Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed raised more than $630,000 for his re-election campaign over the past six months, putting him on pace to exceed his massive 2009 totals, while sending the first shot at anyone who might want to challenge him in 2013.
Reed released his fundraising totals on July 8 to the state ethics commission in a 69-page report. He collected about $100,000 more than Republican Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal over roughly the same time frame, though in fairness Deal doesn’t face re-election till 2014.
Reed’s money came from a range of donors both local and national through single donations and huge fundraising events, including his 42nd birthday party bash. Reed came into 2011, having raised more than $2.8 million for his 2009 run for mayor.
For this filing period, Reed, who took office in January 2010, raised $637,915, spent $124,000 and has more than $516,000 on hand.
“I want to be mayor for the next 6 1/2 years,” Reed said last week. “I am going to be around, and I want to use whatever resources are necessary for me to be here.”
Reed’s fundraising, a sign of electability, is being watched beyond Atlanta. One of the nation’s youngest big-city mayors at 42, Reed has cut a national profile. Political watchers consider Reed one of a handful of young elected officials in both parties in a position to build a case for higher office, including possibly a national run.
And for every time that Reed is featured on national television, or like Thursday, ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ, wallets open up.
Edwin Bender, executive director of the National Institute on Money in State Politics, said what Reed is doing in his fundraising is not extraordinary but a benefit of incumbency. Bender, whose organization runs the website followthemoney.org, said a big-city mayor should be able to raise big money.
“Because of the way politics, campaigns and fundraising works, it is less susceptible to an economic downturn,” Bender said. “There is a very small group of people who give donations and they tend to be affluent. That up-and-comers can raise money shouldn’t be too surprising.”
But Reed’s budding war chest raises questions about whether he, if no serious mayoral opponent emerges, will position himself as a king-maker, doling out money to other candidates for City Council seats, positions in the General Assembly or even in Congress. Or is Reed building — as is often speculated — for an even bigger office?
Reed says no on both fronts.
“You lose elections by starting to think that way,” Reed said. “I am preparing all the way to fully build a campaign. Thinking you can be a kingmaker or getting involved in other campaigns is how you lose. You lose your job thinking about other jobs.”
According to his report, 555 people donated to Reed’s 2013 campaign. Reed was able to secure support from many of the state and the region’s leading companies and deal-makers.
Richard Anderson, chief executive officer of Delta, gave $2,500.
Promoter Peter Conlon, who just signed a deal to restart Music Midtown, gave $2,500 — as did Sylvia Russell, president of AT&T Georgia; Philip I. Kent, chairman of Turner Broadcasting; and Chris Cooney of Screen Gems.
One hundred and twenty-four companies or individuals gave the maximum allowable contribution of $2,500. Ten percent of Reed’s contributions came from out of state, including nine donations of $2,500 from the Jacobs family of Buffalo, N.Y., who are affiliated with the Delaware North Companies and own the Boston Bruins.
On the expenditure side, most of the money was spent raising money.
Reed plans to return some of his campaign haul. His campaign has identified several airport vendors, whom he plans to give refunds. Allegations of campaign money influencing contracting at the airport have dogged the city.
“We are doing this to avoid appearances,” Reed said.
Among the money being returned to airport concessionaires, Reed is refunding $600 in contributions from executives of Hojeij Branded Foods, $7,500 from people associated with Atlanta Bread Co., $1,500 from Airport Retail Management executives, $1,000 to The Paradies Shops president Gregg Paradies, $2,000 from HMSHost and $500 from Hartsfield Hospitality president Roosevelt Adams.
However, other contributions from concessionaires are not marked for refund in the document, including a separate $2,500 contribution from Atlanta Bread Co., a separate $2,000 contribution from Hartsfield Hospitality, more than $1,000 from people associated with Hojeij Branded Foods, $2,500 from a principal at Delaware North Companies, $2,500 from a Concessions International vice chair, $1,000 from National Concessions Management and a vice president there, $1,000 from a manager at Master ConcessionAir, $1,000 from a director of operations at World Wide Concessions.
Reed said his campaign staff is still reviewing figures. Other businesses that operate at the airport also made contributions, including $2,500 from Clear Channel Worldwide, a subsidiary of the company that runs local advertising and holds a controversial airport ad contract that the airport has said it plans to soon rebid.
A federal jury last year awarded $17.5 million in damages to Atlanta businessman Billy Corey and his company, Corey Airport Services, before the city of Atlanta appealed, then struck a $3.9 million settlement earlier this year with Corey. Corey had claimed the city and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport broke the law by steering a contract to a competitor with political connections — Clear Channel Outdoor’s minority partner Barbara Fouch.
News that Reed would be offering refunds was surprising and encouraging to state watchdog groups. For months, Common Cause of Georgia has been trying to persuade the Atlanta City Council — with no luck — to enact legislation that would limit campaign contributions of vendors and potential contractors to $250.
“People doing business with the city should not be contributing heavily to campaigns,” said William Perry, executive director for Common Cause. “But we think what Mayor Reed is doing is great. It is very encouraging and surprising. Usually campaigns don’t return money unless there is a scandal. This is an example that should be followed.”
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi contributed to this report.
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