Georgia Democrats end year with more money in bank than GOPers
Georgia Republicans spent nearly every dime they had during the busy campaign season. The state's Democratic party has a little bit more gas left in the tank.
State ethics filings released this week show that the Democratic Party of Georgia spent about $4.2 million and ended the year with roughly $512,000 in its coffers.
The Georgia GOP, meanwhile, spent most of the $6.7 million it raised during the cycle, leaving it with only $188,000 in the bank. That's a contrast from the end of 2010, the last gubernatorial race, when it had $1 million left over.
Among the donors to Democrats during the final stretch was the Georgia Association of Educators, which offered $15,000, and Emory University film professor Matthew Bernstein, who gave $20,000.
The GOP attracted deeper pockets. The Republican National Committee gave more than $150,000, the Republican Governors Association ponied up $50,000 and the National Republican Senatorial Committee chipped in another $15,000 in the final stretch.
As my AJC colleague James Salzer notes, among the GOP's expenses is a post-election $30,000 payment to the fundraising firm of Gov. Nathan Deal's daughter-in-law, Denise Deal.
About the Author
Greg Bluestein is the Atlanta Journal Constitution's chief political reporter. He is also an author, TV analyst and co-host of the Politically Georgia podcast.
