Economy hurts Atlanta candidates' fundraising efforts

What money has been raised by local office seekers is winding up mostly in the hands of incumbents, who typically hold huge advantages over their challengers, or new candidates seeking open seats. For the entire race, only 16 candidates report having raised more than $20,000. Of them, 11 are incumbents whose total fund-raising includes money from earlier races

That leaves just five newbies finding any level of success.

“If I focused too much on money, I’d get discouraged and drop out of the race altogether,” said Clarence Turner, a candidate for the at-large Post 1 seat vacated by Ceasar Mitchell, who is running for council president. “I have to keep focused.”

Turner, an events promoter making his first bid for political office at 29, said he’d really like to have $100,000 to reach the city’s 261,157 registered voters. But after seven months, he’s raised just $5,204.

And Turner’s among the more successful members of the have-not group. Inside that group are 17 who so far have reported not raising a cent. Twenty-three have less than $5,000.

Alvelyn Sanders is among them. She entered the District 11 race in June, taking on Jim Maddox, the dean of council with three decades of service. The long shadow he casts over the race makes fund-raising even harder.

“The first question I hear from folks is, ‘Is Jim Maddox retiring?’” Sanders said.

The cash shortage forces folks in her situation to “be creative.” They talk about using social media like Twitter and Facebook to build up their accounts and seek volunteer help because they can’t even pay for yard signs.

Still, the situation is far from impossible.

Amir Farokhi, a 31-year-old lawyer, has raised nearly $100,000 since March 1 in his bid for the citywide Post 2 seat vacated by Mary Norwood, a candidate for mayor. He easily tops all the other challengers and several incumbents.

“I started early,” Farokhi said. “We’ve cast a pretty wide net. We’ve tried to reach out as far as possible. It hasn’t all been big or small donors.”

Farokhi said the money will allow him to expand his reach way beyond the handful of voters he can personally reach, even though he just quit his job to campaign full time.

“Folks don’t give to you if they don’t believe in your message,” Farokhi said. “It’s humbling.”

Oddly, Farokhi finds himself paired against two of the other more successful fund-raisers. Aaron Watson and Weslee Knapp, who each have more than $20,000, are also in the Post 2 race.

That race is unusual.

By far the norm among the 15 council races and the presidency is an incumbent council member with a larger war chest than one or more poorly funded challengers. Often, much of the money in the incumbents’ accounts was raised for prior elections.

Lamar Willis, an eight-year council veteran, leads all council members with nearly $180,000 cash on hand — about $170,000 more than his lone opponent. He said even incumbents are finding fund-raising a challenge in this climate.

Willis reported raising less than $10,000 the past quarter. He’s banking on money he “squirreled away” prior to the downturn. Willis noted money’s crucial since a single city-wide mailer can cost $35,000.

“People are not able to give and those who are, are giving less,” Willis said. “Fund-raising is an arduous task. It’s always a good thing to have money on hand and the ability to reach your constituents.”