Challenger leads in cash race for Georgia school superintendent

Democratic former state Rep. Alisha Thomas Searcy has outraised Republican incumbent Richard Woods in the state school superintendent’s race.

As of June 30, Searcy had taken in nearly $98,000 compared to just under $55,000 for Woods.

Searcy’s contributors include former Atlanta school board chair Jason Esteves; state Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta; and former Fulton County Schools Superintendent Robert Avossa, now in Florida. She drew donors from a half-dozen other states, plus three political action committees.

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Woods took a contribution from state Board of Education chairman Jason Downey, the Georgia Chamber’s political affairs council and a contractors’ group, with three contributions coming from outside Georgia.

Woods still had $37,000 on hand, the bulk of his spending in this past cycle going to Facebook for advertising.

Searcy had spent most of her money, with just over $13,000 still in the bank. Her biggest expenses this cycle were two transactions in May totaling $25,000 for radio airtime and production costs. She also spent on robocalls and text messages.

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