Kemp stuffs coffers as general election nears

GOP governor has $7 million on hand

Brian Kemp and Stacey Abrams

With just four months until election day, Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s re-election campaign announced Wednesday that they will report having around $7 million in cash on hand after raising roughly $6.8 million in the last fundraising period.

Half of the funds were raised through campaign contributions, while the other half was raised through a lucrative SuperPAC that was created by Kemp’s Republican allies in the state legislature. A judge recently ruled that the committee can accept unlimited donations.

The PAC is one of a handful of so-called “leadership committees” created by state legislation last year that allow incumbents to raise unlimited amounts of money from individual donors. Opposing candidates can use the committees, too, but not until after they become their party’s official nominee.

Kemp’s updated fundraising numbers are the clearest sign yet that Georgia is on track for another expensive campaign season. His Democratic archrival, Stacey Abrams, has not shared her updated fundraising totals as of Thursday morning.

But since her 2018 defeat, Abrams has become known quantity to Democratic donors. She has raised around $20 million since launching her second run last December, $9 million of which was raised in the first two months alone.

Abrams, along with several other Georgia candidates, will be sharing updated financial disclosures in the coming days and weeks. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who is running for re-election, has emerged as one of the party’s most talented fundraisers.

But his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, is no fundraising slouch. He has benefited from high name recognition from his days as a UGA football star. He also touts an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

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Expect these large fundraising totals to flow further down the ballot. From Secretary of State to Attorney General, several statewide races are expected to draw millions of dollars in contributions as well as outside spending.