Three local politicians raised tens of thousands of dollars to spend on advertising, mailing and websites for their campaigns.
The newly elected District 1 Commissioner, Yvonne Hinson-Rawls, and the at-large 1 runoff candidates, Lauren Poe and Nathan Skop, raised about $53,000 collectively.
"If you talk to anybody who runs for office, they will tell you their least favorite part is raising money," Poe said. "It's tough."
Poe raised $19,479.52 for his campaign.
He used WWD Strategies Inc., a political campaign consulting firm, started by UF political campaigning graduate students.
The firm managed Poe's volunteers and the logistics of his campaign, he said. Poe paid the firm $5,636.44.
He spent a total of $17,448.99 on his campaign.
"If you are people-rich and money-poor, then you go door-to-door and call your voters," Poe said.
Skop used a different tactic to get into the runoff: TV advertisements.
Skop paid about $16,000 for Ozean Media Inc., a Gainesville advertising agency, to create a 30-second TV ad detailing how he would continue the fight to protect people.
He also spent about $3,100 on direct mailing to spread his message.
He spent $120.24 on postage.
On Jan. 23, Skop spent $50 on catering for a campaign fundraiser at Leonardo's 706.
He raised $21,635 and spent $19,991.62 overall.
Skop could not be reached for comment.
Other candidates spread their views in other ways.
Hinson-Rawls, who spent a total of $7,672.20, spent about $500 for radio advertisements to air on WXJZ-FM Smooth Jazz and Praize 107.5.
She said the key to a successful campaign is successful fundraising. She raised $11,461.33.
"Not everyone is going to say ‘yes,'" Hinson-Rawls said. "And some people are going to say more than ‘no.'"
