ATLANTA – Georgia’s first experiment with new campaign finance committees that can accept unlimited donations has enabled Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic challenger Stacey Abrams to raise a combined $94.6 million this year in their race for the governorship.
The new Georgia leadership committees – created by the General Assembly last year and signed into law by Kemp – allow major-party candidates for governor and lieutenant governor as well as top Republican and Democratic legislative leaders to raise unlimited campaign contributions.
The two gubernatorial candidates’ leadership committee hauls outstripped fundraising by their traditional campaign committees, which have much lower donation limits, typically maxing out at $24,200 per year.
Kemp’s Georgians First committee has pulled in $40.8 million since its founding in July 2021. Abrams’ One Georgia has raised even more, $53.8 million, though it did not get its start until March 2022.
During the latest filing period, which covers most of October, Abrams’ One Georgia leadership committee raised $14.5 million in cash, nearly triple what Abrams for Governor raised ($5.5 million). In that same period, Kemp’s Georgians First raised $11.7 million, more than double what Kemp for Governor raised ($4.2 million).
The new law has provided another avenue for out-of-state money to flow to the gubernatorial candidates more than happy to put it to use, said Charles Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia.
“Campaigns will spend whatever money is available,” he said.
Bullock said it’s unclear whether the new leadership committees’ big takings will make a difference in the election results.
“Raising more money than your opponent does not ensure a win, but it helps,” agreed Kimberly Martin, an assistant political science professor at Georgia Southern University. “There are plenty of examples of people who have raised more money than their opponent and not won.”
“These leadership committees are new in Georgia, and we won’t know their full impact until after the election,” said Martin.
Donors large and small have taken full advantage of the new leadershipcommittees, with some big spenders giving $1 million or more on a single day while others gave just $25, this week’s filings with the Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission show.
Both gubernatorial candidates benefitted from their parties’ national governors associations. The Republican Governors Association donated at least $9 million to Kemp’s Georgians First leadership committee. Likewise, the Democratic Governors Association gave at least $5 million to Abrams’ One Georgia. These national groups focus on getting Republican and Democratic (respectively) governors elected.
Another major donor to Kemp’s committee is Timothy Mellon, whose address is listed as Saratoga, Wyo. Mellon, who owns a transportation company and is the grandson of American business tycoon Andrew Mellon, has given at least $5 million to Kemp’s leadership committee.
Miriam Adelson, the widow of billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson and a major Republican donor, chipped in $1 million from her Las Vegas address. Bernie Marcus, a co-founder of The Home Depot and a major Atlanta philanthropist, gave $775,000 to Georgians First.
A group called HardWorking Georgians donated $500,000 to Georgians First. The group’s website says that conservative values have benefitted Georgia and it aims to represent “hardworking, taxpaying, law-abiding, God-fearing, freedom-loving, Georgia citizen[s].”
On the Democratic side, Dr. Karla Jurvetson, a physician, philanthropist and frequent Democratic donor who lives in the San Francisco area, gave $5 million to Abrams’ One Georgia. Fellow Californian Reed Hastings, the CEO of Netflix, gave $2 million.
A group called Democracy PAC II also donated at least $4 million. The group is funded by billionaire philanthropist George Soros, a longtime major donor to Democrats across the country.
Unions also contributed to One Georgia. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and AFSCME, a government employees’ union, each gave $1 million. The American Federation of Teachers gave at least $800,000, and the Service Employees International Union gave $500,000.
Celebrities on the One Georgia donor list include Leonardo DiCaprio, Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks and Barbra Streisand.
Georgia’s new leadership committees differ in some important ways from federal political action committees (PACs) that can raise and donate unlimited funds.
Federal PACs typically are not allowed to coordinate directly with the candidate, but Georgia’s leadership committee law allows a candidate to control the committee directly, Martin said. Kemp and Abrams are listed as the respective chairs of their leadership committees, for example.
“This does give the candidate an advantage because they can direct money to the campaign’s most pressing needs, and they have control of the message being sent,” Martin said. “I can certainly see where that would be attractive to candidates.”
Georgians can view the leadership committees’ contribution and spending records on the Georgia Government Transparency & Campaign Finance Commission’s website.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation