Ed Montanari gets support from Florida GOP leaders in his bid to unseat State Rep. Lindsay Cross

©2024 The News Service of Florida

State Republican leaders are putting money behind St. Petersburg City Council member Ed Montanari’s bid to unseat Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, in the November election.

A newly filed finance report shows that the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, which is chaired by incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, gave $25,000 last month to Montanari’s campaign.

Also, the report shows the Republican Party of Florida provided $13,000 in in-kind contributions of staffing and research in April and May.

Montanari is challenging Cross in Pinellas County’s House District 60.

The new finance report shows that Montanari raised $45,445 in cash from April 1 through May 31 for his campaign account, bringing the overall total to $165,400.

As of March 31, Cross had raised $195,265 for her campaign account.

She faces a Monday deadline for filing an updated report showing finance activity through May 31.