Neunder continues to report largest amount of money, through June
Among the five candidates running for the Sarasota County Commission District 2 seat, Sarasota City Commissioner Hagen Brody remained in the fundraising lead, through June, while Venice chiropractor Dr. Joe Neunder continued to hold the lead in the race for the District 4 seat, the latest documents show.
Brody, who is one of three Democrats and two Republicans seeking to win the District 2 seat, had received $63,864 through June 30. Siesta Key architect Mark Smith, a Republican who just entered the race on May 31, was in second place, with $48,550, the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office website records note.
Siesta Key resident Mike Cosentino, a Democratic candidate who owns a construction business, was in third place, with $48,458.31, while the third Democrat, former Sarasota Mayor and City Commissioner Fredd “Glossie” Atkins, had raised $17,627.92.
Siesta resident Lourdes Ramirez, also a Republican had brought in $17,454 through June.
Republican Neunder’s total was $120,220. That compared to Democratic candidate Daniel Kuether’s $13,635 and Republican Mark Hawkins’ $8,120. Kuether filed for the seat on June 9, while Hawkins filed in February 2021.
Hawkins, who lives in Sarasota, has his own contracting firm, while Kuether works as a UX/UI designer for a real estate tech company.
The June records show that Brody took in $1,350 in the first half of June and $3,001 in the second half. Through that month, he had recorded expenditures of $16,320.82.
Among his June contributions, Brody received $1,000 from Hoyt Architects of Sarasota; and from Mark Famiglio, an investor with 332 Cocoanut who heads up the Sarasota Film Festival; $200 apiece from attorneys Morgan Bentley and Brian Goodrich, as well as $100 from their partner, Amanda Kison, of the Bentley Goodrich Kison firm in Sarasota. Further, Kay Mathers, program director of Ruth’s List Florida and former district aide to Sarasota attorney Margaret Good when Good was a Democratic Florida House member; attorney Kevin Griffith of Sarasota; Kameron Hodgens of Sarasota, director of community leadership at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation in Venice; and Dr. Manuel Gordillo, infectious disease specialist at Sarasota Memorial Hospital, all gave Brody $250.
Brody’s highest expenses in June were $2,407.50, which he paid to Sun Graphic Technologies of Sarasota for signs; $1,616.04 to Palm Printing of Sarasota for postcard mailers; $1,800 to Sprout Blue LLC of Boca Raton for consulting; $1,393.75 to Minat Strategies of Osprey for “field support”; and $451.62 to his campaign manager, recent Pine View School graduate Zander Moricz.
In Smith’s report for the first half of June, he noted $23,500 in contributions, including $10,000 that he gave his campaign. Of the 14 other contributions listed on that form, 13 were for $1,000. The other was for $500, from Realtor Helene Hyland, who long has been involved with business organizations on Siesta Key.
Of the larger contributions, entities associated with Palmer Ranch developer Hugh Culverhouse gave Smith a total of $3,000; Michael Holderness and Holderness’ company, Beachside Management LLC of Siesta Key, contributed $1,000 apiece; SKBV LLC and SKBV Management LLC, which handle villa leasing and rentals, respectively, also gave Smith $1,000 each; and Zoom National LLC and Zoomaround LLC, which are engaged in golf cart rentals and leasing, respectively, contributed $1,000 each. Dave Balot of Sarasota, a long-time owner of Siesta Key Beach Resorts and Suites — who is seeking to build a new, 112-room hotel on Siesta Key — is the principal of the golf cart companies and SKBV and SKBV Management, state Division of Corporations records show. Holderness is the manager of SKBV Management, those state records note.
In his filing for the second half of June, Smith reported a total of $25,050 from 33 contributions, with 21 of those at $1,000 each.
Among those who contributed $1,000 were four entities associated with Genesis Planning & Development in Bradenton, which is a land-use consulting firm headed by Robert “Bo” Medred; Jack Cox, president of Halfacre Construction Co. in Sarasota, and the company itself; Paul Bispham, of Myakka City, a past member of the Sarasota County Planning Commission who owns Red Bluff Plantation, which is an agricultural operation; four members of the family that owns Capt. Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar on Old Stickney Point Road on Siesta Key, plus two entities associated with the restaurant; and D.L. Porter Constructors of Sarasota.
Smith’s highest expenses in June, as shown on the reports, were $5,576.10, for his qualifying fee; $5,139.68 to reimburse himself for campaign expenses; $3,644 to Good Guy Signs of Tampa; $1,500 to Nick Manterola of Lithia for a photo shoot; $1,495.68 to Lowe’s in Sarasota for posts for campaign signs;
$500 to the Robinson, Gruters & Roberts CPA firm in Venice for accounting services; $467.40 to Andrick & Associates of Sarasota for the design and printing of business cards and notecards and envelopes; $300 to the Thomson Group of Sarasota for distributing a press release; and $200 to the Republican Party of Sarasota for sponsoring a campaign event.
Ramirez, Smith’s Republican Primary opponent, took in $6,625 in money plus $8.03 in in-kind contributions in the first half of June, her reports show. During the second half of the month, she received $1,185 in monetary contributions and $295.14 in an in-kind contribution. She paid both the in-kind amounts, with the higher one for “cards and décor supplies” for a rally, the form says. The other amount was for office supplies, that report notes.
Altogether, she had 30 monetary contributions in June, the documents say, with amounts ranging from $25 to $1,000.
