Down-ticket Democrats struggle to raise cash

Washington heavyweights and out-of-state donors showered Democrat Jason Carter with enough money to give him a 5-to-1 fundraising advantage over Gov. Nathan Deal during the 11 days after the legislative session. But the slim fortunes of down-ticket Democratic candidates show just how shallow the party’s donor roots are.

As Carter and Michelle Nunn, the party’s front-runner for an open U.S. Senate seat, each amassed more than $1 million in their campaign coffers, several statewide Democratic candidates have failed to raise a dime since qualifying to run in early March.

That presents challenges for a party hoping a strong ticket would boost turnout in a state where Republicans still hold an electoral advantage. Party leaders who scurried to draft a full slate of candidates may now have to worry about how to finance their runs against entrenched Republican incumbents.