Rep. Michael Owen[1] is reporting strong third-quarter fundraising as he seeks a second term representing the Tampa Bay area in the House.
The candidate is expected to report collecting nearly $85,000 across 109 unique donors through his campaign account. His political committee, Common Sense Conservatives[2], will show an additional $130,000 raised during the July 1 through Sept. 30 fundraising period.
Combined with his prior reports, Owen’s re-election campaign has secured nearly $179,000 since he formally filed for a second term in early December and his committee has raised roughly the same amount during that span.
The Q3 report also follows a second quarter where he and all sitting lawmakers were mostly barred from raising money due to the Legislative Session’s lengthy overtime. Owen raised just $2,000 in Q2, all of which came in on the final day of the quarter.
Cash-on-hand totals for Owen’s campaign and committee accounts were not available as of Thursday evening; the candidate account started the quarter with just over $28,000 banked, while Common Sense Conservatives held about $88,000 at the beginning of July.
Owen was elected to represent House District 70 two years ago after former Rep. Mike Beltran announced he would not seek a fourth term.
After going unopposed for the Republican nomination, Owen cruised on Election Day, defeating Democrat Luther Keith Wilkins 59%-41% in a one-on-one race.
HD 70 covers portions of Hillsborough and Manatee counties and has a sizable Republican advantage. According to the most recent L2 voter data[3], the district’s electorate is 39.5% Republican and 28.9% Democrat, with the remainder registered as no-party voters or with a minor party.
In 2024, Donald Trump carried the district with 56% of the vote to Kamala Harris’ 43%.
References
- ^ Michael Owen (www.flhouse.gov)
- ^ Common Sense Conservatives (dos.elections.myflorida.com)
- ^ L2 voter data (l2datamapping.com)