State Rep. Michelle Salzman (R-Cantonment) has lived well this summer. She faces Democrat Franscine C. Mathis in the Nov. 5 election, who has only spent $3,246 this summer on her efforts to replace the two-term state lawmaker.
On the other hand, Salzman has spent $157,410.70 since the Florida Legislature ended its session – $34,339 from his campaign and $123,071 from her PAC, Committee to Protect Northwest Florida. This doesn’t include the over $19,000 in other distributions to the Hilton on Pensacola Beach for Blue Angels Weekend.
| Campaign | PAC | Combined | |
| April-May | 15,572.53 | 46,041.41 | 61,613.94 |
| June | 2,609.75 | 8,214.08 | 10,823.83 |
| July | 1,622.58 | 20,903.56 | 22,526.14 |
| August | 12,723.34 | 34,638.34 | 47,361.68 |
| Sept | 1,811.23 | 13,273.88 | 15,085.11 |
| 34,339.43 | 123,071.27 | 157,410.70 |
Since April 1, Salzman, who calls herself the “People’s Conservative,” has outspent her opponent by over $154K. Several of the Committee to Protect Northwest Florida checks have been written to her for reimbursements.
Dig Deeper: Inweekly reviewed her campaign expenditures this summer. Several involved food, gas, storage rental and more reimbursements.
| 4/29/24 | 39.65 | MARIACHI’S MEXICAN GRILL | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 5/21/24 | 21.26 | MCDONALD’S | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 7/23/24 | 169.00 | LUCILLA | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 7/24/24 | 18.02 | TUCAN MEXICAN RESTAURANT | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 7/24/24 | 26.94 | TUCAN MEXICAN RESTAURANT | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 7/31/24 | 400.85 | OLIVE GARDEN | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/3/24 | 27.95 | COFFEE GUY CAFE, LLC | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/17/24 | 34.27 | TIJIAQNA FLATS | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/26/24 | 110.67 | KOOL BEANZ | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 9/2/24 | 113.42 | SMOKEY’S BBQ | FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 4/29/24 | 61.02 | TOM THUMB | FUEL |
| 5/21/24 | 26.86 | MARATHON GAS | FUEL |
| 5/21/24 | 42.22 | MARATHON GAS | FUEL |
| 5/22/24 | 23.89 | PILOT TRAVEL CENTER | FUEL |
| 5/22/24 | 26.94 | CUMBERLAND | FUEL |
| 5/22/24 | 35.00 | CIRCLE K | FUEL |
| 7/23/24 | 25.99 | MURPHY USA | FUEL |
| 8/17/24 | 53.63 | CUMBERLAND | FUEL |
| 8/27/24 | 541.80 | THE UPS STORE | MAILBOX |
| 4/22/24 | 500.00 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- ADVERTISING |
| 8/7/24 | 218.37 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- EVENT FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/27/24 | 349.22 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- EVENT FOOD AND BEVERAGE, PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS |
| 8/12/24 | 17.71 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 5/21/24 | 527.82 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- LODGING |
| 8/14/24 | 178.81 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- LODGING, VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 7/8/24 | 75.16 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- OFFICE SUPPLIES |
| 8/22/24 | 135.50 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- POSTAGE |
| 8/28/24 | 83.82 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- SIGN MATERIALS |
| 8/22/24 | 106.14 | SALZMAN, MICHELLE | REIM- TEXT MESSAGES |
| 4/22/24 | 326.52 | EXTRA SPACE STORAGE | STORAGE RENT |
| 6/1/24 | 378.12 | EXTRA SPACE STORAGE | STORAGE RENT |
| 6/24/24 | 319.55 | EXTRA SPACE STORAGE | STORAGE RENT |
| 7/22/24 | 319.55 | EXTRA SPACE STORAGE | STORAGE RENT |
| 8/22/24 | 341.29 | EXTRA SPACE STORAGE | STORAGE RENT |
| 8/2/24 | 44.97 | KRISPY KREME DOUGHNUTS & COFFEE | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/2/24 | 134.78 | WALMART SUPERCENTER | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/12/24 | 32.39 | CHICK FIL A | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/12/24 | 267.56 | THE FISH HOUSE | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/13/24 | 162.65 | TARGET | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/14/24 | 11.71 | WENDY’S | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/15/24 | 58.21 | POPEYES LOUISIANA KITCHEN | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/15/24 | 106.56 | ANOTHER BROKEN EGG CAFE | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/17/24 | 23.70 | WENDY’S | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/17/24 | 28.54 | STARBUCKS STORE #8542 | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/17/24 | 30.63 | THE FRESH MARKET | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 8/17/24 | 45.85 | THE FRESH MARKET | VOLUNTEER FOOD AND BEVERAGE |
| 6,624.51 |
Photo by Mathieu Turle on Unsplash
Seems about right to me. What have the presidential candidates spent to date?
Fund raising is politic’s holy grail, and spending it has become necessary. Thank Citizens United for our 24/7, 4 year campaign season. It has done more to ruin politics than gerrymandering, and that’s a joke in most states…Florida being one.