Price collects cash, gets Latvala help

Republican Gary Price raised $64,250 during his first month running for a Southwest Florida Senate seat and received support from Sen. Jack Latvala, a Clearwater Republican seeking to become Senate president next year, according a newly filed report on the state Division of Elections website. Price, a former Naples city councilman, is running against Rep. Matt Hudson, R-Naples, and Rep. Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, in Senate District 23, which includes parts of Collier and Lee counties. Incumbent Garrett Richter, R-Naples, will have to leave the Senate seat next year because of term limits. Price opened a campaign account May 4 and, along with raising $64,250 in May, also loaned $5,000 to his campaign. Among the contributions, he received a $1,000 check from Latvala and another $1,000 from Jack Latvala, Inc., a firm headed by the senator. Latvala has been locked in a long-running battle with Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, as they both try to line up enough Senate support become president after the 2016 elections. Passidomo had collected an overall total of $104,685 through May 31, according a report filed this week. Hudson had raised $238,590 as of the end of April, though his May report had not been posted on the Division of Elections website Tuesday morning.