Democratic activist Jayden D’Onofrio’s bid to become the second-youngest person ever elected to the Florida House is getting off to a strong start, according to recent numbers from his campaign.
In just one month since D’Onofrio announced his candidacy for House District 102, his camp says he’s raised more than $100,000 between his campaign account and political committee.
That’s an “overwhelming” response, he said in a statement.
“It’s clear that people are ready for new leadership that will fight to lower costs, protect public education, and defend our freedoms from Tallahassee extremism,” he said.
D’Onofrio’s campaign says the one-month haul came through a “broad coalition of supporters.” And it’s not the first time the 20-year-old has been successful in drawing cash to his preferred causes.
In the last election cycle, D’Onofrio — a former Chair of the Florida College Democrats and Deputy Director for Voters of Tomorrow — launched a political committee called Florida Future Leaders that raised more than $1 million in support of progressive candidates and causes.
As of June 30, the PC, which he still runs, had amassed $1.3 million and spent all but $118,000 of it on various political activities statewide.
Raised in Davie, D’Onofrio grew up and attended public schools in HD 102, where he hopes to succeed term-limited Democratic Rep. Mike Gottlieb next year.
He’s on track to face Mike Friend in a Democratic Primary. Friend — whom Gottlieb and roughly a dozen other current and former elected officials have endorsed — raised close to $100,000 last quarter, with half of the funds coming from a self-loan.
Two Republicans, Cooper City Commissioner Jason Smith and lawyer Mery Lopez-Palma, are running to flip the district. Smith has raised $24,500 so far, while Lopez-Palma has amassed $16,500, most of it self-given.
HD 102 covers an inland portion of Broward County that includes all or parts of Davie, Plantation and Sunrise. The district leans Democratic. In the 2022 Election, voters there sided with Democratic candidate Charlie Crist over incumbent Gov. Ron DeSantis by more than three percentage points, according to MCI Maps.
If D’Onofrio wins next year, he’ll be 11 months shy of holding the record for the youngest person to win a House seat. That record belongs to Republican Amber Mariano, who won office less than a month after her 21st birthday.
D’Onofrio turns 21 this December.
The 2026 Primary is Aug. 18, followed by the General Election on Nov. 3.
Post Views: 0