Randy Dye raises $235K in county chair race; Hosseinis and their firms among top donors

Local businessman Randy Dye has far outpaced his competitors in fundraising for the Volusia County Council chairman race.

After launching his campaign in May of 2023 through the end of the year, Dye's campaign received about $235,441 in monetary contributions, according to the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections Office.

"I'm grateful, thankful, blessed beyond measure to be in this position so far on the fundraising effort," Dye said.

Dye, a car dealership owner, has no previous experience in a political office.

Others have raised far less

He has two competitors so far, incumbent Chairman Jeff Brower and Port Orange Mayor Don Burnette. Burnette raised about $21,412 through the end of 2023. Brower raised $14,560. Volusia County Council races are nonpartisan, so party affiliation is not listed on the ballot. But all three candidates are registered Republicans, according to voter records.

The deadline for candidates to qualify for the race is in June, so there's still time for others to file. The candidates will face off in the primary election on Aug. 20. If no one gets the majority of votes, the top two candidates with the most votes will face each other in the general election on Nov. 5.

Dye said the money will go toward things such as ads on TV and other platforms. He plans to return any unspent funds to donors or give it to a charity of their choice, which is allowed, according to the Florida Division of Elections.

"The goal is to make sure that as many people hear our message as possible," he said.

Money's not everything, though ― at least in Volusia County.

The last time someone raised more than Dye's current total in a County Council race was former County Councilwoman Deb Denys in 2020. She raised about $244,641 in her unsuccessful bid for the county chair's seat. She lost to Brower, who raised less than half of that amount.

In response to Dye's fundraising numbers, Burnette said he thinks Dye "is playing to his strength."

"He's a wealthy individual that knows other wealthy individuals and that's fine. I have no problem with that," Burnette said.

Burnette said Dye will need the money to build name recognition because he lacks government service experience.

"So I understand why he has that need for those dollars. But at the end of the day, people vote, not dollars," he said.

Brower said he feels good about where his campaign is. He said he has done less fundraising so far than in the 2020 race because of his busy schedule.

"We're making a lot of public appearances because I'm getting a lot of requests to go places, and I think I'm reflecting the public sentiment on issues like, you know, growth, water, traffic, all of those things. The fuel terminal is a big one in Ormond Beach," Brower said.

Where are the donations coming from?

Individuals can donate up to $1,000 to the campaign of a candidate for County Council, according to the Florida Division of Elections. But sometimes multiple donations come in from related entities or family members.

Some of the top contributors to Dye's campaign include Mori Hosseini's associated businesses, family members and a trust. Those contributions total at least $20,000.

Hyatt and Cici Brown, Brown & Brown of Florida and other businesses associated with the Browns donated at least $8,000. J. Hyatt Brown is the chairman of Brown & Brown Insurance. Some leaders of Brown and Brown Insurance also donated to Dye's campaign.

Tim Phillips, president and CEO of P&S Paving in Daytona Beach, a family member and associated businesses donated at least $5,500.

At least $5,000 came from Blue Ox Enterprises in Sanford and associated businesses or businesses associated with leaders of the firm. Blue Ox Enterprises is involved in residential and commercial site development.

Dye said he's proud of the small donations he's received so far. He said that indicates to him that people who don't have much cash are willing to put something toward his campaign. About 26% of Dye's donations were for $100 or less.

Dye, whose son is a professional racer, also has some celebrities on his donor list. Former NASCAR racer Kyle Petty and his wife donated to Dye's campaign.

Dye's total includes a loan from himself of $10,000. Over 1/3 of his contributions are from businesses.

Brower and Burnette's campaign funds are mostly donations of $100 or less from individuals with a much smaller fraction coming from businesses than Dye's campaign, records show.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Volusia County chair race draws big donations from Hosseinis, others