Editor’s note: District Attorney Jared Williams’ campaign fundraising total has been updated.
With qualifying barely two weeks away, Augusta candidates are lining their war chests with cash for the May 21 general primary and nonpartisan election.
According to the latest campaign filings, Richmond County Marshal’s Office Sgt. Eugene “Gino Rock” Brantley has raised $56,606 in his quest to take Sheriff Richard Roundtree’s job in the Democratic primary.
Drawing from some in the law enforcement and legal community, Brantley has received approximately 15 contributions of $1,000 each, including from attorney Keith Johnson, Kelvin Gordon, Rhonda Sams and Robert Sams.
Brantley’s spending has included $13,000 with former Garnett Johnson campaign manager Jorge Diez of Georgia Strategy Group.
Roundtree has a second opponent in the Democratic primary in veteran lawman Clarence Lucious “Bo” Johnson IV. Drawing on support from south Richmond County, Johnson had raised nearly $10,000 in October but has not filed his latest report.
Roundtree, who’s been sheriff since 2012, reported no new fundraising but has $16,361 left over from a prior campaign.
Because most of the open local seats are nonpartisan or lean heavily Democrat, the contests will be decided on the primary ballot, or in a June 18 runoff.
A big exception is sheriff’s candidate Richard Dixon, who is attempting to gather some 6,700 signatures to appear as an independent on the November ballot. If he does, he’ll face off with the primary winner. Dixon had raised $3,140 as of last week.
District Attorney hopeful Amber Brantley has raised $36,466 to date in her effort to unseat Augusta Circuit DA Jared Williams in the Democratic primary. Her largest contributor has been herself in a $5,150 loan. She’s also spent $15,000 with the Georgia Strategy Group.
Williams reported a total of $106,807 raised for his reelection campaign. His largest recent individual donors have lawyers, with $3,000 each from Lucy Bell; Nicholson Revell LLC; Davis, Chapman and Wilder; Enoch Tarver and Frails and Wilson.
In the only contested judicial race so far, neither candidate has reported any fundraising.
Attorney Charles H.S. Lyons III and Chief Juvenile Court Judge Willie Saunders each have announced campaigns for retiring Superior Court Judge Daniel Craig’s seat.
Five open Augusta Commission contests are expected to heat up as qualifying approaches. The only announced candidate for District 7, Tina Slendak, reported raising $2,750, including $2,500 of her own funds.
In Super District 9, where former commissioner Marion Williams is challenging incumbent Francine Scott, Williams reported no fundraising. Scott reported raising $2,700 including $1,000 from Metropolitan Waste, one of the city’s small haulers. She reported paying businessman James Riles $1,000 for campaign office rent.
The biggest money commission race so far is former Forces United Deputy Director Donald Clark’s challenge against incumbent Bobby Williams for the District 5 commission seat.
Clark had raised $15,953 as of Feb. 7, including $1,000 from Dan McConnell, CEO of the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta, $1,000 from construction company owner Dittillo Shepherd and $3,000 from Pok Hui Mosley.
Williams reported raising $8,850 during the period that included the maximum $3,300 each from Travis and Cheryl Gamble.
In District 1, where incumbent Jordan Johnson had no announced opposition Friday, Johnson reported raising $6,248. A contribution of $1,000 was listed as coming from attorney Jim Overstreet and $1,500 from Infrastructure Systems Management, the engineering firm recently awarded a $7 million contract to manage recreation construction projects.
Carol Yancy, the trichologist who serves on the Augusta Housing Authority, recently announced her campaign for District 3 on the commission, but reported no fundraising. Incumbent Catherine Smith McKnight hasn’t filed a report.
Qualifying for the nonpartisan and primary contests is March 4-8. Advance voting starts April 29 in the May 21 primary and election, when voters also will decide whether to give Augusta’s mayor a vote on all commission actions.
