ATLANTA – Trucking executive Mike Collins is the leading fundraiser in a crowded 10th Congressional District Republican race that features Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Vernon Jones.
Collins had raised $1.1 million through the first quarter of this year in a bid to succeed U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Greensboro, who is leaving Congress to run for Georgia secretary of state. While $531,000 of Collins’ money came in the form of a loan he made to his campaign, he also raised $562,535 from individual contributors.
Jones, a former DeKalb County CEO and Democratic state representative, lagged behind Collins and six other Republican candidates in the battle for bucks. A late entry after dropping out of the race for governor, Jones had raised $265,651 through March 31.
All of the Republican hopefuls have raised in the six figures for what promises to be a lengthy run at the GOP nomination in the 10th District, largely Republican terrain stretching from Butts and Henry counties northeast through Athens to the South Carolina border. With so many candidates in the field, the contest for the nomination is virtually certain to stretch beyond the May 24 primary to a June 21 runoff.
David Curry, Henry County’s tax commissioner, raised $690,265 through the first quarter, including a personal loan of $415,000, according to a report filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Businessman Marc McMain raised $596,153 through the end of last month, including a $330,000 personal loan.
Alan Sims, a Delta Air Lines pilot and retired Army colonel, raised $578,010, including a personal loan of $305,000.
State Rep. Timothy Barr of Lawrenceville raised $527,784 through the first quarter, all from contributions with no loans.
Former Congressman Paul Broun raised $456,029, also coming totally from contributors rather than loans.
Mitchell Swan, a retired Marine colonel, raised $290,488, including $61,600 in personal loans.
On the Democratic side, retail business owner Phyllis Hatcher has raised $31,038, compared to $18,124 raised by registered nurse and community activist Tabitha Johnson-Green and $8,999 brought in by Jessica Fore.
Collins has the most money left in his treasury by far heading into the final weeks of the primary campaign, reporting $743,953 cash on hand as of March 31. The only other candidates with more than $200,000 remaining in their campaigns at the end of last month were Curry with $298,602, McMain with $296,143, and Sims with $286,913.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.