Ed Montanari gets support from Florida GOP leaders in his bid to unseat State Rep. Lindsay Cross

State Republican leaders are putting money behind St. Petersburg City Council member Ed Montanari’s bid to unseat Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, in the November election.

A newly filed finance report shows that the Florida House Republican Campaign Committee, which is chaired by incoming House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, gave $25,000 last month to Montanari’s campaign.

Also, the report shows the Republican Party of Florida provided $13,000 in in-kind contributions of staffing and research in April and May.

Montanari is challenging Cross in Pinellas County’s House District 60.

The new finance report shows that Montanari raised $45,445 in cash from April 1 through May 31 for his campaign account, bringing the overall total to $165,400.

As of March 31, Cross had raised $195,265 for her campaign account.

She faces a Monday deadline for filing an updated report showing finance activity through May 31.