Wesley Chapel resident and fire captain Michael Pultorak is being outspent roughly 14-to-1 in his bid to unseat state Rep. Randy Maggard in the Florida House District 54 Republican primary, with early voting closing at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Campaign finance reports filed through July 31 show Maggard raised approximately $152,000 in his campaign account, with his political committee PASCO PAC holding another $91,000 on hand, WLRN reported Tuesday. Pultorak, a Hillsborough County Fire Rescue captain in his 27th year with the department, reported raising roughly $11,000 total, including $2,000 of his own money, according to Wesley Chapel Biz.
The gap widened significantly from the previous filing period. As of July 10, Maggard had raised $145,000 while Pultorak had just $3,900, according to Neighborhood News Online.
The primary winner Tuesday is virtually guaranteed the District 54 seat. No Democrat qualified for the general election, and the only November opponent would be write-in candidate Paul Bybee, a registered Republican who does not live in the district. Bybee's June 12 filing converted the contest from an open primary to a closed one, locking out more than 79,000 non-Republican voters.
Where Maggard and Pultorak differ on the issues
Maggard, the House deputy majority leader and past chair of the Pasco County Republican Party, has represented east Pasco since winning a 2019 special election. He won 60% of the vote in 2024. He said in an Aug. 4 candidate Q&A that this would be his final term if reelected, with property insurance, health care costs and autism support as his priorities.
Pultorak, a Wesley Chapel resident of about 15 years, became a familiar face at Pasco County Commission meetings before entering the race June 30. Known locally as "The Parks Guy," he argued that Connected City residents were not getting the parks and amenities promised as thousands of new homes went up.
Both candidates say they oppose data centers. Pultorak's platform also targets the Live Local Act and what he calls 31 pieces of pro-developer legislation Maggard voted for. Maggard said in the Aug. 4 Q&A that legislation passed this session empowers local governments and is "so tough that I doubt data centers will even want to come to Florida."
Pultorak says he refuses donations from developers and utility companies. Maggard's endorsements include Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco, U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis, state Sen. Danny Burgess, the Florida Professional Firefighters and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
"It may be a Cinderella story," Pultorak told the Tampa Bay Beacons on Sunday, "but if the election happens today, I will tell you that I am very confident in what's happening, and I really think we're going to get this."
Early voting closes Saturday, polls open Tuesday
Early voting runs through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Pasco County polling locations, according to WFLA. On Election Day, Tuesday, polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
