An incumbent legislator from St. Johns County looks likely to have little trouble in her August Primary, if fundraising reports mean anything.
Rep. Kim Kendall, who was elected in 2024 to the House for the first time, ended March with nearly $140,000 raised in total between her campaign account and that of her Friends of Kim Kendall political committee.
Roughly $13,000 was raised during the first quarter of the year, with most of the activity on the committee level.
Donors include the “A Stronger Florida” political committee, the “Jax Biz” political committee, the Florida Surgical Alliance, the Florida Police Benevolent Association, and the Fiorentino Group.
Sitting legislators like Kendall are barred from fundraising during the legislative session.
Primary opponent Diana Patrice Jordan-Baldwin did not take advantage of the incumbent’s mandated pause, however.
While she raised more than $2,600 during the quarter, giving her roughly $2,800 raised in total, she’s already spent all but $700 of what she’s brought in. Of the money she’s raised, more than $2,200 comes from entities sharing the same address as her campaign.
No other candidates have filed to run, meaning the August Primary will be open to all voters if the field remains the same.
However, historically some random, non-viable candidate pops up around qualifying to run as a no party or write-in option in Florida races to close the primary. So that development is worth watching, even if the fundraising race appears to be one-sided.
