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.

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.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Devon Horton talks with members of the media after the DeKalb County Board of Education hired Horton for the superintendent position in April 2023. Horton discusses the district's priorities during an address Thursday. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

Much of Georgia was under a Level 3 of 5 risk for severe weather on March 31, 2025. The far northern portion of the state was under a Level 2 and 1 risk.

Credit: Channel 2 Action News