Senate candidate Jon Ossoff amassed nearly $3 million in the month of July for his bid to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue, thanks partly to a cash infusion after the incumbent’s campaign manipulated the Democrat’s image in a digital ad.

Ossoff said Tuesday he raised about $1 million in the five days after Perdue’s campaign was forced to delete a digital ad that enlarged Ossoff’s nose, which triggered accusations that he was evoking anti-Semitic tropes.

In all, the campaign said it received nearly 28,000 contributions from first-time donors to help him collect about $2.9 million in July.

Ossoff, who raised more than $30 million during his 2017 special election campaign, is racing to rebuild that fundraising machine. He has recently out-paced Perdue in this contest, though the incumbent has far more -- about $10.7 million -- in the bank.

The Republican also enjoys an advantage with outside groups, which have poured resources into a race that some polls suggest is deadlocked.

A review of ad buys shows the Senate Leadership Fund and the pro-Perdue One Nation PAC have reserved roughly $27 million in spending this fall, while groups backing Ossoff have so far committed to about $8 million.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum, accompanied by Atlanta Fire Chief Roderick Smith, provided an update to the press during a media tour at the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. They discussed the new Simulation Center, which will enable officers to train for various crime scenarios, including domestic disputes, commercial robberies, and kidnappings. Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024.
(Miguel Martinez / AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez/AJC