Before you decide to support a candidate, look beyond the glossy flyers, speeches, and endorsements, and follow the money. Campaign finances reveal whether a candidate is focused on voters, dependent on consultants, or backed by special interests groups such as developers seeking influence. Financial patterns expose priorities, discipline, and who may expect access after the election. Smart supporters ask hard questions, because funding sources often tell you more about a candidate than their talking points.

 

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Premise

This checklist serves a two-step process:
1. To review the finances of all potential candidates before deciding who to support; and
2. To assess, for the candidate you intend to vote for, whether you want to contribute to them financially.


What a candidate says they want to do and their ability to accomplish it are often very different things. It is important to understand not just the candidate’s financial strategy, but also the sources of their funding. Make sure the values of a candidate’s supporters, including individuals, companies, and PACs, match the candidate’s stated principles and your own. This helps ensure that your support advances shared priorities rather than inadvertently supporting conflicting interests.


Step 1: Review the Candidate’s Financial Reports

Before speaking with the candidate about contributing, review their campaign finance filings.


• Local and State Offices: Review filings on the Supervisor of Elections website:

https://www.lee.vote/187/Candidate-Lists Select the correct year and follow the links for the offices being sought. Note: The Florida Secretary of State’s Federal Candidates list may be incomplete, as filing there is optional. See the next point for a full list of CD-19 candidates.

• Federal Offices (FL CD-19): Review filings on the FEC website:.

https://www.fec.gov/data/elections/house/FL/19/2026/  Click on the candidate’s name to view detailed financial information.


Step 2: Search for a Candidate 


Enter the candidate’s full name in the search bar. Select the correct office and election cycle if multiple results appear. Click on the candidate’s name to view detailed financial information.


Key financial indicators to review:

• How much money has the candidate personally contributed to their own campaign?

• How much funding comes from Political Action Committees versus private individuals?

• What is the ratio between personal contributions, PAC money, and individual donations?
• What other candidates in other races are supported by the same PACs?
• What percentage of contributions are in state versus out of state?

• For local races, are donations coming primarily from within the district, county, or immediate area, or from outside the jurisdiction?(Use the search tools to help determine this)

• Identify business contributors and PACs. Are they industry specific or issue driven?
• Are they endorsed primarily, or even exclusively, by other candidates/elected officials with the same campaign manager/consultant?

• Consider whether any contributors could reasonably expect access, influence, or favors in the future.

• Do friends and family appear to be financially supporting the campaign?

• Are contributors visible from the candidate’s church, civic groups, or broader community?


This review provides a snapshot of who is invested in the candidate and who may have influence.


Step 3: Questions to Ask Before Contributing or Voting


Once you understand the financial landscape, ask the candidate direct but reasonable questions before donating or supporting them by your vote.


Campaign budget and planning:

• How much money do you believe is necessary to run a successful primary campaign?

• How much money do you believe is necessary to run a successful general election campaign?


Outreach and voter contact strategy:

• Will the campaign focus on door knocking?

• Will they use hand delivered flyers or literature?

• Will they use robo text messaging?

• Will they use email communications?

• Will they advertise on social media platforms such as Instagram or Discord?

• Will they use radio or television advertising?

• Will they use direct mail, and if so, how often?


Target voter strategy:

• Are they targeting registered Republicans with a strong voting history?

• Are they targeting low propensity voters?

• Are they targeting new residents?

• In the general election, are they targeting independent voters?


Timing and execution:

• When do they plan to make major media drops?

• How does that timeline align with early voting and vote by mail deadlines?


Step 4: Campaign Structure and Spending Discipline


Campaign management/consultant/treasurer:

• Do they have a campaign manager/consultant/treasurer?

• Is the campaign manager/consultant paid a percentage of funds raised or a fixed fee?

• What percentage of donations goes to management/consulting versus voter contact?

• Do they have the same campaign manager/consultant as other candidates/elected officials in other races?

• Does the candidate have a campaign manager/consultant or is it more that the campaign manager/consultant has candidates consolidating influence throughout the community/state/federally?!
• Evaluate and weigh campaign manager/consultant monopoly and influence.

• Do other candidates with the same campaign manager/consultant have the same values and policy positions you support.
• If running for reelection, who was their prior campaign manager/consultant an ask why they changed is applicable

• Do they have the same treasurer as other candidates/elected officials in the same or other races?

• Even if they have a different campaign manager/consultant as other candidates, check to see if the treasurer is the same and pay attention to the addresses and PAC donations as well as affiliation with campaign managers/consultants.

 

Voter access and geography:

• How are they addressing out of state voters such as snowbirds?

• How are they addressing vote by mail voters versus in person voters?


Physical campaign materials:

• Are they spending money on yard signs?

• What percentage of the budget is allocated to signs versus voter contact?


Step 5: Ground Game and Volunteers


The most effective voter contact remains door knocking. It is labor intensive and requires organization.


• What does their volunteer operation look like?

• How many active volunteers do they have?

• Do they have a plan for canvassing at scale?

• Are they budgeting for volunteer support such as mileage reimbursement or basic expenses?

• Are volunteers being used strategically or just symbolically?


This is especially critical in countywide, congressional district, and statewide races.


Step 6: Events and Fundraising Activities


• How much of the campaign budget is allocated to events?

• Are events focused on fundraising, voter contact, or visibility?

• Are event costs proportional to their expected return?


