The Republican congressional primary race in Florida’s 21st district is over before it really began as conservative activist Laura Loomer has absolutely crushed the entire field of wannabee primary opponents in fundraising.
It wasn’t even close as the combined fundraising total for the five or so other candidates probably amounted to the cost of one of President Donald Trump’s Trump Tower residence’s candelabras or chandeliers.
To qualify to be on the ballot, the field of candidates must garner and submit some 4000+ petitions or pay the $10,440 filing fee. Again, the fact that none of these candidates appear to be able to raise a significant amount of money, qualifying to be on the ballot by paying the fee is a pipedream. Expect several, if not all of the field of candidates running against Loomer to drop out, or fail to qualify.
You can stick a fork in it. This race is over.
But just as Loomer quickly made this race between her and incumbent Rep. Lois Frankel (D), for the second finance quarter in a row, Loomer outraised her Democratic opponent. Frankel, who ran unopposed in the 2018 mid-term election cycle, has amassed $1.2 million dollars cash on hand to Loomer’s $115K cash on hand.
Back in December 2019, The Floridian caught up with Rep. Frankel to ask her views on the House impeachment inquiry.
When asked about her potential general election challengers, Frankel said that she was not paying attention to the race, saying that she only heard of “some woman” who was “kicked off social media” as being one the Republican candidates.
That woman Frankel was referring to was Loomer who was banned from most social media platforms.
Well, it’s fairly safe to say that Frankel and her campaign team are now well-aware of the surging Loomer and her growing fundraising prowess.
Loomer’s team, which is spearheaded by Trump’s former senior campaign advisor Karen Giorno and fundraiser Meredith O’Rourke, is building what some activists are calling a bulldozer of a grassroots campaign.
O’Rourke is a heavyweight among Florida fundraisers having raised money for Sen. Rick Scott, Gov. Jeb Bush, and many other top state and federal candidates.
After winning the state of Florida in the 2016 presidential primary sweepstakes, then-candidate Donald Trump praised Giorno for her accomplishment of delivering him 66 of 67 counties in the Sunshine State. During a post-Florida win event, Trump referred to Giorno as his “genius from Florida” when he introduced her to the crowd.
You can better believe Trump is paying close attention to this race. Why wouldn’t he? His “Winter White House” happens to be situated right smack in the middle of Frankel’s district.
Also, the president’s son Eric Trump recently said that the campaign would be targeting vulnerable Democrat-held congressional seats in Florida, especially the seats of those Democrats who have been overly optimistic for and pushing for his impeachment.
Rep. Frankel has all-but bet the house on Trump being impeached and removed, having made herself one of the loudest voices in favor of his removal from office.
Can Loomer win?
So-called political experts and pollsters believe that Frankel will win her “safe” Democrat seat, but that argument will be questioned and challenged during this year’s presidential re-election campaign.
In the last several Trump rallies in deep blue counties, including the recent event in Broward County, Florida, 20%+ of attendees supporting the president were registered Democrats.
If these rallies are any indication of how the majority of Americans will vote later this year, Trump wins re-election and congressional districts like the one Loomer is running in very vulnerable and very much in play.
In other words, the thought that Lois Frankel could lose to Loomer is very real.
