Jennifer Winkler grows campaign coffers to $150K in bid for open HD 74 seat

Republican House candidate Jennifer Winkler is reporting $150,000 raised in her bid for House District 74, positioning herself as another well-funded contender in a deeply contested GOP Primary to replace term-limited Republican Rep. James Buchanan.

Winkler reported nearly $42,000 raised during the first quarter of the year through her campaign account. She raised another $2,000 through the Friends of Jennifer Winkler political committee. Winkler’s campaign operation has kept expenditures minimal thus far, leaving about $83,000 in cash on hand in her campaign account and more than $57,000 in her PC.

Winkler thanked neighbors, friends, business owners and community leaders who are supporting the campaign.

“Sarasota needs a strong and experienced voice in Tallahassee who will fight to lower insurance premiums, make our community more affordable, and keep Florida the freest state in the nation,” Winkler said in a press release. “We will continue to connect with residents at their doors and work every day to earn their support at the ballot box.”

Winkler is one of several Republicans competing in what is shaping up to be a competitive Primary. The field includes Chris Felder, Les Nichols, Venice Mayor Nick Pachota and Kelly Ann Walker.

Walker recently reported about $300,000 in cash from funds raised, boosted by a $100,000 in a personal loan toward the campaign, records show.

Pachota reported that his campaign raised nearly $33,000 in the first quarter, which leaves the account with about $97,000 in cash. The Friends of Nick Pachota PC raised nearly $37,000 this quarter, and it maintains about $115,000 in cash on hand. 

Nichols’ campaign reports just over $5,100 in cash on hand, while Felder’s campaign reports about $2,200 in cash on hand, but neither campaign raised any funds this first quarter.

The HD 74 seat is largely regarded as safely Republican, meaning the GOP Primary will likely determine Buchanan’s successor. Democrats Ryan Neill or Nancy M. H. Simpson are also running. There is still time for other candidates to file for the race as well.

Simpson has raised $25 and loaned $210 to the campaign, while Neill has raised just shy of $5,000 since filing on March 20.

Winkler was born in Maine and raised in Vero Beach. She graduated from the University of Central Florida and has resided in Sarasota County since 2010. 

She owns and operates The Peeples Insurance Agency, an independent agency which she founded in 2014. The small business currently employs 21 full-time staff members across three Florida locations, with more than 6,500 clients statewide, according to her campaign. Her business success sets her in the top 2% of women owned businesses in America.

Her campaign is focused on affordability issues, including insurance costs and broader cost-of-living concerns, while also aligning herself with conservative priorities in Tallahassee.

HD 74 covers much of Sarasota County and leans Republican, with GOP voters making up roughly half of the electorate, compared to about 23% Democrats and 27% unaffiliated or minor-party voters, according to campaign data.