Florida races among nation's priciest

U.S. House races in Florida were marked by some of the highest spending in the nation.

©Associated Press
November 13, 2002

The Florida congressional race between Tom Feeney and Harry Jacobs was the nation's third-most expensive, with the two candidates raising more than $5-million.

Feeney, an Oviedo Republican and former state House speaker, easily won in the new 24th Congressional District despite being heavily outspent by Jacobs, a Democrat from Altamonte Springs.

Jacobs, a lawyer, spent $3.4-million, including nearly $3-million of his own money. Feeney, also a lawyer, spent just over $1.2-million, according to figures filed with the Federal Elections Commission.

Florida's 24th District covers northern Brevard County and parts of Volusia, Seminole and Orange counties, including Orlando.

The numbers aren't final. Spending in the final days of the race hasn't been reported yet.

The numbers also don't reflect money spent by the political parties on the race. Republicans put money toward some advertising for Feeney, although how much isn't clear.

According to figures compiled by the nonpartisan campaign finance research organization the Center for Responsive Politics, the top-spending U.S. House race was in West Virginia, where the candidates in one district raised $8.2-million. Former Minority Leader Richard Gephardt's defense of his Missouri seat was the second-most expensive; he and opponent Catherine Enz raised $5.3-million.

Another Florida congressional race, Rep. John Mica's defense of his District 7 seat was also one of the top fundraising races in the country, with the two candidates raising just under $4-million. Mica, R-Winter Park, defeated wealthy Democratic trial attorney Wayne Hogan of St. Augustine, who also put a lot of his own money into the race.

Katherine Harris, a Republican elected from the 13th District in the Sarasota area, was one of the biggest individual congressional fundraisers in the nation. She raised just under $3-million defeating Democrat Jan Schneider to succeed retiring Rep. Dan Miller, R-Bradenton. Schneider raised less than a tenth what Harris did.

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