There aren't too many prominent Georgia Republican names missing from the invite enticing big-dollar donors to hear from Donald Trump's running mate.
Gov. Nathan Deal, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue are all among the hosts for Indiana Gov. Mike Pence's visit to Atlanta on Monday. Also on the invite are Georgia's GOP House delegation, ex-Georgia football coach Vince Dooley, former Rep. Jack Kingston and one-time Christian Coalition chieftain Ralph Reed.
But the names that caught our eye are under the "co-chair" heading. Home Depot co-founder Bernie Marcus, by far Georgia's biggest political donor this cycle, is there. So is state Sen. Burt Jones and his father Bill, a petroleum kingpin. Real estate investor Leo Wells and anesthesiologist Marion Lee round out the list.
Just attending the reception costs $2,700 (though general admission tickets were available at $250 a pop) but it costs $100,000 to co-chair the event and $25,000 to be named a host. Even if they gave a fraction of that cost, it's a sign that some big-dollar donors in Georgia are starting to cozy up to Trump.
The Republican nominee has swelled his campaign coffers thanks to a surge of small-dollar donors. But recently-released campaign data through June showed that nine out of 10 of Georgia's biggest GOP donors had not given money to Trump or the super PACs boosting his campaign.
Read more about Trump's success with small-dollar donors - and struggles with the big fish - by clicking here.
About the Author
