Richard Lamondin announces $300K raised in 60 days toward SD 38 race, ‘powered by grassroots donors’

Two months into his campaign for Senate District 38, entrepreneur Richard Lamondin says he is stacking donations.

Lamondin, a first-time Democratic candidate who pivoted from a congressional run in April, announced this week that his campaign has raised more than $300,000 since its April 7 relaunch.

The gains game through his campaign account and political committee, his camp said, with nearly 200 donors, more than 80% from South Florida.

Official campaign finance reports for the April 1-May 31 period are due from state-level candidates on June 10. Lamondin has not posted his reports early, and Florida Politics has not confirmed the above figures.

The candidate’s Wednesday announcement came with contrast messaging aimed at the SD 38 incumbent, Miami Republican state Sen. Alexis Calatayud. Lamondin’s Campaign Manager, Manny Orozco, noted that between February 2023 and March 31, 2026, Calatayud has collected fewer than 300 contributions through her campaign account, and only 46 came from people rather than corporations or political organizations.

Calatayud also added about 440 donations through her political committee, which similarly listed few personal checks.

“Look at who is writing checks to Alexis Calatayud. Tobacco companies. Private prison corporations. Out-of-state pharmaceutical giants. And corporations who have spent years rigging the system while families drown in a historic affordability crisis,” Orozco said.

“That is the machine we are running against. Meanwhile this campaign has built over $300,000 in 60 days, powered by grassroots donors right here in South Florida. When Richard wins, they will know who he works for. So will she.”

Lamondin, co-founder and CEO of environmental services firm ecofi, previously ran this cycle to unseat Republican U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar in Florida’s 27th Congressional District.

He launched his SD 38 campaign with endorsements from Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried, Senate Democratic Leader Lori Berman and Senate Democratic Leader-designate Tracie Davis, and has since added backing from two Democrats still running in CD 27: former federal prosecutor Robin Peguero and former CBS4 anchor Eliott Rodriguez.

Other backers include state Sens. Kristen Arrington, Mack Bernard, LaVon Bracy Davis, Shevrin Jones and Tina Scott Polsky; state Rep. Ashley Gantt; Miami Beach Commissioners Tanya Bhatt and Monica Matteo-Salinas; North Miami Council members Kevin Burns and Scott Galvin; Pinecrest Councilmember James E. McDonald; Pinecrest Mayor Cindy Lerner, a former state Representative; former state Reps. J.C. Planas and David Richardson; former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Katy Sorenson; former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz; former City of Miami Commissioner Ken Russell; and activist-historian Marvin Dunn.

Senate Victory, the chamber’s Democratic campaign arm, has designated SD 38 as its top target seat. The district covers several Miami-Dade municipalities, including Cutler Bay, Key Biscayne, Palmetto Bay, Pinecrest, South Miami, parts of Homestead, Coral Gables and Miami, and the unincorporated neighborhoods of Goulds, Kendall, Perrine, Redland, Sunset and Westchester.

Calatayud won her seat by nearly 9 percentage points in 2022.

Jeffrey Solomon, who has no party affiliation, is also in the race.

Qualifying runs June 8-10.

The Primary is Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.