Deal has $850,000 in cash for re-election campaign
Gov. Nathan Deal raised more than $630,000 over the final six months of 2011 and has more than $850,000 cash in his campaign account.
Reports filed this week with the state ethics commission show the governor raised more than $2.4 million for his re-election in his first year in office.
Twenty-two individuals and groups gave Deal the maximum $6,300.
Deal received at least $80,000 from political action committees while one man, Donald Leebern, accounted for more than $30,000 in contributions. Leebern, a veteran member of the Georgia Board of Regents, and his family contributed to Deal either individually or through his company, Georgia Crown Distributing.
Deal also reported receiving at least $28,000from physicians, hospital executives and other health care donors. Deal's spokesman Brian Robinson said the governor next week will introduce a proposal to "lay the groundwork for having the doctors and the medical infrastructure in place that we need to serve a growing population here."
Robinson said the governor's fund raising reflects a successful first year in office.
“He’s worked cooperatively with legislators to balance the budget amid shortfalls without raising taxes and he’s focused on job creation in Georgia," he said. "Contributions to his re-election campaign reflect support for Gov. Deal’s leadership.”
More than 40 percent of Deal’s contributions came from a relative handful -- less than 10 percent -- of large donors each contributing between $6,300 and $4,000. The list includes lobbyists like Craig Lesser, the former commissioner of economic development under Gov. Sonny Perdue. Lesser is managing partner of The Pendleton Consulting Group, a pubic affairs firm that represented Kia Motors.
Among his campaign expenditures, Deal reported almost $73,000 paid to Southern Magnolia Capital, a fundraising consulting firm founded last year by his daughter-in-law, Denise Deal.
