Jason Carter out-raises Nathan Deal in latest fundraising report | Political Insider blog

Democrat Jason Carter’s campaign was hoping to stay in the ballpark against Gov. Nathan Deal’s donor network. Instead, the Atlanta state senator outpaced the Republican incumbent’s fundraising machine in the three months between April and June.

Deal’s campaign said Tuesday it raised $1.27 million in the second quarter and has $2.6 million in cash on hand going into the final four or so months ahead of the November election. Carter’s camp raised more than $2 million in the same timeframe and has $1.8 million in the bank.

The surprising results will be hard for Deal’s camp to spin, one reason they were likely released so late on Tuesday evening. The campaign noted, though, that 92 percent of its donors came from within the state. A Democratic source said about 70 percent of Carter’s supporters were in-state. We’ll be able to crunch the numbers when we get the full reports.

For Carter, the fundraising numbers prove his network can hold its own – and then some – against the governor’s team. With help from his grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter, the Atlanta Democrat has tapped a rich vein of donors who believe in his chances in November, or are at least willing to hedge their bets.

via Jason Carter out-raises Nathan Deal in latest fundraising report | Political Insider blog.