St. Johns Rep. Kendall Amasses $140K, Dwarfs Challenger's $2,800 in HD 18 Primary

A first-term state House member from St. Johns County has built a fundraising advantage so lopsided ahead of her August primary that her challenger's entire war chest wouldn't cover a week of campaign mailers.

Rep. Kim Kendall ended March with nearly $140,000 raised between her campaign account and her Friends of Kim Kendall political committee — a total that dwarfs the opposition and signals a largely uncontested path to a second term in House District 18. Kendall, first elected to the House in 2024, raised roughly $13,000 during the first quarter of the year, with most of that activity flowing through the committee, according to public financial records.

Her donor list reads like a who's who of Florida political money: the "A Stronger Florida" political committee, the "Jax Biz" political committee, the Florida Surgical Alliance, the Florida Police Benevolent Association and the Fiorentino Group all contributed. Kendall was barred by law from fundraising during the legislative session, meaning her first-quarter haul reflects only the weeks before and after the session window closed.

Her primary challenger, Diana Patrice Jordan-Baldwin, raised more than $2,600 during the same quarter, bringing her total to roughly $2,800 — but she has already spent all but $700 of it. More than $2,200 of Jordan-Baldwin's total comes from entities sharing the same address as her campaign, according to public records.

No other candidates have filed for the seat, which under Florida law would keep the August primary open to all voters regardless of party registration. That could change, however. Florida has a history of last-minute write-in or no-party candidates filing at qualifying, a maneuver that effectively closes a primary to registered party members only — and one worth watching as the qualifying deadline approaches.

For Treasure Coast-area residents with interests in Tallahassee policy, the HD 18 race will be one of the regional contests to track this cycle. The August primary qualifying window and its deadline will determine whether the field — and the rules governing who votes — shifts before ballots are printed.

This article was generated with AI assistance using publicly available information. It was reviewed and approved by a human editor before publication. TC Sentinel uses AI writing tools in accordance with FTC guidelines.