In case it wasn't already obvious that the wide-open 7th District congressional race would be a blockbuster, take a peek at some of the spring fundraising numbers.
Republican Lynne Homrich, a former Home Depot executive and political newcomer, plans to announce she raised roughly $250,000 and loaned herself another $250,000 during her first two months on the trail.
We have yet to see the details of Homrich’s second-quarter haul, so we don’t know how much came from small donors or political action committees. But the total is still large for this early in an election cycle.
Fundraising numbers don’t necessarily translate to votes, but they can help candidates generate more buzz and scare off their competition.
Homrich, who entered the suburban Atlanta race in mid-April, is one of nine Republicans vying for their party's nomination to replace retiring U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, in the Forsyth and Gwinnett-based 7th District.
The primary race also includes state Sen. Renee Unterman; former Falcons running back Joe Profit; emergency room doctor Rich McCormick and Air Force veteran Ben Bullock, among others.
Five Democrats, including Georgia State University professor Carolyn Bourdeaux – who raised record-breaking sums of money and came within 500 votes of defeating Woodall last year – are competing across the aisle.
The contest is already generating national attention and bringing big money to Georgia: Bourdeaux's first quarter total of $370,000 was the largest of any congressional challenger in the nation, excluding special elections, her campaign previously said.
The contest in the neighboring 6th District is expected to be a similarly expensive affair. Freshman Congresswoman Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, raised nearly $500,000 during the first three months of 2019 as she seeks to defend her seat against five Republicans, including former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel.
Insiders note: We will update this post as we receive second quarter fundraising numbers from other campaigns.
Read more: Who's running in Georgia's 7th Congressional District
