Election year brings big money to Georgia political parties

The most expensive governor’s race in Georgia history is also attracting big money to the state’s political parties.

Where it’s coming from mirrors the gubernatorial contest, according to an analysis by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Like Stacey Abrams’ campaign, much of the Georgia Democratic Party’s money these days is coming from California, New York and the District of Columbia, with 80 percent of contributions coming from outside of Georgia in the past three months. The state Republican Party, like its nominee Brian Kemp, is getting most of its money from inside the state, donated in some cases by special interests keen on maintaining influence at the statehouse.

The AJC reported last week that more than $56 million had been raised through Sept. 30 for this year's race for governor. Republicans have hammered Abrams because she has raised a good chunk of her campaign money from outside Georgia.

That outside donors are helping to fund Abrams' effort is no secret. She has become a nationally known politician, raising her profile through media appearances and coverage while running an aggressive and successful fundraising operation.

In the most recent three-month-period, the state Democratic Party reported raising about $5.2 million. Of that, about $4 million came from outside Georgia, according to an AJC review.

Big unions, traditional donors to the Democratic Party, contributed about $1 million in that period. But the party also got $750,000 from the Washington-based Democratic Governors Association; $350,000 from the Boston-based Black Economic Alliance political action committee; $250,000 from Everytown for Gun Safety of New York; $250,000 from the National Democratic Redistricting PAC of Washington; $125,000 from Washington’s Emily’s List; $100,000 from Byron Allen of Los Angeles, the founder of Entertainment Studios; $100,000 from the Latino Victory Fund of Washington; $100,000 from the super PAC Priorities USA of Washington; and $25,000 from actress and director LaTanya Jackson of Los Angeles.

It also received $40,000 from Jonathan Soros, son of billionaire megadonor George Soros, who gave the party $1 million earlier this year.

Of the $5.4 million the Republican Party raised over the past three months, about $4 million came from inside Georgia. Its biggest out-of-state donor was the Republican Governors Association, which contributed $750,000. The RGA paid for ads this summer attacking Abrams.

The biggest in-state donor was Kemp, whose campaign gave $2.3 million to the GOP. Other big donors included Georgia Power, which gave $150,000; the Georgia House's GOP trust, which gave $150,000; the Community Development and Health PAC, which gave $100,000 from its fund heavily financed by a Macon nursing home company; and PruittHealth, another big nursing home company, which gave $100,000. The state provides more than $1 billion a year in nursing home funding, so such companies are traditionally big donors to top state politicians.

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