Democrat Charlie Bailey said Thursday he will report collecting about $270,000 since announcing he would challenge Republican Attorney General Chris Carr less than two months ago.
The former Fulton County prosecutor’s filing shows he has nearly all that sum – about $260,000 – in cash on hand. Bailey and Carr both don’t have primary opposition, meaning they will square off against each other in the November vote.
Carr has a daunting fundraising advantage. He has amassed more than $1 million since he was appointed to the post in November 2016 by Gov. Nathan Deal and reported nearly $700,000 in the bank in his late January filing.
But Bailey's camp prefers to compare his fundraising numbers to the first report Carr submitted shortly after he was appointed to the post. In that filing, over the span of about two months, Carr raised about $230,000.
“It shows people are tired of politics as usual and insiders, and they want someone who can just get something done for them,” Bailey said. “And it shows that hearing that message from someone who is a prosecutor and has tried cases is resonating.”
Carr's latest numbers were not immediately available, but they are unlikely to change significantly since he was prohibited from raising cash during the legislative session. On Thursday, he announced a "Law Enforcement for Carr" group of more than 80 prosecutors and sheriffs who have backed his campaign.
“Since the day I took office, we have been working together to support one another, to protect all Georgians and to find new and innovative ways to confront modern criminal activities," said Carr.
Bailey, a first-time candidate, donated about $13,000 to his own campaign and collected contributions from roughly 500 supporters.
They include former Gov. Roy Barnes’ law firm, nationally-known defense attorney Bobby Lee Cook, Macon-Bibb District Attorney David Cooke and Harris County Commissioner James Woods, who is a Republican.
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