soto raises less than most targeted Dems as Thomas Chalifoux closes 2025 with $2M

A former foe of U.S. Rep. Darren Soto closed 2025 with almost $2 million in the bank. Meanwhile, the incumbent raised less than nearly any targeted House Democrat in the country.

Republican Thomas Chalifoux, a former Osceola County School Board member who faced Soto in 2024, has again primarily self-funded his campaign. Chalifoux has put $2 million toward another run in Florida’s 9th Congressional District and reported another nearly $18,000 in contributions in the fourth quarter.

Soto, meanwhile, raised about almost $394,000 in the fourth quarter. That means as of the start of 2026, the Kissimmee Democrat raised some $948,000. Minus campaign expenses, he started 2024 with about $635,000 in the bank.

While Soto raised more in outside contributions than any GOP opponents, he is one of two Democrats in Florida targeted this cycle by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC).

Out of 24 House Democrats in the sights of the official political arm of the House GOP, Soto’s quarterly fundraising ranked at No. 22. Only U.S. Reps. Dina Titus of Nevada and Henry Cuellar of Texas raised less. The NRCC also noted that only 43% of Soto’s contributions came from Florida.

“Turns out, being a lazy rubber-stamp for the radical left isn’t popular,” said NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole. “Who would’ve thought?”

While Soto in 2024 outperformed Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris in his district and beat Chalifoux by more than 10 percentage points, Florida Republicans felt enthusiasm about growing Republican support in Central Florida. Republican Donald Trump in 2024 won a majority of votes in Osceola County, the heart of Soto’s district.

Perhaps the greatest threat for Soto, though, lies in Tallahassee, where Gov. Ron DeSantis and a GOP-controlled Florida Legislature have vowed to redraw Florida’s congressional map before the Midterms.

That could result in the district shifting eastward, stripping reliably Democratic portions of Orange County out of Soto’s constituency.

Chalifoux is one of five Republicans filed to challenge Soto this year.

Pastor Steve Rance has reported more than $37,000, most of that through a loan of more than $28,000 to his campaign. He closed 2025 with more than $15,000 cash on hand.

Marine veteran Justin Story raised about $27,000, about $6,500 of that out of pocket, and ended the year with almost $5,600 in the bank.

Army veteran Marcus Carter pulled in more than $10,000, all in outside contributions, over the course of 2025.

Jorge Malavet, who worked for the federal government in Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Homeland Security Department, filed in November but did not file a fundraising report at the end of the year.