March 31st marked a key deadline in campaign fundraising for the 2018 election cycle as the final reporting period prior to the May 22nd primaries came to an end. A look into the finances of each candidate gives us a look into which campaigns are best able to get their message out during the crucial home stretch.
Cindy Morley gave a breakdown of the current finances of the gubernatorial candidates here, and now we take a look at who has brought in the big bucks in statewide races a bit further down the ballot.
In the Lt. Governor’s race Republican state Sen. David Shafer has maintained his financial advantage despite missing out on some three months of fundraising during the legislative session. With only two days between the end of session and the reporting deadline Shafer managed to raise $26,525 in the cycle, bringing his total to $1.6 million and leaving him with $1.4 million to spend. A sexual harassment allegation (which Shafer has vehemently denied) from a female lobbyist seems not to have slowed down the former President Pro Tem’s campaign as he leads all rivals in the race to replace Casey Cagle.
Former state Rep. Geoff Duncan has taken in an impressive $800,000 and has $500,000 left on hand, while former state Sen. Rick Jeffares has had a busy 2018, raising $114,825 in the cycle for a total of $820,000 and about $380,000 on hand.
On the Democratic side Sara Riggs Amico has emerged as a worthy, if relatively unknown, candidate. She loaned herself nearly $150,000 in the cycle, pushing her total to $700,000 and leaving her with some $300,000 in the bank. She’ll need every dime should she emerge, as expected, to face off against one of the well funded Republicans in the general election.
Secretary of State Brian Kemp, like Cagle, is seeking to move into the Governor’s Mansion, leaving a crowded field to vie for his position. Former Democratic Congressman John Barrow has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the race, taking in $175,000 for the cycle and sitting on $300,620 in his war chest. That advantage should grow heading into the general election as the scrum of Republicans in the race will have to turn out their pockets in the fight to advance.
Speaking of those Republicans, Ex-Alpharetta Mayor David Belle Isle leads the way with nearly $200,000 on hand, while state Sen. Josh McKoon is sitting on $125,000 and state Rep. Brad Raffensperger has some $120,000. State Rep. Buzz Brockway is down to about $35,000 in his campaign account. Expect all three men to be hitting the fundraising trail hard as they look to bounce back from missing a key three months during the legislative session.
Attorney General Chris Carr holds an incumbency advantage as well as a financial one, with his $625,000 in his campaign account well outpacing that of his Democratic rival Charlie Bailey, who has still managed to come up with a respectable $260,000 to build off.
