Franklin loans campaign another $50,000
Gary White![Scott Franklin, Republican candidate for U.S. House District 15, speaks during the Republican Women's Club of Lakeland Federated meeting at the Hilton Garden Inn in June. [PIERRE DUCHARME/THE LEDGER]](/gcdn/presto/2020/08/08/NLED/98215a12-c4d1-4672-9fa5-0e36082bb39a-061820_pd_FRANKLIN_4_NEWS.jpg?width=660&height=498&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
LAKELAND — Lakeland City Commissioner Scott Franklin has loaned his congressional campaign another $50,000.
The third such loan raises the total that Franklin has loaned his campaign to $350,000 as he challenges U.S. Rep. Ross Spano in the District 15 Republican primary.
The political committee affiliated with Franklin’s campaign reported total contributions of $81,535 to the Federal Elections Commission during July. That gave him a total of $505,906 for the election cycle — with the bulk coming from his own loans.
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Franklin, who only entered the race in March, has collected $205,906 from individual contributors. His committee reported $104,030 in cash on hand.
Spano, a first-term representative from Dover, reported contributions of $55,192 in July. His campaign received $15,500 from other political committees.
Spano has taken in a total of $945,542 in the election cycle. His campaign reports available cash of $243,753 and debt of $113,517.
District 15 includes northern Polk County and parts of Hillsborough and Lake counties. Primary elections will take place Aug. 18, and early voting has begun in Polk County.
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Among the Democrats in the race, Adam Hattersley reported the most money collected in July with $93,356. That total included a loan of $10,000 to his own campaign, the first time of the election.
Hattersley, a state representative from Riverview, received $1,000 from other political committees. His campaign reported total receipts of $631,935 for the election cycle and $235,798 in available funds.
Alan Cohn, another Democrat, collected $91,231 in July, according to a filing with the FEC. That included $5,000 from other committees.
Cohn, a former TV news reporter from Tampa, received slightly more than Hattersley in individual contributions, totaling $86,231. Cohn’s campaign reported $129,619 in cash on hand.
The FEC had not posted a July report for Jesse Philippe of Riverview, as of Friday afternoon. Kel Britvec, a write-in Democratic candidate from Lakeland, has reported no contributions in the race.
Gary White can be reached at gary.white@theledger.com or 863-802-7518. Follow on Twitter @garywhite13.
