The 9-way Republican primary field to replace Democratic Congressman Patrick Murphy just got uglier. Today’s FEC reports suggest that FL-18 Republican candidates on the whole are struggling to fundraise in this Democratic-held House district. No Republican candidate raised more than $175,000 from supporters in the final quarter of the year.
That makes the Republican fundraising frontrunner Mark Freeman, the same candidate who didn’t know it was a violation of federal rules to accept $200,000 from a single donor – his business partner.
ICYMI: Donors ante up $1.2 million in quarter for race to replace Patrick Murphy
Palm Beach Post
George Bennett
The nine Republicans and four Democrats running in a nationally watched race to replace Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Jupiter, collected more than $1.2 million in contributions during the last quarter of 2015, new reports show.
Federal Election Commission reports for the final quarter of 2015 were due Sunday, but several candidates had already released figures earlier in January.
Leading the Democratic money race in Palm Beach-Treasure Coast District 18 is businessman Randy Perkins, who raised $427,500 after announcing his candidacy in November. Perkins also put in $1 million of his own money and began 2016 with nearly $1.4 million in available cash.
On the Republican side, Army special ops combat vet Brian Mast had the best quarter, collecting $291,711 from donors. Mast began 2016 with $327,647 in campaign cash. Martin County school board member Rebecca Negron began the year with slightly more money — $337,032.
Read more from the Palm Beach Post here and take a look at the chart below.
| FL-18 | Column1 | Column2 | Column3 | Column32 | Column4 | Column5 |
| Candidate | Total Raised Q1 | Total Raised Q2 | Total Raised Q3 | Total Raised Q4 | Total Raised CTD | COH |
| REPUBLICANS | ||||||
| Domino | $1,399 | $207,999 | $51,000 | $50,600 | $310,998 | $280,172 |
| Kozell | N/A | $100,742 | $76,784.68 | $121,248.00 | $298,775 | $221,053.69 |
| Freeman | N/A | N/A | $234,497.10 | $1,200,125 | $1,434,622 | $1,160,598.61 |
| Mast | N/A | $70,270 | $119,623 | $173,811 | $363,704 | $211,464.98 |
| Negron | N/A | $175,282 | $106,662.14 | $107,827.00 | $389,771 | $337,031.90 |
| Nikpour | N/A | N/A | $155,668 | $55,425 | $211,093 | $147,864.00 |
| Spain | $136 | $498 | $110 | $41,400 | $42,144 | $40,557.63 |
| DEMS | ||||||
| Taylor | N/A | $85,500 | $35,155 | $39,639 | $160,294 | $115,212.00 |
| Chane | N/A | N/A | $300,522 | $104,227 | $404,749 | $274,548 |
| Perkins | N/A | N/A | N/A | $1,427,642 | $1,427,642 | $1,365,494.19 |