Orlando: Political campaign fundraising

ORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal.

Central Florida political campaigns have been raising thousands of dollars for seats in the state House and Senate, with money considered a good indicator of a campaign’s success.

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Eight local candidates for state legislative seats already have raised over $200,000 each for this election cycle as of July 29 to Aug. 5, according to Florida Division of Elections data.

Financial contributions allow political candidates to pay staffers, buy campaign advertisements and reach voters. Money is also a good indicator of a campaign’s success, as 80-90% of federal House and Senate campaigns were won by the top-spending candidate, according to an analysis from DC nonprofit Open Secrets.

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Hundreds of thousands of voters have already cast their ballot in Florida Early voting for Florida’s primary elections is underway, and hundreds of thousands of voters have already cast their ballots. (WFTV)