All three candidates in the Leon County Commission's District 3 race announced they received enough signatures to qualify for the 2022 ballot.
Leon County Commissioner Rick Minor and candidates Joey Lamar and Damon Victor each filed the 435 petitions needed to qualify. The candidates no longer need to pay the $3,357 candidate qualifying fee.
Minor made his announcement via video Wednesday on his campaign Facebook page.
In a written statement to Florida Politics, he said his campaign received over 200 petitions from voters who took the time to print one from their home and mail it to his campaign.
"I've never seen this level of enthusiasm when collecting petitions! District 3 neighbors were happy to see us at their front doors, and when my campaign team and I were working at the Word of South festival, so many people walked up to us, wanting to sign a petition to get me on the ballot," Minor said. "All of this shows that Leon County residents like what we've accomplished together over the past four years and that they're strongly supporting my re-election."
Victor made his announcement on Facebook last week.
Victor told Florida Politics he helped gather the petitions personally.
"Personally gathering the candidate petitions was a great way for me to truly understand the issues facing working-class families and to ultimately provide them with the representation they deserve. I embraced the process, walking the neighborhoods, knocking on doors, meeting face-to-face, and getting to know folks as I listened to their concerns and shared my priorities," he said. "I've also discovered along the way a rich pool of local experts, men and women from our communities who are eager to lend their expertise to improving Leon County. They're ready to stand up and stand together to find common ground in the pursuit of the best solutions for the universal issues affecting us all."
Lamar told Florida Politics the Supervisor of Elections notified him that he qualified for the race back in November.
"Our campaign was the first to receive enough signatures to qualify for the ballot in this race. We started collecting the first week of September 2021 and finished the first week of October 2021. We submitted just over 600 petitions, which is over 150 more than the required number," he said. "We continue to make connections with voters, increase our fundraising efforts and help make our neighborhoods safer and better."
So far, Minor is leading the fundraising battle by a fairly large margin. His over $63,000 raised is outpacing Victor's $18,000 and Lamar's about $2,000.
Minor has received over 300 donations. About $6,000 of the money raised came from Tallahassee businesses, including $3,000 from NAI Talcor and its subsidiaries, Tharpe Construction and more.
Victor received 212 donations, mostly small-dollar donations under $250. Lamar received 22 donations but also has put $2,000 of his own money into the campaign.
Victor and Minor are far apart in money raised, but much closer in money spent. Victor has spent $8,707.21, with his biggest expenses being $4,500 to his campaign manager Margaret Moore and over $1,500 on yard signs, bumper stickers and T-shirts. Minor has spent $7,977.18 so far, including $2,400 to Jerome Maples for campaign management and a few thousand combined on event supplies, printing, email, and website services.
All three candidates will be on the ballot during the Aug. 23 Primary.
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