Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Patrick Murphy (Fla.) is getting a major financial boost as his campaign heads into the final stretch before the Florida primary, courtesy of a $1 million check from his father.
{mosads}Thomas Murphy, a Florida homebuilder, gave the seven-figure sum to Senate Majority PAC — the group’s largest donation in July, according to the Federal Election Commission.
The congressman has long benefited from his father’s financial largesse; Thomas Murphy shelled out six-figure super-PAC contributions to help Patrick Murphy win his Florida congressional seat in 2012.
On July 15, two days after the $1 million check landed in the Senate Majority PAC account, the super-PAC announced to The Washington Post its plan to launch a $1 million ad buy in Florida.
The reported aim was to help Murphy win his primary on Aug. 30 against liberal challenger Rep. Alan Grayson, who is openly opposed by Democratic leadership.
The Washington Post noted that the ad buy was an unusually early intervention for the leading Democratic Senate super-PAC, saying the $1 million buy was “its first-ever television ads in a Democratic primary, as it seeks to shepherd a top recruit through a competitive intra-party contest.”
Murphy, 33, will face a close race with Florida Sen. Marco Rubio for the Republican’s seat if he beats Grayson later this month for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
He could use his father’s extra cash to help narrow Rubio’s lead of about 6 percentage points. Given it’s a super-PAC donation, the money must be spent without coordinating with Murphy’s Senate campaign.