After state Rep. Hillary Cassel left the Democratic Party and became a Republican, special interests and Republican-aligned organizations in the state capital started filling her campaign bank accounts. In the 10 weeks after she changed parties, Cassel raised almost as much money as she did during the previous two years combined, when she was still a Democrat.
Her campaign’s finances weren’t the only beneficiary of her party switch.
Away from Tallahassee, angry Democrats opened their wallets for her 2026 challenger. More than 1,500 contributions poured into Todd Delmay’s campaign in the six weeks after he announced his candidacy.
Donations to Cassel’s campaign and her political committees averaged $1,886, with 40% of her contributions coming from entities in Tallahassee.
Donations to Delmay’s campaign and his political committee averaged $53. Just 2% of his contributors were from entities in the capital city.
The Republican lawmaker finished far ahead of the Democratic challenger in the first phase of fundraising for the 2026 election in the 101st state House District in southern and eastern Broward County.
The first campaign finance reports of 2025 show another contrast: larger Tallahassee-oriented contributions for Cassel vs. much smaller donations from outside the capital for Delmay.
Totals
Cassel’s committees raised $164,000 during the first two months of 2025, before she had to suspend fundraising when the annual legislative session got underway. State representatives are prohibited from political fundraising when the Legislature is in session.
Delmay raised $81,000 from the time he announced his candidacy on Feb. 11 through March 31.
Fundraising for both candidates, and their associated political committees, was disclosed this month in campaign finance reports filed with the state.
The 2026 Cassel-Delmay contest is shaping up as the hottest state legislative race in Broward County next year. Cassel, then a Democrat, won her first term in 2022. In 2024, no Democratic primary or Republican general election candidate came forward to challenge her, and she was returned to office without facing the voters.
Then, on Dec. 27, she delighted Republicans — including Donald Trump, then the president-elect — and infuriated Democrats by denouncing the Democratic Party and becoming a Republican, saying it provided a better political home.
Of her new party, Cassel explained on social media, “I believe in their vision for a better, more prosperous Florida,” adding that she was “constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians. I can no longer remain in a party that doesn’t represent my values.”
The top Republican in the Florida House, Speaker Daniel Perez, rewarded her with a position as vice chair of the House Insurance & Banking Subcommittee. To do that, he removed the vice chair he’d previously appointed.
Campaign contributions soon started coming in, the reports show.
Cassels for Delmay
The name of one donor stood out on the campaign report from Delmay’s nascent campaign: Seth Cassel, a nephew of Hillary Cassel.
Four years ago, when Hillary Cassel was a Democrat in the first weeks of her ultimately successful first campaign for state House of Representatives, Seth Cassel donated $1,000 to her campaign.
This time, Seth Cassel donated $1,000 to Delmay’s campaign.
“I support Democrats, that’s really it. When she was running as a Democrat, both for family and political reasons I supported her,” Seth Cassel said. “I believe in progressive causes. I think it’s important to help those who need help. I think Democrats have (had) their positions misconstrued based on what a very small set of progressives believe. And I take issue when Republicans bastardize those positions for their own political gain, whether it’s … abortion to immigration to Israel to you name it.”
Cassel’s brother-in-law, Brad Cassel, who lives west of Lake Worth Beach, publicly criticized her party switch in January. He said he just donated $100 to Delmay, but it hasn’t yet shown up in campaign filings because it came after the cutoff for the report.
Cassel breakdown
Hillary Cassel’s total was $164,120.
Her campaign for state representative received 57 contributions, totaling $50,820, from the beginning of the year through March 3.
Her Balanced Leadership political committee took in $70,300 from 23 contributors and her Friends of Hillary Cassel political committee reported receiving $43,000 from seven contributors. (Friends of Hillary Cassel also transferred $25,000 to Balanced Leadership.)
Cassel benefited from the annual frenzy of campaign contributions from Tallahassee insiders just before the start of the session. Her reelection campaign received nine $1,000 contributions and one $500 contribution on March 3, the day before the annual session. The week before, she received 32 contributions. All but four were for $1,000 each.
There were only two contributors with addresses in the district Cassel represents: The Diener Firm in Davie, which describes itself on its website as a “law firm that sues insurance companies,” and Action Public Adjusters in Hallandale Beach, which helps people pursue claims with insurance companies.
Many of the contributions from outside the district are related to insurance and public adjusters, businesses that can be affected by the work at the committee where Cassel serves as vice chair. Cassel is co-founder of the Cassel & Cassel law firm, which describes itself as a “boutique law firm dedicated solely to the representation of policyholders throughout the State of Florida in property damage claims.”
Cassel didn’t respond to a request for comment about her fundraising.
Delmay breakdown
Delmay’s total was $80,813.
His campaign for state representative received 1,529 contributions, totaling $74,688, from the time he announced his candidacy on Feb. 11 through March 31. As with Cassel, some contributors gave more than once.
Besides the contribution from Seth Cassel, the Delmay contribution report stands out because of the large number of individual contributions.
Aside from the total amount of money they can generate for a campaign, many small contributors can be a sign of strength for a candidate.
“It does tend to be a good indicator of broader support,” said Kevin Wagner, a political scientist at Florida Atlantic University. “People who donate tend to vote for you, and when you have a lot of people donating to you, it’s a good base of voters.”
