Atlanta Metro News

Barack Obama has outpaced John McCain in one Georgia contest: campaign fund-raising.

The Obama campaign raised $7.4 million from Georgia contributors through mid-October, compared with $4.8 million for the McCain campaign.

Obama’s edge lies partly in his campaign’s decision to forgo public financing. Because McCain accepted $84.1 million in public campaign money in September, his campaign committee had to stop taking contributions.

Republicans heading McCain’s effort in Georgia say they don’t put much stock in Obama’s financial edge.

“Liberals never have any problem raising money,” said Alec Poitevint, Georgia chairman for the McCain campaign. “Republicans are promising good government.”

Georgia ranks 14th nationally for contributions to presidential candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Georgians have made small contributions via the Internet and written large checks at fancy fund-raising events offering photo ops with the candidates. About half the money raised by Obama nationwide came from contributions of $200 or less, compared with about one-third for McCain. About one-fifth of Obama’s money came from donors giving $2,000 or more; money from large donors accounted for about a third of McCain’s war chest.

Kyle Kurtz, a full-time mom who lives in east Cobb, helped bring in some of the under $200 contributions the Obama campaign is known for. Kurtz grew up in Roswell but lived for years in Chicago before moving back to Atlanta recently.

“I am crazy about Obama,” Kurtz said. She and her husband have organized two fund-raisers: one at their home and another for $25 a ticket at a Buckhead bar.

“We vote based on the candidate, we’re not die-hard Democrats or die-hard Republicans,” Kurtz said. But familiarity with Obama from her days in Chicago prompted her to support the candidate when she moved back to Georgia.

“I feel like I have definitely helped move east Cobb more blue!” said Kurtz, who wears her Obama button everywhere she goes.

Individual contributions to a presidential candidate’s campaign are limited to $2,300 for the primary and $2,300 for the general election. But both candidates have “joint fund-raising committees” that allow them to raise money for their campaigns and the party at the same time.

Obama’s joint fund-raising committee, Obama Victory Fund, has raised $2.7 million from Georgia contributors, compared with $3.1 million from Georgians for several joint committees set up by the McCain campaign. Part of the money goes to the campaigns’ coffers; most of the rest goes to national and state party committees.

Scott Dorfman, chief executive of Atlanta-based Innotrac Corp., gave $50,000 to McCain-Palin Victory 2008 in September. Dorfman had never given such a large contribution to a political effort, but he’s been a fan of McCain’s for years.

“I wish John McCain had won back in 2000 —- I really like him and admire him,” he said.

Since he contributed to a joint fund-raising committee, Dorfman’s money will be distributed to various Republican committees.

“We trust him,” Dorfman said. “He’s the most genuine politician we’ve had since I can remember.”

Julie Seaman, an associate professor at Emory University’s law school, also decided to pull out all the stops for this year’s race —- although she and her husband, Jeffrey, are opting for Obama. They gave a total of $61,600 to Obama’s campaign and joint fund-raising committee.

Seaman was familiar with Obama when he announced his candidacy —- she graduated from Harvard Law School not long before Obama was elected president of Harvard Law Review. Seaman said she’s not a political junkie and has only rarely made contributions. But she liked what she came to learn about Obama.

“I read his memoir, and I was so incredibly impressed with his honesty, his thoughtfulness and his depth of character, so that was what got me interested early on,” she said.

The bulk of the Georgia contributions to the presidential campaigns have come from residents of Atlanta —- but some large contributions have come from outside the metro area. Mason Lampton, chairman of Columbus-based Standard Concrete, gave a total of $35,000 to McCain’s campaign and joint fund-raising committees.

“I believe in tax cuts, I believe in not having big government, and I’m very much opposed to unionism and very much opposed to the redistribution of wealth,” Lampton said, explaining his enthusiasm for McCain. “I think Obama is a very bright man, but I am totally thrown off by his political perspectives.”

Atlanta’s Stephanie Blank ranks among Obama’s earliest supporters in Georgia. She said she heard him speak at a 65th birthday party for Rep. John Lewis in early 2005, when Obama was still a little-known senator from Illinois.

“I was just blown away by him,” said Blank, who is the wife of Arthur Blank, co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. “I got an overwhelming sensation that he is somebody who is very, very special, who comes along only every couple of generations, who has the amazing ability to speak to every person, regardless of where you are in life.”

Blank said she told Obama at that 2005 event that if he ever decided to run for president, she would support him. Blank and her husband have given $66,200 to Obama and his joint fund-raising committee.

She also spoke at a rally last weekend and will try to push some votes to Obama with a postcard mailed to undecided voters.

“This isn’t just about voting a Democratic ticket,” she said. “I have voted for Republicans when I felt they were the right candidate for the job. I am a huge fan of Johnny Isakson for example… . This is about doing what is right for our country.”

MOST GENEROUS IN PEACH STATE

Federal election law limits contributions to a presidential campaign to $2,300 for the primary and $2,300 for the general election. But candidates can raise more money through “joint fund-raising committees” that collect large donations and divide them among campaign committees and national and state party committees. The law allows contributions of up to $28,500 a year to national parties and up to $10,000 a year to state and local political parties in each state. No individual can contribute more than $108,200 to federal candidates, parties or political action committees during a two-year campaign cycle.

Below is a list of the most generous contributors from Georgia to the Obama or McCain campaign committees and their joint fund-raising committees.

Contributions made directly to national and state party committees were not included when compiling this list, unless the contributions were made through the candidates’ joint fund-raising committees.

Richard and Barbara Gaby, Duluth Barbara Gaby’s father was co-founder of Amway. Barbara Gaby serves on the board of Alticor, Amway’s parent.

Supporting: John McCain

To McCain’s committees: $140,200

Arthur and Stephanie Blank, Atlanta

Arthur Blank is co-founder of Home Depot and owner of the Atlanta Falcons. They operate the Blank Family Foundation.

Supporting: Barack Obama