London loans two-thirds of money collected for her campaign, while Sargent falls farther behind Smith
Through May, Sarasota County Commissioner Joe Neunder of Venice, who is seeking re-election this year to the District 4 seat, led all candidates in fundraising for the two board races, as shown in documents filed with the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office.
As the state qualifying period ended at noon on June 12, Neunder continues to face two opponents: retired Sarasota Police Department sergeant Jim DeNiro of Nokomis, a Republican, like Neunder; and elder advocate Julie London of Sarasota, who is running as a Democrat.
In the District 2 race, Commissioner Mark Smith, holds the fundraising lead over fellow Republican Kristina Sargeant, an attorney. Smith and Sargent will square off in the Aug. 18 Primary.
One Democratic candidate in the District 2 race — Andrew Bevan of Sarasota — failed to quality, but a new Democratic candidate, Robert T. Miller of Sarasota, did qualify after filing on June 8, as shown in the Supervisor of Elections Office records.
However, on Monday, June 15, when The Sarasota News Leader checked the website of the Sarasota County Supervisor of Elections Office, it found the notation Withdrawn after Miller’s name.
Miller had signed the required Statement of Candidate on June 8, as shown in that office’s records. He also had appointed Alicia Stein his treasurer. The Sarasota County Property Appraiser’s Office lists Stein as the owner of the Sarasota home whose address Miller provided to the Supervisor of Elections Office. Stein bought the house for $300,000 in May 2016, the Property Appraiser’s Office records show.
The News Leader could find no further information about Miller.
Neunder’s campaign finances
The latest report for Neunder shows that he raised another $46,806 in April and May and spent $8,678.14. The document put his total campaign finance tally at $127,826; he had spent $21,046.26.
Of the 78 contributions listed in the report for April and May, the following gave bundles of $1,000, which is the maximum allowed per person or entity under state law:
- $7,500 from DB4 Investments LLC, SOB Ventures LLC, GFY Operations Inc., ABC Family LLC, Balot & Sons LLC, RB4 Investments LLC, 222 Operations, and Marbal Investments LLC, all associated with Siesta Key businessman Dave Balot, who co-owns the Siesta Key Beach Resort and Suites in Siesta Villageand who is constructing a new hotel on Midnight Pass Road.
- $3,000 from persons associated with Trinity Custom Homes, including Vice President Kyle Haughey through Hoyco LLC; $1,000 from Michael Cocozza, president of the company; and $1,000 from Jay Schoenfeld, another vice president of Trinity Custom Homes, through Team Construction Services of Sarasota LLC, for which he serves as manager, the Florida Division of Corporations says.
- $3,000 from Sarasota Realtor Dave Beachy through Beachside Enterprises LLC, 2907 LLC and Beachy Properties Inc.
- $3,000 from Sarasota Station LLC, University Oaks LLC and Lucky Houses SRQ LLC, which are affiliated with affordable housing builder Mark Vengroff of Sarasota.
- $2,000 from Stellar Development of Sarasota, whose president is Maurice Opstal, as noted in his LinkedIn account; plus Opstal himself.
- $2,000 from Sunset View Advisors of Fort Lauderdale and the Wurzak Hotel Group of Philadelphia, both of which are associated with Jake M. Wurzak of Fort Lauderdale, as indicated by the Florida Division of Corporations. Wurzak, who is the president of the Wurzak Hotel Group, also is the founder of DoveHill Investment & Development.
- $1,500 from the ZoomAround golf cart rentals company, with $1,000 from ZoomAround LLC of Sarasota, whose registered agent is John M. Brooks of Naples; and $500 credited to ZoomAround of NC LLC.
Further, the Knowledge Is Power political action committee gave Neunder $1,000. The chair and registered agent of that PAC is Russell Doster, whose address was listed as 526 E. Park Ave. in Tallahassee. The Doster Broker Group and Doster Real Estate share that address.
The only contribution to Knowledge is Power reported thus far this year was $10,000 from Friends of Ryan Chamberlain, which also has the address of 526 E. Park Ave. in Tallahassee, Florida Division of Elections records show. Chamberlain, who lives in Belleview, is a Republican Florida House member, his legislative webpages note.
Other contributors at the $1,000 level were the following: YBYA LLC, a financial consulting firm in Greenville, N.C., whose registered agent is Lesley Batson of Orlando, the founder of Rebel Rock Wealth; 2345 Temple Street LLC, a construction firm in Sarasota whose address is a single-family residence owned by the Ware Family Trust, Realtor Curtis W. Ware and Kaila H. Ware; Danielle Brie Defau of Wellington, who is listed as a hospitality manager; Jean Schweigart of Sarasota, a registered nurse at Blake Medical Center in Bradenton, according to her LinkedIn account; financial consultant Jeff Roberti of Siesta Key; retiree Terrie Comalli of Pittsfield, Maine; contractor Elaine Adams of Bradenton; Shoreline Touchless Boating LLC of Sarasota; Village Eats LLC of Sarasota, whose manager is Tammy M. Dentici of Bay Road in Sarasota, a Realtor; retiree John Boll of Siesta Key; DesignAgency of Washington, D.C.; Mike Granthon, who — with his Above the Bar Hospitality Group business partner Chris Brown — owns a number of restaurants on Siesta Key, plus the Beach Club; and attorney Susan Schoettle-Gumm, who has been an advocate for controlling growth in the county and improving stormwater management.
As for expenses: The largest single payment Neunder made in April and May was the $6,542.58 filing fee for his re-election campaign, the document shows. He also paid $1,287.23 to PAC Financial Management in Tallahassee for services as his treasurer. As the News Leader has noted, that firm handles such work for a number of Republican candidates.
