NAPLES, Fla. — Club for Growth Action is launching a reported $1.1 million advertising campaign against former U.S. Rep. Chris Collins in Florida’s open 19th Congressional District Republican primary.
The independent expenditure will place advertisements on broadcast television, Fox News, satellite and streaming platforms beginning Tuesday, according to Axios, which described the effort as an “Anybody but Chris” campaign.
The seven-figure investment arrives during the final three weeks before Florida’s Aug. 18 primary and could significantly affect one of the state’s most crowded congressional contests.
Club for Growth Action is an independent-expenditure-only political committee, commonly called a super PAC. It may spend unlimited amounts advocating for or against federal candidates but cannot coordinate its spending with their campaigns.
Super PAC Targets Collins in Crowded Republican Primary
The campaign represents a substantial outside investment aimed specifically at preventing Collins from winning the Republican nomination.
Club for Growth has opposed Collins for years, dating to his time representing New York in Congress. The organization has criticized his record on federal spending and other economic issues.
The advertisements are expected to focus on Collins rather than formally support one of his Republican opponents. That approach could benefit several candidates competing for the nomination without committing the organization to a single alternative.
The complete advertisement and underlying media-placement records were not immediately available for independent review. The reported $1.1 million total should therefore be attributed to the organization’s announced campaign until corresponding federal expenditure reports become available.
The Federal Election Commission identifies Club for Growth Action as an active, unauthorized super PAC. “Unauthorized” means the committee is not controlled by or officially affiliated with a candidate.
Collins Has Put $2.6 Million Into His Campaign
Collins is registered with the FEC as a Republican candidate for Florida’s open 19th District seat.
His campaign reported approximately $2.61 million in receipts through June 30, according to his FEC candidate profile. Nearly all that money came from loans Collins made to his campaign.
Federal records show:
- Total receipts: $2.61 million
- Candidate loans: $2.602 million
- Other candidate contributions: $8,000
The reliance on personal loans means Collins has largely financed his campaign himself rather than building the total through contributions from individual donors or political committees.
The newly reported $1.1 million opposition campaign is equal to more than 40% of Collins’ reported receipts through June.
Because the spending is independent, Club for Growth Action cannot legally coordinate its advertising strategy, timing or content with Collins’ opponents.
Collins Seeks Return to Congress After Criminal Conviction and Pardon
Collins previously represented New York’s 27th Congressional District and was the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
He resigned from Congress in September 2019 before pleading guilty to participating in an insider-trading scheme and making false statements to federal investigators.
The U.S. Department of Justice said Collins obtained confidential information that a drug under development by an Australian biotechnology company had failed a clinical trial. Prosecutors said he disclosed the information to his son before the results became public, allowing related investors to avoid financial losses.
Collins was sentenced to 26 months in federal prison in January 2020. President Trump pardoned him later that year.
A presidential pardon forgives the federal offense but does not erase the underlying conviction or guilty plea.
Collins has returned to electoral politics in Southwest Florida, presenting himself as an experienced Trump-aligned conservative seeking another term in Congress.
Florida’s 19th District Is an Open Seat
Florida’s 19th Congressional District is open because incumbent Republican Rep. Byron Donalds is running for governor.
The Southwest Florida district includes parts of Lee and Collier counties and is expected to remain favorable to Republicans. That makes the Aug. 18 GOP primary potentially decisive in determining the district’s next member of Congress.
The Republican field includes Collins and several current or former candidates with political experience outside Florida, including former North Carolina Rep. Madison Cawthorn, former Illinois state Sen. Jim Oberweis and former Illinois congressional nominee Catalina Lauf.
Other candidates are also competing in the crowded primary, which has attracted substantial personal loans, advertising purchases and outside political involvement.
The number of candidates could allow the nomination to be won with a plurality rather than majority support. Florida does not conduct primary runoff elections for congressional races.
Federal Disclosure Will Show How Money Was Spent
Super PACs making independent expenditures shortly before an election must disclose qualifying activity through 24- or 48-hour reports filed with the FEC.
Those reports typically identify the candidate supported or opposed, the amount spent, the vendor receiving the money and the communication’s general purpose.
The FEC independent-expenditure database had not yet displayed records independently confirming the complete $1.1 million campaign when this report was prepared. Newly filed information can take time to appear in searchable summaries.
The filings will be important for determining how much of the announced total has already been spent, which media markets are being targeted and whether the effort expands before the primary.
The Florida Pundit will update this report when the expenditure filings, advertisement and any response from Collins become available.
Sources and Documents
- Axios report on the $1.1 million advertising campaign
- Club for Growth Action FEC profile
- Chris Collins FEC candidate profile
- FEC independent-expenditure database
- Justice Department record of Collins’ sentencing
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