Those who gave her $1,000 were retiree Pete Theisen of Sarasota; and petroleum geologist Robert Hough of Siesta Key. She received $750 from both Mike Hutchinson, a 2020 Republican candidate for the District 1 seat on the County Commission, and retiree Eileen Fitzgerald. Self-employed remodeler Gerard Ripo of Sarasota; pharmacist Barbara Lancer of Siesta Key, and consultant Robert Stern of Sarasota gave her $500 apiece. Past Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman contributed $200.
Ramirez’s largest expenditures in June were $232.45 to Constant Contact of Waltham, Mass., for email marketing; and $200 to the Republican Party of Sarasota County for the rental of a facility for a rally.
Cosentino and Atkins bring in smaller amounts in June
Cosentino’s June records show that he took in $2,355 in the first half of the month and $2,545 in the latter part of the month, plus $500 in in-kind contributions. He paid the latter amount himself, for advertising fees, the report notes.
Cosentino listed a total of 29 other contributions, with the amounts ranging from $10 to $1,000.
Jim Lampl, a Sarasota resident who is president of the board of the Rosemary District Association, contributed $1,000. Cosentino received $500 apiece from John Spinale of Halifax, Mass., Susan Erhart of Sarasota, and Sandra Dombeck of Sarasota, all of whom were listed as retirees; $250 from retiree Ann Anderson of Longboat Key, consultant Sue Woodward of Sarasota, building contractor David Pfeil of Sarasota and flooring contractor Shawn Travino of Sarasota. Former Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman gave him $100.
The only expense Cosentino reported for June was a payment of $870 to Monica Balicki of North Port, which was described as a reimbursement for printing, stamps and other office supplies.
Atkins’ campaign finance reports for June show contributions ranging from $15 to $1,000. The only person to give him the latter amount was Baraka Atkins, who was identified as an educator. Bruce A. King of Nokomis, who was listed as a retiree, gave Atkins $300.
Atkins reported a total of six contributions in the first half of June and 28 in the latter half of the month — including four in-kind contributions for gas that added up to $300.37. They were from Dumaka Atkins of Sarasota.
Atkins’ highest expense in June was $1,998, paid to Just Yard Signs Inc. of Orlando, the documents show. He also paid $507.34 to Sam’s Club in Bradenton for a Juneteenth celebration, the reports show. He also paid $297.82 to Restaurant Depot in Sarasota for what was described as a “birth/faith celebration.”
The District 4 race financial updates
In the first half of June, Republican Neunder of Venice reported another $4,925 in contributions; he added $1,600 in the latter half of the month, his reports show. Altogether, he listed 15 more contributions in June.
Among those was $1,000 from Scott Lantz of Sarasota, a property manager; accountant Debrah Briggs of Lakewood Ranch; real estate developer Shawn Briggs and Kent Stewart Briggs, who works in medical equipment sales — both of whom have addresses in Minneapolis; and Marty Rauch, a Sarasota Realtor.
Both former Sarasota City and County Commissioner Paul Caragiulo and land-use attorney Charles D. Bailey III of Sarasota gave Neunder $200 apiece, while financial investor Dave Lantz of Sarasota gave him $500.
Neunder’s top expenses in June were $7,740.83 paid to Public Concepts LLC of Jupiter for direct mail campaign materials; the $5,576.10 qualifying fee; and $947.86 paid to Lowe’s in Sarasota for sign supplies. He also paid $200 to the Republican Party of Sarasota County for a booth at an event.
Although he did not file for the District 4 seat until June 9 — just eight days before the qualifying period ended — Democrat Kuether noted 64 contributions altogether for the month.
He also had spent $7,434.07, the reports show.
Kuether contributed a total of $322.24 in in-kind services to his campaign, the reports note. Those were related to web services, which are one of his areas of expertise, as he pointed out in his announcement that he was seeking the District 4 seat.
He also loaned his campaign $6,000, his report for the first half of June shows.
Kuether’s other contributions ranged from $15 to $1,000. The latter amount came from Tim Riesen, who is listed as the owner of a company in Sarasota; Eileen Rosenzweig, who owns the Sir Speedy franchise on Osprey Avenue in Sarasota; and Rosalie Danbury of Venice.
He also received $500 from Gretchen Lienhop of Venice and Dr. Aaron Patterson of New York City.
Further, 21 people gave him $100 apiece in the first half of June, the reports show, and 12 gave him $50 each. Among them was Rita Ferrandino, past chair of the Sarasota Democratic Party.
Kuether’s top expenditures were his qualifying fee — $5,576.10; $600 to Numero.ai for software; $446.25 to SRQ Headshots for photography; $250 to the Florida Democratic Party for software; and $250 to consultant Jayne Wallace of Sarasota, the reports note.
Of all the candidates running for the two County Commission seats this year, construction company owner Hawkins has raised the least money. Yet, he was the earliest filer, turning in his paperwork on Feb. 5, 2021, the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office records say. Neunder followed him on April 23, 2021.
In his report for the first half of June, Hawkins listed nine contributions ranging from $50 to $1,000. He listed only one contribution in the second half of the month.
Karen Goodrick of Sarasota, who is a medical equipment sales representative for FUJIFILM SonoSite in the Sarasota area; and John Ask of Florida Home Team in Sarasota, which sells real estate, both contributed $1,000.
Goodrick’s husband, Martin, gave Hawkins $600, the reports show, while restaurant owner Mike Gowan of Sarasota, an owner of the Gecko’s restaurant group, contributed $500, and Peter Bogacz, who has a Sarasota plumbing company, gave Hawkins $400.
Through June, Hawkins had spent $21,156.20, his filings show. The only expenditure listed in the June reports was the qualifying fee: $5,576.10.