2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Thomas E. Colonel Chalifoux Jr.?
The money.
- Raised
- $3.2M
- Spent
- $3.7M
- Cash on hand
- $72K
- Debts
- $3.8M
- Individuals 3% $84K
- Candidate's own money & loans 95% $3.0M
- Other receipts 2% $67K
Campaign totals through Sep 30, 2026.
Outside groups: $0 supporting · $97K opposing
Biggest spenders opposing
- REFORM GOVERNMENT $97K
Who gave.
Who gives $84K from individuals
41% in small-dollar gifts
$34K of $84K came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
Adding itemized gifts from donors whose itemized total is $200 or less, about 42%. Many small gifts sent through ActBlue or WinRed are itemized anyway, so the first figure runs low; this estimate groups donors by name and ZIP code as filed and counts only itemized gifts already in the FEC bulk file.
97% from Florida · 3% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
5% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- Florida $46K
- Texas $558
- California $234
- Utah $190
- Illinois $183
- Connecticut $132
- New York $95
- Pennsylvania $95
Top employers named by donors
- THOMAS CONTRACTING INC $8,000
Employers as donors wrote them on the form. A company listed here did not give this money; people who work there did.
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $16K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $24K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Sep 30, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Mar 31, 2026 to Aug 18, 2026, net of refunds (63 entries). Every itemized contribution on FEC.gov ↗
From the principal campaign committee's FEC reports; joint-fundraising transfers and later reports are not included, and no donor is named here. A contribution is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Outside money in the final weeks.
Outside spending including late reports: $0 for / $196K against · $0 in the final two weeks
That is $99K more than the $97K in regular reports alone. Source: FEC regular reports plus 24- and 48-hour reports they do not yet cover. The final two weeks run Oct 21, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026, by the date each ad or mailing went out.
What it bought, per the late reports
- TV, radio & streaming TV 24% $47K
- Digital ads 24% $47K
- Mail, print & signs 50% $97K
- Phones & texts 3% $5,000
Largest late spenders against
- REFORM GOVERNMENT $97K
- HOMETOWN FREEDOM ACTION NETWORK $94K
- WINNING RIGHT PAC $5,000
Latest dissemination on these reports: August 14, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (6 entries). These reports on FEC.gov ↗
Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate and is not the candidate's money. Purposes are grouped from each spender's own description, so the groups are approximate. A dollar figure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Where it went.
Where the money went $2.0M in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $2.0M of the $3.7M the campaign reported spending through Sep 30, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Sep 30, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 86% $1.7M
- Consultants & strategy 7% $145K
- Fundraising & processing fees 2% $32K
- Polling, research & data 3% $57K
- Travel, meals & events 0.2% $3,163
- Office, technology & overhead 0.6% $12K
- Legal & compliance 1% $26K
- Other or unclassified 0.2% $3,270
Largest payees
- SMART MEDIA GROUP LLC $1.1M
- PRESSTIGE PRINTING $304K
- ACE POLITICAL LLC $100K
- RED LINE MEDIA $82K
- SOMETHING ELSE STRATEGIES $53K
Paid to individuals: $19K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 13, 2025 to Sep 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (135 entries). Every payment on FEC.gov ↗
Grouped by each campaign's own description of the payment, so the groups are approximate. Payments of $200 or less to one payee need not be itemized, detail filed only as memo entries counts under other or unclassified, and spending by the candidate's other committees or by outside groups is not included. A payment is not evidence of a favor or wrongdoing.
Others who filed for this seat.
- Darren SotoDemocrat · $3.6M raised · $41K outside
- Dan GreenRepublican · $2.7M raised · $27K outside
- Jorge MartinezRepublican · $1.0M raised
- Benjamin Ben ButlerRepublican · $461K raised
- Howard Steven RanceRepublican · $158K raised
- Justin StoryRepublican · $95K raised
- Jorge Antonio MalavetRepublican · $28K raised
- Gregory Marcus CarterRepublican · $23K raised
Questions worth asking.
Money shows who backed a campaign, not how a person will act. Compare it with what they did and said: their votes or official actions if they have held office, their own statements, and their answers to a finding. Use the same questions for every candidate.
FEC bulk data read November 4, 2026. Campaign totals come from each filing's own FEC summary through its latest processed report. Outside spending is independent expenditures itemized in committee reports in the FEC bulk files, primaries included; late 24- and 48-hour reports, party coordinated spending, communication costs and groups that do not report to the FEC are not included. Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate, and it is not the candidate's money. A contribution or expenditure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing. This page identifies the filing by its FEC candidate ID; a person can hold more than one filing.