Neunder did reimburse himself $303 for signs, the document adds.
Mark Smith’s second quarter report
Commissioner Smith raised another $27,705 from 46 contributors during April and May, his report shows. His funds added up to a total of $95,100 through May, plus $1,850 in in-kind contributions. His expense tally was $14,178.
Bundles of $1,000 contributions provided to Smith were as follows:
- $6,000 from the family behind Captain Curt’s Crab & Oyster Bar on Old Stickney Point Road: Brett Stewart, David Stewart, Joyce Stewart and Brad Stewart, plus the restaurant itself and Captain Curt’s Foods LLC.
- $6,000 from Dave Balot of Siesta Key, through SKRS LLC, SKRS MGMT LLC, SKBV LLC, SKBV MGMT LLC, ABC Family LLC, and American Management Solutions.
- $2,000 from Blue Sky Communities, an affordable housing company based in St. Petersburg, through Scott Macdonald, the executive vice president; and Shawn Wilson, the firm’s founder and president.
Those at the $1,000 level were retiree Michael Cuene of De Pere, Wis.; Realtor Dave Beachy of Sarasota through Beachside Management LLC; coastal engineer Kristina Tignor; Siesta Mr. CB’s Rentals Inc., which is associated with CB’s Saltwater Outfitters on Siesta Key; both Samuel and Janette Petersheim of Point of Rocks on Siesta Key; Michael Holderness, who owns and manages property on Siesta Key; and retiree Thomas Jessup of Sarasota.
The largest single expenditure Smith had in his April-May report was the $6,542.58 filing fee to run for a second term. Among the others were a payment of $1,500 to Sarasota PC Services for installation of campaign signs; $700 to Data Targeting Inc. of Gainesville for campaign materials; and $350 to Robinson Gruters & Roberts, the Venice CPA firm that handles his campaign finance reports. The Gruters in the company name is state Sen. Joe Gruters of Sarasota, who also is chair of the Republican National Committee.
Jim DeNiro’s report
During April and May, District 4 candidate DeNiro added $19,850 in cash or checks and an in-kind contribution of $2,542.43. His expenses added up to $13,086.25 for those two months.
He has received a total of $72,355, with another $5,442.43 in in-kind contributions, his reports show. DeNiro had spent $17,788.38 through May.
Altogether, DeNiro received 54 contributions in April and May. Those at the $1,000 level were as follows; Coastal Waste & Recycling Inc. of Boca Raton; retiree Michael Cuene of De Pere, Wis.; the Hanley Homes Group of Venice; retiree Thomas Koski of Sarasota, who is chair of Sarasota Orchestra; Sam Estis of Osprey, director of operations at Southern Industrial Contractors; Mike Quillen, owner of Gecko’s Hospitality Group; Casey Key retiree Michael J. Turillo Jr.; another Casey Key retiree, Roberta Adams; the Sarasota Kennel Club; Jordan Keller of Sarasota, who is listed as a commercial estimator; both Realtor Valerie Dallacqua and her husband, Charles, of Casey Key; and Casey Key retiree Dawn Doughty.
Former Sarasota County Commissioner Neil Rainford, whom Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed to the board to fill out the term of the late Commissioner Nancy Detert, gave DeNiro $250.
As for expenditures: The largest payment— $3,500 — went to JTKE LLC of Tallahassee, a political consulting firm. DeNiro also paid $2,829.86 to Supernova Digital Communications of St. Petersburg for social media management and advertising; $1,643.98 to Robert Watkins & Co. for accounting services; $500 to the Republican Party of Sarasota County for an advertisement; $400 to JD Creations of Bradenton for media production; and $300 to the Republican Party of Sarasota for software.
Further, DeNiro reimbursed himself a total of $2,743.16. Of that amount, $644.14 was listed as having been spent on signs and shirts. No details were offered about the remainder of the sum.
Kristina Sargent’s second quarter report
Sargent, the District 2 challenger, brought in only $2,690 in cash and checks in April and May, plus $73.20 in an in-kind contribution, her report says. She spent $7,635.27 those two months.
She had received a total of $38,995 in cash or checks, plus $2,562.77 in in-kind support, through May. Her total expenses added up to $20,040.47.
Sargent herself provided the in-kind contribution for the April-May period, which went for postage, the form says.
She listed 11 contributions, with the only one at the $1,000 level coming from Hoyt Architects of Sarasota.
She did receive $500 from Chris Voelker, owner of State Street Eating House + Cocktails in downtown Sarasota and a member of Sarasota’s Downtown Improvement District (DID).
The smallest amount Sargent listed was $40, which came from Joshua Cadavez, who was listed as a software test engineer in St. Petersburg.
As for expenditures: Like Neunder and Smith, Sargent listed a payment of $6,542.58 for the qualifying fee for the District 2 race. She also paid $1,000 to PAC Financial Management of Tallahassee for its services as her treasurer.
London’s first campaign finance report
London, the Democrat seeking the District 4 seat, had brought in a total of eight contributions adding up to $925, her initial report shows. However, London had loaned the campaign $600 of that total, the document notes.
Only two people gave her $100, which was the highest amount listed among her contributions.
Altogether, her expenses added up to $414.38.
The largest of the latter was $250 for the rental of a mailbox from the U.S. Postal Service. She also paid $40.66 to Sarasota Trophy & Awards for a name badge and $68.37 to the FedEx office on South Tamiami Trail in Sarasota for printing.