Rubio primary challenger loans campaign $8M

The businessman challenging Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in a primary has loaned his upstart campaign more than $8 million since early this year.

{mosads}Carlos Beruff loaned $3.9 million to his campaign between July and August, according to the Federal Election Commission. He already loaned his campaign $4.1 million between February and June.

He only raised $30,000 from other donors, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Since February, Beruff has spent nearly $8.2 million and has less than $300,000 cash on hand in mid-August.

Rubio has raised nearly $5.5 million since announcing his last-minute entry into the Senate race in late June. Rubio goes into the Aug. 30 primary with $4.6 million on hand.

Beruff’s $8 million loan is shy of the amount he vowed to fuel his campaign. Following Rubio’s entrance into the race, the businessman said he would put up to $15 million of his own money into his campaign.

Beruff will square off against Rubio in the Aug. 30 primary. The incumbent is expected to win as he seeks to hold onto his seat in a general election battle that could be pivotal in determining which party controls the Senate next year.

Rubio will likely face Rep. Patrick Murphy in the fall. Murphy is running against Rep. Alan Grayson in the Democratic primary, but many Democrats have called on Grayson to drop out after allegations of domestic abuse emerged.

Murphy also has a well-padded campaign account. According to pre-primary reports, the Florida Democrat has nearly $4 million cash on hand.

Recent polls have so far shown Rubio leading Murphy and the GOP senator outperforming GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump at the top of the ticket.

While campaigning in Tallahassee on Tuesday, Rubio expressed how critical it was for Republicans to maintain their grip on his seat in the Sunshine State.

“If we lose the Senate in Florida, that means we probably lose the Senate,” Rubio said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. “That means Chuck Schumer becomes majority leader. That means all of the of these public policies that Barack Obama has put into place remain in place for the foreseeable future.”