Step 7: Leftover Funds and Post Campaign Plans


This question is often overlooked and very important. If the candidate ran before, check and see how they handled leftover campaign funds.


• If funds remain after the campaign, how will they be handled?

• Will loans made by the candidate be reimbursed?

• Will funds be donated to charity?

• Will funds be returned proportionally to donors, where legally permitted?

• Will funds be donated to a Political Action Committee or not for profit? If so, which one(s)

• Will funds be retained for a future campaign?

A clear answer signals transparency and planning.


Step 8: Comparative Financial Analysis


• Compare the candidate’s finances to those of their opponents.

• If your preferred candidate is already well funded, consider contributing time instead of money.

• Ask whether the campaign needs door knockers, phone callers, or voter outreach more than cash at that stage.


Live bodies can sometimes be more valuable than additional dollars.


Final Considerations


• A candidate who cannot or will not answer these questions deserves closer scrutiny.

• Donors have a right to understand how their money will be used.

• Financial discipline often reflects campaign competence.

• Your decision to contribute may differ between the primary and the general election, and both phases may warrant support.

 

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The Politics of Appearances

 

In local politics, things are rarely as simple as they seem. On the surface, candidates appear independent, campaigns look separate, and fundraising numbers seem impressive. But behind the curtain of politics, a smaller network of advisors, campaign managers, and political action committees often shapes the flow of money, messaging, and influence. What appears to be dozens of opinions, dozens of independent voices, and widespread support may in reality be a carefully coordinated effort. Understanding this hidden architecture is critical to evaluating candidates, their campaigns, and the true sources of political power.

 

Fundraising totals do not always equal real support

• High dollar totals can look impressive while masking the true source of funds.

• In some cases, money simply circulates among political action committees rather than coming from individual voters.

• When the same PACs repeatedly appear across multiple campaigns, it is worth examining whether funds are moving in loops rather than flowing in from new supporters.

 

Example of how a PAC shell game can work

• Candidate One has a PAC called Friends of Candidate One.

• Candidate Two has Friends of Candidate Two.

• Candidate Three has Friends of Candidate Three.

• Candidate Four has Friends of Candidate Four.

• Friends of Candidate One gives money to Friends of Candidate Two.

• Friends of Candidate Two gives the same amount to Friends of Candidate Three.

• Friends of Candidate Three gives the same amount to Friends of Candidate Four.

• Friends of Candidate Four gives that same amount back to Friends of Candidate One.

• Each PAC reports significant contributions received.

• No new money enters the system.

• The appearance of strong fundraising does not reflect broad voter support.

 

 

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Candidate involvement with political action committees

• PACs are legally separate from campaigns, but candidates may still be closely connected.

• Candidates may help form PACs, sit on PAC boards, or work with consultants who control PAC activity.

• PACs may spend money supporting a candidate or attacking opponents.

• This can create the perception that the candidate is staying positive while aligned groups do aggressive campaigning.

 

Why campaign managers and consultants matter

• Campaign managers may work for multiple candidates at the same time.

• Consultants may control or advise PACs supporting one candidate while opposing others.

• When the same individuals guide strategy across several races, campaigns may function as a coordinated ecosystem rather than independent efforts.

 

Hypothetical example of consolidated campaign management

• One campaign manager is involved with:

• Multiple school board members

• Countywide constitutional officers

• Several county commissioners

• Mayors and city council members

• A sheriff’s race

• State representatives and senators

• Municipal candidates

• One or more PACs active in these races

• Each campaign files separate reports.

• Each race appears independent.

• Strategic decisions may come from a shared source.

 

Why scale and authority matter

• School boards may oversee budgets in the billions of dollars.

• County commissions control zoning, land use, and development decisions.

• Sheriff’s offices often manage budgets in the hundreds of millions.

• Consolidated campaign influence across these offices increases the potential impact of coordinated strategy.



The illusion of multiple voices

• State level leaders often seek input from local and county officials on:

• Appointments and vacancy fillings

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• Legislative priorities

• Policy agendas

• When many officials rely on the same campaign management guidance:

• Messaging may be uniform

• Talking points may be shared

• Recommendations may appear independent but follow the same strategy

• What looks like dozens of opinions may actually be one perspective delivered through many channels.

 

 

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Candidates or avatars

• Are candidates using campaign managers to support their own judgment and values?

• Or are a small number of campaign managers using candidates as avatars to project a unified political strategy?

 

Endorsements

• Endorsements carry significant weight, especially when offered by a candidate or elected official you trust and who has consistently acted in alignment with voter interests.

• However, endorsements should be evaluated carefully.

• The endorser may not have fully vetted all candidates in the race.

• Decisions may be influenced by personal relationships, name recognition, or reciprocal benefits rather than alignment with policies or community interests.

• An endorsement does not always mean agreement with the candidate’s actual policies; it may reflect political strategy or alliances instead.

 

Final caveat and why awareness matters

• The presence of these structures does not automatically indicate anything improper or unethical.

• Coordinated efforts may accurately reflect voter priorities and shared policy goals.

• These systems can exist because they are effective and because voters support them.

• Awareness is essential.

• Understanding how money, messaging, and management intersect allows voters and party members to ensure that political influence represents the community’s best interests.

• Transparency and informed scrutiny protect good governance and strengthen trust, regardless of whether the systems are ultimately viewed as beneficial or concerning.

 

Pay attention to the man behind the curtain!