ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The races for St. Johns County commission are heated, and the campaigns have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars.
But where is the money coming from for the campaigns?
It’s long been said that home builders and developers are financially behind the politics in St. Johns County.
First Coast News researched for days the campaign contributions to see if that is really the case.
The incumbents are Christian Whitehurst, Roy Alaimo and Henry Dean. All three are actually advertising together in the same TV ad.
While each incumbent faces multiple opponents, the chief contenders are Ann-Marie Evans, Clay Murphy and Ann Taylor. Evans, Murphy and Taylor are touting a slow-the-growth platform.
Evans and Taylor are also advertising together, calling themselves "the Anns" on roadside signs.
Poring through each candidate’s individual direct campaign contributions, the incumbents have outraised their opponents in big ways.
As of August 14, Whitehurst, Alaimo and Dean have raised in the $200,000 – $264,000 range.
Their opponents have far less in their accounts: $22,000 for Evans, $25,000 for Taylor and Murphy at $70,000.
For the incumbents, First Coast News has determined, based on addresses and names that match up, a chunk of the incumbents' donations come from home builders, developers, as well as Gate Petroleum.
The top contributors include The Parc Group (which has developed Nocatee), ICI Homes (which has built homes in Silverleaf and Nocatee), Gate Petroleum, and Hutson Companies, which has developed Silverleaf. It is also the company Senator Travis Hutson’s family owns.
Evans and Taylor say they will not and have not accepted developer money. First Coast News has determined Murphy has accepted about $6,000 from a developer and two builders, which is a fraction of what the incumbents have accepted.
Then there are the political action committees (PACs). PACs collect donations to help elect or defeat candidates. Different PACs have paid for the negative advertising that has been abundant in these races.
It’s difficult to connect one PAC to a specific candidate. However, First Coast News has confirmed that the PACs which donated to the incumbents are all from two addresses in Tallahassee or Gainesville and they are led by the same man. The money pouring into those PACs, especially the ones connected to St. Johns County, are from developers like The PARC Group, Dream Finders Homes, Vallencourt Construction, Hutson Companies, ICI Homes, as well as Gate Petroleum. In 2024 alone, that totaled more than a million dollars.
The candidates running against the opponents have some PAC money. The money contributed to those PACs for 2024 comes in at less than $35,000 between the three of them.
All the candidates running for St. Johns County Commission are Republicans, so the races will be decided in the primary election on August 20.