Outside money funds House District 18 candidates Brian Mast, Lauren Baer, Pam Keith

Donors from outside congressional District 18 have poured more than 92 percent of the campaign contributions into the three-candidate race, according to a TCPalm analysis of Federal Elections Commission data.

Democrat Lauren Baer leads with 93 percent of donations coming from outside the district.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Palm City, is neck-and-neck at 92 percent.

Democrat Pam Keith's outside donations total 89 percent.

The seat is one of dozens of hotly contested swing districts nationwide Democrats hope to flip from red to blue Nov. 6. Some people and corporations are donating to candidates throughout the country to help their party's cause.

The way the district was drawn — it includes all of Martin and St. Lucie counties and a portion of northern Palm Beach — makes it winnable for either party, said Kevin Wagner, a political science professor at Florida Atlantic University.

"If you're going to invest money into a political race," he said, "it makes sense to do it in a district that could flip."

Campaign cash

With over $2 million, Mast has out-fundraised not only his district competitors but most congressional contenders nationwide.

Of that, $416,000 came in the last quarter, October through December, and $548,000 came from political action committees last year, about a quarter of his donations at the time. He hasn't used any of his own money.

Mast has outspent most others, too, with travel, consultants and other expenses costing him over a million last year. By comparison, Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Kendall, spent $600,000 despite having more money and being in a more competitive race to keep his seat.

Baer has raised over $580,000 since announcing her run in September, mostly from residents of New York and the Washington, D.C.-area. Baer, who lived in both cities while working in the Obama administration, grew up in Palm Beach Gardens and moved back to the district last year, shortly before announcing her run for Congress.

She has an additional $10,000 of her own money.

Keith has raised $163,536 since launching her campaign in May, and has an additional $90,000 of her own money.

Undue influence?

Critics say outside money gives special interests undue influence over who represents the constituents and decides the issues in that district.

That can be true for local races, such as county commission, but not necessarily for congressmen, whose decisions affect the entire country, Wagner said.

"Except in extreme circumstances, no candidate for Congress is going to turn away financial donations that could help them win a race," Wagner said.

But that can expose them to political attacks.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was quick to criticize Baer in emails to TCPalm, saying her donations make her look like she's "planning to run for Congress in New York."

Mast apparently wasn't on the same page about outside money, saying he believes such donors have connections and legitimate interests in Florida.

"Florida is a melting pot," he said. "These donors could live here part of the year. The district is a home away from home for a lot of people."

Other elections

Since the district was created in 2012, outside money has fueled its highly competitive — and expensive — congressional campaigns.

When Democrat Patrick Murphy and tea party firebrand Allen West faced off in the new district's first election, it was the most expensive House race in U.S. history. But spending $18 million didn't help West beat Murphy, who spent $4.5 million.

That held true in 2016, too. With Murphy running for Senate in 2016, Mast defeated Democrat Randy Perkins, who spent $8 million more on his campaign.

Outside money was the central focus of a Georgia congressional election in 2017, when Republican Karen Handel beat Democrat Jon Ossoff by portraying his campaign money as being tied to special-interest groups.

This year, Alison Friedman, a former State Department official funded primarily by outside money, is out-fundraising candidates with stronger ties to a suburban Virginia district.

And Wisconsin Democrat Randy Bryce has said he will continue to target out-of-state donors in his attempt to oust House Speaker Paul Ryan.