The Democratic and Republican National Conventions are just weeks away and some delegates are turning to social media to help pay for the trip.

  • Democratic delegates could pay $4K in travel expensives to Philly
  • Republican delegates travel expensives projected to be a little less, $2,000 - $3,000

Democrats in Hillsborough County calculated their convention in Philadelphia to run about $4,000 per person.

The price tag caught some by surprise.

“A lot of people ran to be a delegate and was unaware of how expensive it would be,” said Ione Townsend, Hillsborough Democratic chair and Clinton delegate. “And when the final numbers came out we were all a little sticker shocked by it.”

Hundreds of delegates from all over the country are turning to fundraising websites like GoFundMe to help cover the expenses.

Bernie Sanders Delegate Jessica Vaughn of New Tampa launched her own website. She said she didn’t discover the steep price tag until after she had been elected as a delegate.

“It’s becoming unrealistic and frustrating,” Vaughn said.

Townsend reached out to prominent Florida Democrat Alex Sink. The pair is trying to get sponsors to assist those delegates who need it most.

“We want to make sure that everybody who was elected to go, gets to go and represent the people of Hillsborough County,” Townsend said.

They’re hoping the hefty costs don’t keep delegates away from the Democratic National Convention.

Some Republican delegates are also turning to fundraising sites to help with their convention expenses. They have estimated the cost for the Cleveland trip to run between $2,000 - $3,000.

The Republican National Convention begins July 18. The Democrats will hold their convention the following week.