Deadline day: Georgia candidates rake in millions in campaign cash

Georgia candidates reported collecting millions of dollars from donors on Tuesday as they disclosed fundraising figures that were closely watched by activists, donors and operatives as a test of each campaign’s strength.

U.S. Sen. David Perdue, a Republican running for a second term, posted the biggest numbers by raising about $2.4 million over the last three months. He'll have more than $6.3 million in the bank for what's likely to be a record-shattering race.

His most formidable Democratic fundraising rival was Jon Ossoff, who relied on the donor network he built during his unsuccessful 2017 bid for Congress to collect about $800,000 in a three-week span since entering the race.

Ossoff, an investigative journalist and former congressional aide, raised roughly the same amount of campaign cash over three weeks as his three Democratic rivals raised combined during the three-month quarter.

Former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, the first candidate in the race, raised about $380,000 in a three-month span. Business executive Sarah Riggs Amico collected about $310,000 and loaned her campaign another $400,000. And Clarkston Mayor Ted Terry told the AJC he’s taken in about $90,000 since he entered the race.

“I’m definitely not the establishment-money candidate,” said Terry. “There’s a lot of thinking with your head and not your heart with these donors. The traditional contributors aren’t supporting me, but I’m bringing in a lot of new people.”

The dash for campaign cash will soon intensify with a second U.S. Senate race on the ballot, as Republican Johnny Isakson plans to resign in December because of health issues.

Only one Democrat has entered that contest - Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Sen. Joe Lieberman - but other candidates are certain to join. Lieberman said he’s raised more than $250,000 since announcing his campaign this month.

Gov. Brian Kemp will appoint a Republican to that seat by the year's end. His office has received roughly 500 applications, including from politicians, business executives and judicial officials who hope to be considered.

Credit: Alyssa Pointer

Credit: Alyssa Pointer

Close contests

Georgia’s two most competitive U.S. House races – the suburban 6th and 7th Districts – have drawn more than a dozen candidates who are locked in an intense fundraising battle.

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, whose 2018 upset victory capped a string of Democratic wins across the suburbs, raised $620,000 over the last three months, and will have $1.3 million in the bank. About 93% of her contributions came from small-dollar donors.

The Republican she defeated - former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel - raised about $250,000 and she has about $630,000 in cash on hand. The other top GOP candidate, state Sen. Brandon Beach, took in about $166,000.

More: Small-dollar donors are reshaping presidential race in Georgia

More: A blitz of Democratic candidates has split Georgia donors

More: The 'heartbeat' bill pulses through Georgia's fundraising

In the neighboring 7th District, where Republican U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall’s retirement has sparked a free-for-all race, about a dozen candidates are scrambling for cash.

Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux, who narrowly lost to Woodall in 2018, has raised more than $280,000 and has about $700,000 in her coffers. One of her rivals, state Sen. Zahra Karinshak, is on her heels with about $200,000 in donations since entering the race in August.

The top Republican contenders trailed in fundraising. Former Home Depot executive Lynne Homrich collected about $170,000 this reporting period and state Sen. Renee Unterman reported about $130,000 over the same time frame.

For many candidates who have entered contests since July, the reports were the public’s first peek at their fundraising abilities. For incumbents and others, they were important tests of support.

‘If only $ votes’

Perhaps the most closely watched report came from Tomlinson's campaign. She had raised about $520,000 the first three months of her campaign, when she was the only Democrat in the race, and her fundraising performance did little to scare off rivals.

She and her supporters tried to downplay expectations ahead of this week’s deadline, and her campaign manager Kendra Cotton invoked Ossoff’s defeat as she dismissed his fundraising totals.

"If only $ votes," she wrote on Twitter. "Cause we sure saw back in 2017 that one can have $40mil and fade into oblivion. Meanwhile, just 16mo later, a black woman w/ not even a quarter of the resources can actually win the same seat."

The reference, of course, was to McBath. Tomlinson chimed in, too, writing that she believes she needs to raise between $3 million and $3.5 million to be competitive in a primary, and said "we are on track to do that."

Indeed, the fundraising totals don’t necessarily translate to votes or a show of support in 2020. But they serve as an indicator of which candidates are locking up donors and attention in jumbled fields that could grow even more crowded.

And they are an early gauge for challengers and incumbents to demonstrate to voters, interest groups and national operatives their commitment and ability to mount a credible 2020 campaign.

Here’s a look at how much cash some of the candidates in key contests have raised in the latest quarter, which spanned from July through September. The list will be updated as the reports are filed.

Georgia Senate Perdue:

Georgia Senate Isakson

Georgia 6th District

Georgia 7th District