GOP congressional candidate Jim Schwartzel pulled in another $171,000 in the last quarter of 2025. That brings his fundraising total above $1.4 million as he runs to succeed U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
The Fort Myers Republican, who launched his campaign in Florida’s 19th Congressional District in April, has now raised nearly $451,000 in outside contributions. That’s on top of a $1 million loan the Sun Broadcasting President chipped into his own coffers early last year.
That means to date he has raised more outside donations than any other candidate has filed to date. And so far he has spent very little, and has yet to touch the candidate loan. Through the end of 2025, Schwartzel had spent just under $175,000 on the race, about $74,000 of that in the fourth quarter.
The bottom line, he started 2026 with almost $1.28 million in cash on hand, less than half of the $2.94 million that former Illinois state lawmaker Jim Oberweis reported in his year-end report but more than double the total fundraising any other candidate has disclosed.
Schwartzel came into the race with certain media notoriety, as Sun Broadcasting runs several Southwest Florida radio and television networks, most notably conservative talk radio network 92.5 FOX News and the controversial Trump Country 93.7 radio station.
A look at contributions to the campaign shows he tapped into the wealthy pool of executives and retired business leaders living in Lee and Collier counties for most of his support. Reports show $3,500 donations from such contributors as Hungry Howie’s executive Steven Jackson, Naples philanthropist Sheila Davis, P.F. Chang’s and Fleming’s restaurant founder Paul Fleming and Fleming Restaurant Group founder Jody Goodenough-Fleming,
Checks totally $5,000 came in from financial professionals like Alera Financial Group’s Michael Benson, Merrill Lynch’s John Boukamp, Kutsch Holdings’ Tammy Koselli, Edwards Asset Management’s Robert and Terry Edwards, TF Management’s Thomas and Joyce Fitzgerald, as did Naples attorney Thomas Grady.
Gargiulo Vineyards founder Jeff Gargiulo gave $6,500, with wife Valeria donating another $3,500. While the couple lists a Napa, California address, both are involved in Naples philanthropic efforts.
Schwartzel and Oberweis are the top fundraising candidates but hardly the only contenders in the field. Other Republicans running include conservative writer Catalina Lauf, philanthropist Ola Hawatmeh, former U.S. Reps. Chris Collins and Madison Cawthorn, Marine veteran Mike Pedersen, MAGA activist Johnny Fratto, business owner Dylan Modarelli and Stephen Elliot.
