Miami billionaire heads López-Cantera finance team

Miami billionaire Norman Braman will helm Florida Lt. Gov. Carlos López-Cantera’s finance team as he seeks to win the GOP nomination for the open Florida Senate seat, according to The Miami Herald. 

{mosads}Braman is one of the biggest donors to Sen. Marco Rubio’s (R-Fla.) presidential run and is a longtime donor to his campaigns. He now joins López-Cantera’s campaign to win the seat vacated by Rubio. 

The billionaire has had a close relationship with Rubio that stemmed from the senator’s time serving as the Florida Speaker of the House. 

López-Cantera’s campaign rolled out other members of his finance team including former Florida House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, a former colleague of the lieutenant governor’s who has also supported Rubio’s presidential campaign. 

López-Cantera is running in a crowded GOP field that includes Reps. David Jolly (R-Fla.) and Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) and businessmen Todd Wilcox and Carlos Beruff.

The GOP nominee will face either Reps. Patrick Murphy (D-Fla.) or Alan Grayson (D-Fla.) in the general election. Murphy and Grayson are in a heated primary battle — the Democratic establishment has rallied behind Murphy, while Grayson is under fire for his hedge fund.