The political committee backing Charlie Crist poured about $286,000 into the St. Petersburg mayoral race in a single week as the campaign enters its final stretch.

The committee, St. Pete Shines, raised $61,000 and spent $286,000 from July 4 through July 10. Its largest expenditure was a $220,000 payment to Waterfront Strategies for media production, followed by $30,000 to Dynamic Media Strategies for television consulting.

The spending blitz came after St. Pete Shines reported roughly $1.18 million available at the end of the previous reporting period. Accounting for its latest fundraising and spending, the committee appears to retain around $950,000. 

St. Pete Shines’ latest money came from six contributors. Floridians for a Better Florida gave $25,000, Tampa real estate firm Partners Asset Management contributed $15,000 and Levin Papantonio Rafferty CFO Andrew Kent gave $10,000. Tampa homebuilder Domain Homes added $9,000, while former McGraw-Hill Education Executive Chair Ronald Schlosser and SERHANT Director of Luxury Sales Nick Janovsky each contributed $1,000. 

The candidate account report, which covers June 27 through July 10, also shows Crist expanding his campaign’s resources. Crist raised nearly $11,000 and spent just over $1,500 during the two-week period. His campaign has now raised $90,000 and spent $33,000 overall. 

His latest report included eight $1,000 contributions, including donations from Ballad Health Chair and CEO Alan Levine, Shumaker Advisors Executive Vice President Alan Suskey, Harmony Partners conflict-resolution consultant and mediator Will Burrington, Wilson Media Founder and President Paul Wilson, HW Properties President Scott Wagman, Tampa homebuilder Domain Homes, former Ford Global Technologies CEO William Coughlin, and Alison Hunt.

Crist’s campaign account also holds nearly $57,000, leaving his overall operation with roughly $1 million available ahead of the Aug. 18 Primary.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ken Welch’s political committee is also putting money to work — though on a smaller scale.

St. Petersburg Progress raised $15,000 and spent just under $65,000 during the latest reporting period. The committee made just two expenditures: over $57,000 to Counterpoint Messaging and just over $7,500 to MDW Communications. Its sole contribution was $15,000 from Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik.

The committee has raised nearly $342,000 in monetary contributions and spent nearly $205,000 overall, leaving just under $137,000 available. Welch’s campaign account holds almost $27,000, giving his overall re-election operation nearly $164,000.

Welch raised nearly $8,000 and spent nearly $7,000 from June 27 through July 10 via his campaign account. His campaign has raised nearly $75,000 and spent $48,000 overall.

Welch received six $1,000 contributions, including donations from Sky Town developer Altis Cardinal Skytown, Longwood insurance brokerage Burr Insurance Consultants, commercial construction company Landry/French, emergency-services provider Paramedics Logistics Operating Company, retired Florida Progress President and CEO Jack Critchfield, and Johnson Pope shareholder Ryan Griffin. 

Overall, Crist holds roughly $1 million across his campaign and political committee, more than six times Welch’s approximately $164,000.

Beyond Crist and Welch, the rest of the field is operating on a much smaller financial scale. Former St. Petersburg Fire Chief Jim Large remains the best-funded of the remaining candidates, with roughly $96,000 available between his campaign and A Better Burg.

Large raised $1,600 and spent nearly $11,000 from June 27 through July 10. His campaign has raised more than $92,000 and spent nearly $40,000 overall, leaving about $53,000 available on hand. A Better Burg holds another roughly $43,000, bringing Large’s combined available funds to about $96,000.

St. Petersburg City Council Member Brandi Gabbard holds over $16,000 between her campaign and Forward Together PC. Her candidate account raised just under $1,500 and spent about $8,500 during the latest period, while the committee raised $2,500 and reported no spending. Combined, Gabbard’s operation has raised about $57,000 and spent roughly $41,000 overall.

Community advocate Maria Scruggs raised $50 and spent about $250 during the latest period. Her campaign has raised just over $20,000 and spent more than $19,000 overall.

Former Shore Acres Neighborhood Association President Kevin Batdorf reported no contributions or expenditures during the latest period. His campaign has raised just under $4,300 and reported about the same in expenditures overall.

The Primary is Aug. 18. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a Nov. 3 runoff.

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Ed. note: Michelle Todd Schorsch is the Chair of St. Pete Shines, a political committee backing Crist for St. Petersburg Mayor. Todd Schorsch is married to Peter Schorsch, the publisher of Florida Politics.