Eskamani surpasses $500K in area’s most expensive state House race

Florida House candidate Anna Eskamani has surpassed $500,000 in fundraising with less than two weeks to go before Election Day.

Paired with her committee People Power for Florida, the Orlando Democrat has raked in $556,678 in contributions. Republican Stockton Reeves, her opponent in the House District 47 race, reported fundraising of $267,551, which also is among the highest totals in the region.

Eskamani said her fundraising comes from more than 4,000 individual donors. She has about $135,000 left to spend leading up to the Nov. 6 election between her campaign and committee.

Among candidates in the Orlando Sentinel’s coverage area, her campaign has raised far more than any other state House candidate.

Next highest is St. Cloud Republican Mike La Rosa, whose campaign raised $315,052, state records show.

However, when including political committees, La Rosa’s war chest edges out Eskamani’s, totaling $578,051.

The House District 47 seat, encompassing parts of Orlando and Winter Park, is open after Republican Mike Miller held the seat for the past four years. He decided to run for U.S. House against incumbent Democrat Stephanie Murphy.

The district’s electorate has trended more Democratic in recent years but remains balanced. About 38 percent of active voters in the district are registered Democrats, with about 34 percent Republican.

And for voters in the contested district, that’s meant a steady flow of mail advertisements, as well as television commercials.

At least 16 mailers have been sent — 15 by the Republican Party of Florida — either endorsing Reeves or attacking Eskamani.

Likewise, voters have received at least five on behalf of Eskamani — three by the Florida Democratic Party, one by her campaign and one by Equality Florida.