State Senate race attracting 'big bucks'; D.A. race also expensive

GAINESVILLE - The three candidates running for state Senate from Gainesville have raised more than $338,000 - while spending just over half that. And, the race for district attorney for the Northeastern Judicial Circuit is also shaping up to be an expensive one.

Lee Hawkins leads in contributions in the Senate race, with $218,000 ($100,000 of that from his own pocket), and in spending - around $90,000. Mark Musselwhite reports taking in $111,000 (including $17,000 of his own money) and spending around $88,000. The third man in the July 18 GOP primary, Jeff Williams, says he has raised $9,400 and spending around $8,100.

The three are in a hotly contested race for the Republican nomination for the seat being vacated by Casey Cagle.

Hawkins, in his campaign disclosure report for the period ending June 30, reports 32 separate contributions totaling $1,000 or more (not including his own $100,000) - with no single contribution of more than $2,000. Three in-kind contributions of $1,000 each are also listed - all for a fund-raising party.

Musselwhite's report shows 37 contributions of $1,000 or more each (not including the $17,000 from himself.) Four of his contributions are for $4,000 each.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY RACE

The two candidates for district attorney for the Gainesville-based Northeastern Circuit report raising almost the same amount of money for their campaigns through June 30.

Incumbent Lee Darragh, appointed to the post last year by Governor Perdue after Jason Deal was named a judge of Superior Court in the circuit, reports raising just over $37,000 and Lisa Jones reports raising just under that amount. Darragh says he has spent about $11,500 - while Jones reports expenditures of just over $25,000.

Darragh's contributors include state Representative James Mills of Gainesville, who is running unopposed, and state Senate candidate Mark Musselwhite, whose contribution was made March 16 while he was still Gainesville mayor and before he got into the Senate race.

Contributors to Jones' campaign include former DeKalb County District Attorney J. Tom Morgan and the current District Attorney in Gwinnett County (and Jones' current boss), Danny Porter.

OTHER HALL CO. RACES

County Commission candidate Bobby Banks leads all candidates in the other contested races in Hall County when it comes to both raising and spending money.

Banks reports raising and spending nearly $28,000. (He says he also had a personal loan of $13,600 to his campaign on the first disclosure in March.) His opponent, Kathy Cooper, says she has raised and spent about $8,000.

Musselwhite is listed as contributing to both campaigns. His contribution to the Banks campaign occurred before he got into the Senate race; he contributed to Cooper's war chest after qualifying to run for the senate.

In the race for Hall County Board of Education, Post 1, Sam Chapman has raised $6,660 and spent $1,354. His opponent in the Republican Primary, Duane Jones, reports expenditures of $1,022 and contributions of $1,125.

The other contested school board race pits Pamela Graham against Brian Sloan. Sloan is way out front in contributions and expenditures - reporting $12,379 in contributions and $6,262 in expenditures. Graham says she has raised $1,283 while spending $1,428.

There are no contested Hall County races in the Democratic Primary which will also be held July 18.