Millionaire Randy Perkin’s (pictured) recent entrance into the Democratic primary race in Florida’s 18th congressional district has forced frontrunner, Palm Beach County Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, to drop out of the race.
McKinlay wrote:“Changing circumstances in this race — a multimillionaire self-funded candidate — meant that I’d have to be a full-time candidate and a barely-part-time commissioner,” she wrote. “That revelation is a game changer for me and is not a compromise I will make for my constituents.”
Going up against a self-funder is a daunting task, but tell that to the six Republican congressional candidates in this same race, who are also facing a self-funding millionaire candidate, Carl Domino.
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Domino, who injected a million of his own dollars into this campaign, won his contested 2014 congressional primary race, but the lost the general election to Rep. Patrick Murphy (D) by the widest of margins-20 points.
While Domino could be considered the frontrunner in his race, he is not.
Yes, Domino has the name identification, but grassroots voters in the district see him as persona non grata, and are looking for “new blood” that would outperform his dismal 2014 showing.Remember, last year was a mid-term and wave election year for Republicans. Being that 2016 is a presidential election year, Republicans will have to double their efforts and put up viable and electable candidates, if they are to have any chance of effectively compete against the Democratic Party’s campaign apparatus.
The argument can be made that retired combat veteran Brian Mast is the clear frontrunner GOP congressional race because of the national and district-wide attention he is receiving, but there is also Martin County School Board member Rebecca Negron, who has shown that she has the potential to race big money.
Attorney Rick Kozell is a likeable guy, but there are rumblings that his campaign by be standing on shaky ground. Pundit Noelle Nikpour raise $150,000 this past quarter, but has been running such a stealthy campaign, she is almost invisible.
Businessman Paul Spain, who ran for Congress and lost against Rep. Lois Frankel (D) in FL CD 22 last year, is also running, but hasn’t been able to raise any campaign dollars.
In the end, even if Perkins self-funds his campaign with millions of his own dollars, Republicans will surely pour big money into this race, but only if the right candidate wins the race.Republicans want to win this seat back. It is not going to happen with Domino, but could with the others in the race.