In three Tampa Bay districts targeted by national Democrats, fundraising by every Democratic candidate fell short of that of their Republican opponent’s, according to the latest pre-primary reports released in late July.

Democrats have announced their hopes to flip Congressional Districts 12, 13 and 16 amid a potential blue wave year.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration redrew the state’s congressional lines earlier this year, with Tampa Bay’s district boundaries significantly changing as a result.

The newly drawn House seats are considered to be safely Republican. In each of the new Tampa Bay districts, President Donald Trump would have won by more than 10 percentage points in the 2024 election.

Here’s how the money race stacks up in each, as the parties’ front-runnersmake their final push ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.

Charts show the latest fundraising totals as of the end of July, with the leading Democratic and Republican fundraisers in that race. Where a third candidate appears, their total is comparable to that ofthe second-highest campaign. More campaign cash does not guarantee winning in the primary or general.

District 12

In District 12, Democrat Darren McAuley, an Air National Guard veteran, is hoping he’ll be the Democrat to challenge longtime Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who has held his seat since 2013.

McAuley reported just over $700,000 in contributions. He has raised the most money for the Democratic primary with $500,000 more than his Democraticcompetitor, former Hillsborough County CommissionerKimberly Overman.

Bilirakis has raised $1.7 million this campaign cycle between his committee and two joint fundraising accounts.

Just under half of Bilirakis’s money, almost $800,000, comes from political committees representing corporations, including U.S. Sugar Corp., AT&T, Pfizer and Lockheed Martin. He also received $10,000 from the pro-Israel group American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC.

Bilirakis, who has no primary opponents, has spent more than $1 million. Among his expenses were political consulting ($144,000), payments to his campaign manager ($114,000), and digital fundraising and messaging ($58,000).

In contrast, McAuley received 6% of his campaign dollars from committees, with the majority instead coming from individual donors. He has spent $126,000 on digital fundraising and had just over $100,000 in cash on hand.

District 13

Leela Gray, a retired Army brigadier general, is the only Democratic contender in District 13 to report raising more than $1 million, but she still lags behind the incumbent Republican, U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna.

Luna, who is unopposed in her primary, has raised over $3 million between her campaign account and other committees.More than a third of her money comes from two political action committees dedicated to electing Republicans nationwide.

Luna has already spent nearly $2 million, with almost half going toward fundraising costs.

By contrast, Gray has raised 93% of her total cash from individual donors, and has spent roughly $540,000, most of it on payroll and salaries.She is running a primary race against Pinellas history teacher Brandt Robinson and U.S. Air Force veteran John Liccione.

None of these Democratic candidates have gotten money from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee yet. Primary winners will receive funds to go against Republican competitors in the general.

District 16

Sydney Gruters, former executive director of the New College foundation, is running to succeed her old boss, Rep. Vern Buchanan, when he retires. Gruters, also the wife of the Republican National Committee chairperson, state Sen. Joe Gruters, faces twoprimary opponents but has Trump’s endorsement and more money than any other Republican in the race. She also laps the Democratic hopefuls in fundraising.

Gruters has drawn the vast majority of her campaign cash from individual donors, with 80% of her itemized funding coming directly from Florida residents. She draws more of her campaign funding from individual Florida donors than any other leading Republican in a targeted Tampa Bay district. Local large donors include Alan Jones, owner of Jones Potato Farm in Parrish, and Doug Libertore, chairman of 1 Health Place International. Gruters has spent less than half of her money, according to the latest report.

On the Democratic side, former Sarasota mayor Kelly Kirschner and Air Force veteran Tamika Lyles have raised the most money. Both candidates’ cash totals come mostly from individuals, and they have just under $100,000 left.There are three other Democrats running for the seat.

District 14, on the other hand

Tampa Bay’s Democratic incumbent, on the other hand, is in a much different situation in a newly red-leaning seat.

Republicans are hoping to flip District 14, with two GOP candidates rising above the pack in a crowded primary to face incumbent Rep. Kathy Castor. But a bulk of their funds so far come from personal loans.

GOP hopefuls Kevin Steele, a former Pasco County state representative, and Mike Beltran, a litigation attorney and former state representative, have each loaned their campaigns $2 million, raising little in outside money so far. Beltran has reported minimal spending compared to other candidates, having spent $100,000. Steele, by contrast, has burned through $2 million, half of it on digital advertising.

Castor’s funding is split roughly evenly between individual donors and committees, including issue-related group donations from the American Association for Justice, a bipartisan PAC supporting pro-civil-justice candidates, and business groups like the Nuclear Energy Institute Federal Political Action Committee, a pro-nuclear-energy committee. She also received a $5,000 donation from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee PAC.

Castor has spent $819,000 and has $1.7 million remaining in cash on hand.

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