The candidate’s separate political committee, Delmay for Florida, wasn’t very active. It took in $6,125 from four contributions, including a $2,000 loan from Delmay.
Delmay and his husband, Jeff Delmay, each contributed $1,000 to the campaign committee.
He didn’t respond to a request for comment about his fundraising.
Republican support
As a Republican, Cassel now has both the advantage of incumbency and a position in the majority party that controls all of Florida state government. Once this year’s legislative session ends, even if it runs into overtime beyond the scheduled May 2 adjournment, Cassel will be able to resume fundraising.
She’ll almost certainly have whatever financial resources she needs for 2026.
“I suspect she’ll be well resourced,” Wagner said.
Republicans’ control has given the party a significant advantage in raising campaign money. The party organization for Republican candidates for state House has used its fundraising advantage in past elections to deploy money wherever it’s needed as Election Day approaches.
A clear signal of Republican intentions to support their newest state lawmaker came in the form of $12,000 in contributions to Cassel’s two political committees. The money came from two political committees controlled by state Rep. Sam Garrison, the Fleming Island Republican who is in line to become speaker of the Florida House after the 2026 elections.
A central mission for an incoming legislative leader like Garrison is raising money to aid the party’s candidates.
In addition, political committees controlled by five other Republican members of the Florida House collectively gave $6,000 to Cassel.
Republican critic
Cassel had been a Republican, became a Democrat in 2016, went back to the Republicans in December explaining in a statement, “I do know that I will always have input, collaboration and respect,” adding that lawmakers in her new party “welcome different ideas and collaboration, which is the cornerstone of effective government.”
Some Democratic elected officials and constituents were withering in their criticism of Cassel’s party switch, expressing outrage and feelings of betrayal.
More recently, state government’s top Republican, Gov. Ron DeSantis, questioned the sincerity of her party switch.
As he’s chafed at the resistance he’s received this year from Republicans for the first time in more than six years as governor, DeSantis has been lashing out at his critics in the party and feuding with Perez, the Republican speaker of the House.
As he’s escalated his criticism of Perez, DeSantis has cited Cassel to illustrate his contention that House Republicans aren’t acting like Republicans.
“In fact, you know, they have like they brought into the party a liberal Democrat from down in South Florida. She switches parties to be Republican even though she’s very, very liberal and opposed us on everything for six years,” DeSantis said earlier this month.
Cassel was first elected in 2022, and hasn’t been in office for six years. Running that year as a Democrat, she said, “I disagree with Governor DeSantis on almost all issues.”
Campaigns, committees
Candidates have their campaign committees to raise money for their efforts. Contributions to a legislative candidate’s campaign are limited to $1,000 per person or entity. Many times related entities will contribute.
For example, Ron Book, one of the state’s most prominent lobbyists, contributed $1,000 to Cassel’s campaign. His firm also gave $1,000. And two related Deerfield beach companies, Southeast Toyota Distributors and JM Family Automotive, each gave $1,000 to her campaign.
To raise even more, many candidates can establish political committees such as Cassel’s “Balanced Leadership” and “Friends of Hillary Cassel” and Delmay’s “Delmay for Florida.”
Unlimited contributions can go to a “political committee.”
That’s how Nectris, a Daytona Beach hemp extract company, was able to contribute $25,000 to Friends of Hillary Cassel. It was her largest contributor.
As the shakeout from Cassel’s party switch continued, Friends of Hillary Cassel paid what appears to be a final legal services bill from the Fort Lauderdale firm Haber Blank. Her political committee also replaced Jason Blank, a Democratic lawyer, as its treasurer with a Tallahassee Republican.
In February, Delmay for Florida formed — with Blank as its treasurer.
No guarantees
The 101st state House District — which includes all or parts of Dania Beach, Davie, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach and Hollywood — is Democratic, but not overwhelmingly so.
Its registered voters are 36.7% Democratic, 32.5% no party affiliation/independent, 28.1% Republican and 2.6% minor parties.
Voting in the district is becoming more Republican, according to an analysis of presidential results by Democratic data analyst Matthew Isbell. In 2012 and 2016, the territory in the district was “solidly blue.” In 2020, former President Joe Biden won it with 56.7% of the vote. In 2024, Trump won it with 50.6% of the vote.
Candidates don’t officially qualify to appear on the ballot in 2026 until next spring.
Delmay could face another Democrat.
Cassel filed paperwork on Sept. 10 to run for reelection as a Democrat. On Jan. 13, about two weeks after her party switch, she reaffirmed her intention to seek reelection to the House as a Republican.
A campaign for reelection isn’t locked in.
In a November interview, before she switched parties, she said she’d consider running for a state Senate seat. “If the opportunity presents itself and it’s right for me and it’s right for my family, I definitely would have my eyes on a Senate seat,” she said at the time.
Since then, former Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book has announced she’d run for the southeast Broward seat in 2026 if incumbent state Sen. Jason Pizzo resigns to run for governor or in 2028 when he is term-limited.
Cassel’s campaign filing contains a clue that suggests a Senate candidacy against Book is unlikely. That clue is the donations to Cassel from Book’s father, the lobbyist Ron Book, and his firm. Insiders suggest it’s unlikely that Ron Book would give money to a candidate if he had any expectation it might someday be used in a campaign against his daughter.
Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.