Barnes brings in $2.7 million for governor comeback bid

By Cameron McWhirter and Aaron Gould Sheinin

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Former Gov. Roy Barnes raised more than $2.7 million in the past six months in his bid to retake the state's top job.

The Barnes campaign filed its campaign finance report with the State Ethics Commission a day ahead of Friday's deadline. Barnes, a Democrat, and Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), a candidate for the GOP nomination, are the only two to have announced their totals by 5 p.m. Thursday. Scott said he has raised $375,000, exceeding his 2009 goal.

The amount Barnes has raised surpasses anything any Republican or Democratic candidate had reported before Thursday. Barnes, who got into the race in July, did not have to file a campaign report until today. Before these filings, Georgia Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, a Republican candidate for governor, had raised the most of any candidate in the race, bringing in $1.4 million from April 2008, when he first announced. Oxendine has not yet filed the report due today.

Barnes reported having more than $2.2 million in cash on hand.

Chris Carpenter, Barnes' campaign manager, said more than 65 percent of the people who contributed had never given to Barnes before. He said those contributions totaled about $1.5 million.  “We're are happy with where the campaign is,” he said.

Many longtime supporters appeared on the list, including Bobby Kahn, Barnes' former chief of staff. Though in previous campaigns he often took campaign contributions from lobbyists, Barnes has pledged not to do so for this race. Much of Barnes' money came from lawyers.

Barnes' prowess in fund raising once was legendary. He raised more than $20 million in his failed re-election bid, losing in 2002 to Republican Sonny Perdue who raised about $3 million.

Barnes faces Attorney General Thurbert Baker, House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin), former Adjutant Gen. David Poythress and Ray City Mayor Carl Camon in the July primary.