Developers Favor Reed, Borders with Big Donations
With additional reporting by Jonathan Springston.
(APN) ATLANTA — Big developers and other real estate interests gave the most in financial donations to State Sen. Kasim Reed, in the race for Mayor of Atlanta last quarter, followed by Council President Lisa Borders, according to a meticulous analysis conducted by Atlanta Progressive News. Front-runner, Councilwoman Mary Norwood, by comparison, received less than half of the real estate donations as Reed or Borders, and she received more smaller donations and donations from housewives and retired persons, by comparison.
The reports obtained by APN cover how much money candidates spent, how much they raised, and who gave how much for the period April 1 through June 30. APN examined the records for the five candidates we have interviewed to date: Reed, Borders, Norwood, attorney Jesse Spikes, and former Atlanta Police Department Budget Director Glenn Thomas.
In terms of real estate donations, APN employed a wide definition of what consisted real estate interests, including architectural firms, engineering firms, construction companies, real estate companies and agents, and many other companies involved in construction and management of real estate.
Reed’s developer and real estate donations totaled $114,923.50, according to our analysis. Border’s donations in the same category totaled $97,141. Norwood’s amounted to $45,925.
“It’s follow the money,” Norwood told APN, when told of the news agency’s findings. “It’s, what’s in it for them?”
In order to come up with these totals, APN combed through literally hundreds of pages of filings. For the most part, the filings only listed names of contributors and the names of their employers, but did not list what type of company their employer was. Therefore, APN used the search engine, Google, to look up hundreds of firms to determine if they were real estate or developer interests.
Here is a look at what we found:
KASIM REED
During the last quarter, Reed received 679 donations for a total of $507,206.50 for the period, more than any of his rivals. This total includes $11,043.96 in in-kind donations and $13,358 in donations under $101.
Reed, the former campaign manager for Mayor Shirley Franklin, spent $336,105.90 for the period, mostly on consulting and media fees as well as salary for staff and volunteers. Expenses include a $69,735.68 payment to Washington D.C.-based Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies for media.
A partner with the Atlanta law firm Holland & Knight LLP, Reed has spent $529,340.06 on his campaign as of June 30. With no debt or personal loans, Reed is in good shape with $436,186.44 on hand as of the filing.
Reeds colleagues at Holland & Knight donated eight individual times for a total of $5,450. Reed received numerous other donations from attorneys at other firms as well.
Real estate and developer donors included AL Grading Contractors ($1,000); Eskender Ebebe, Vice President of Benchmark Management ($2,000); David Adair, Regional Sales Manager, Jacobs Engineering ($200); American Brokerage Corporation ($1,000); Atlanta Grading & Utilities ($1,000); Atlanta Utility Contractors ($1,600); Atlantic Coast Construction ($2,000); Terrell Barden, President, Tebarco Mechanical ($750); Brooks Beard, Partner, Peterson Partners ($1,000); Lawrence Bell, Rohadfox Construction ($1,100); Benchmark Management ($2,100); Alan Berg, Engineer, Shaw Environmental ($200); George Bevan, President, Shaw Group ($1,000); Niles Bolton, Niles Bolton Associates ($500); Eddie Bradford, CFO, HJ Russell ($250); Brasfield & Gorrie ($1,000); Brown and Caldwell ($250); Timothy Brown, Engineer, Jacobs Engineering ($575); Jan Bryson, Consultant, Benchmark Management ($1,200); JocCole Burton, Managing Partner, Woodline Solutions ($250); Matthew Butler, Consultant, Shaw Group ($2,400); Greg Carlton, Carlton Capital Group ($250); Bruce Carminati, Vice President, Jacobs Engineering ($500); CH2M Hill, Inc. ($800); Chenevert Architects ($250); Nathaniel Clark, Managing Partner, Chasm Architecture ($500); Antonio D’Alessaandro, President, Lanzo Lining ($3,600, including for run-off); Gerald Daws, Ellis-Daws Properties ($1,000); Larry Dobbs, Dobbs Raker ($150); Dominion Development ($2,000); Hattie Dorsey, HB Dorsey and Associates ($250); EAC Consulting ($250); Florida Asphalt ($250); Flooring with Dimension ($250); Foundation Contractors ($2,400); FS 360 ($500); Georgia Architectural Stone ($1,000); Georgia Specialty Constructors ($250); Goode Van Slyke Architecture ($250); Michael Green, Phi Fin, Inc. ($750); H&R Paving ($1,000); H&W Georgia PAC ($1,000); HJ Kalikow ($500); HJ Russell ($1,600); Johnny Hardiman, Engineer, Lakeshore Engineering ($1,000); Stuart Harris, real estate broker ($400); Edwin Hartwell, Senior Associate, Newmark Knight Frank ($150); Hawk Construction ($250); Crispus Hedgeman, Jacobs Engineering ($300); Holt and Holt ($500); Kimberly Ann Hudgins, Jacobs Engineering ($250); Ideal Development Concepts ($1,000); ISG Facilities ($500); Jacobs Engineering ($2,000); JDC Lighting ($1,000); Jeffery Jenkins, Consultant, the Shaw Group ($1,000); Kalanos Johnson, President of Marketing, Rohadfox Construction ($1,000); Jonah & Company ($250); Robert Jones, developer ($500); Jordan, Jones, and Goulding ($1,000); Stanley King, SL King and Associates ($250); Mike Kotzin, Newmark Knight Frank ($2,400); Lacy & Associates ($500); Cliff Lambert, President, Jacobs Consultancy ($200); Sarah Langford, Regional Manager, National Church Residences ($150); Lanzo Lining ($3,600, including for run-off); Alan Levow, Crowne Partners ($500); Linda Brittian Construction ($200); LMI Electrical Contractors ($1,000); M-W Land & Investments ($300); David Mack, Mack Company ($500); Martinez & Johnson Architecture ($2,000); MCI Enterprises ($500); McLaurin Development Partners ($2,400); Zebedee McLauren ($2,400); Monty Harris Inc. ($2,400); Ken Morefield, SE Regional Manager, Jacobs Engineering ($250); Rod Mullice, Newmark Knight Frank ($500); Stephen Newbern, Post Properties ($200); Newmark Southern Region ($2,400); PACE Drywall ($1,000); Egbert Perry, Chairman, the Integral Group ($750); Peat’s Plumbing ($250); Pinto Painting & Decorating ($500); Gerri Porter, Vice President, MHR International ($101); Jeffrey Portman, Portman Properties ($1,000); Prophecy Designs ($1,000); Arthur Queen, EGM Services ($3,400 including for run-off); Ragghianti Foundations II ($500); Red Rock Global LLC ($250); Redi – Floors Inc. ($500); Reliable Construction Solutions ($500); Richard Harp Excavation ($250); Sonny Rincon, Rinconstruction ($250); Robert Rivers, Vice President, URS Corporation ($500); John Robbins, the Shailendra Group ($250); David Robertson, Reynolds, Smith, and Hills ($500); Roy Robinson, RB Robinson Company ($1,300); Jerome Russell, Russell New Urban Development LLC ($900); Herman Russell, Retired Chairman, HJ Russell & Company ($1,300); Bruce Sanders, Shailendra Group ($200); Selig Enterprises ($500); M., Sachin, and Saket Shailendra, Shailendra Enterprises ($5937.50 total); Smith Real Estate Services ($2,400); Brynne Smith, Managing Partner, Jacobs ($350); Francis Spears, builder ($200); George Spence, Cook and Ingle Company ($500); Dana Spotts ($250); Stasco Mechanical ($2,400); Charles Taylor, President, HT Group ($1,400); Marsha Taylor, Fred Taylor Co. ($500); Scott Taylor, Partner, Carter USA ($100); the Collaborative Firm ($250); the Master Contracting ($1,000); the Safaie Partnership ($1,000); Thrasher Contracting ($1,300); Michael Thrasher, Thrasher Contracting ($1,300); Tindall Corporation ($500); Frederick Tingberg, Marketing, Lanzo Lining ($2,400); Tip Top Roofers ($1,000); United Consulting ($150); Victoria Properties ($1,000); Waters Construction Co. ($500); Wiregrass Electric ($500); Wolveton and Associates ($700); and Khalid Yamin, Civil Engineer, Jacobs ($200).
Corporate and PAC donations included American Federation of Teachers ($2,400); Anheuser Busch Companies ($1,000); Checker Cab ($500); Delta Airlines PAC ($500); Frogs Cantina ($200); General Electric PAC ($2,000), Instant Car Title Loan ($1,500); Quiktrip Corporation ($500); Southern Electric ($500); and Troutman Sanders PAC ($1,000).
Other notable donations include former Council Member Marvin Arrington ($500), State Rep. Kathy Ashe ($1,300); State Rep. Stephanie Stuckey Benfield ($250); Richard Cox, Vice President, Orbitz; former Choicepoint President Douglas Curling ($3,600 including for run-off); former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-NY) ($2,400); D’Amato relatives ($4,800 total); Dr. Christopher Edwards, former vice chair of the Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority ($1,000); DeKalb County DA Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming ($500); Richard L. Holmes, Vice President of Regional Operations for Georgia Power ($1,000); Judge Gary Jackson, Municipal Court of Atlanta ($500); John Jackson, President, Bank of Atlanta ($200); Matthew Johnson, National Director, Every Church a Peace Church; Ronnie Labrato, Executive Vice President, Treasurer, and CFO of Georgia Power ($200); and State Sen. Nan Orrock ($2,000); former Secretary of State candidate Shyam Reddy ($500); State Sen. Valencia Seay ($250); State Rep. Calvin Smyre ($1,000); State Sen. Steve Thompson ($1,000); and former Mayor Andrew Young ($1,000).
As of June 30, Reed had raised $965,526.50 since his campaign kicked off about a year ago.
LISA BORDERS
It looked as if Borders might not run for mayor in order to care for her parents, who are in declining health. But on April 2, Borders announced she was back in.
And she wasted no time, collecting 657 donations totaling an impressive $403,528.20. This total includes $14,123.34 in donations less than $101 and $342.86 in in-kind donations.
Borders spent $270,865.98, including $37,990 for polling services to Alexandria, Virginia-based Cooper & Seacrest.
As of the last filing, She had spent $550,443.37 on the campaign so far and with no debt or personal loans, and she had a respectable $223,059.39 on hand.
Real estate and developer donors included Amtec Surveying of Ohio ($500); Arcadis ($500); Atlanta Realtors PAC ($2,000); Kelly Barrett, Vice President, Internal Audit and Corporate Compliance, Home Depot ($1,000); Todd Bertsch, architect ($300); Arthur Blank, co-founder, Home Depot ($500); Hope Bolden, President, the Integral Group ($300); Niles Bolton, Bolton Associates ($1,000); Derek Bottoms, Attorney, Home Depot ($500); Brown and Caldwell ($750); Donald Buenger, Managing Principal, the Urban Design Group ($500); Cajenn Construction and Rehabilitation Services ($750); Edward Callaway, Director, Interface, Inc. ($1,000); Camken Consulting ($2,400); CES ($2,400); CH2M Hill ($800); Ken Chestnut, Principal, the Integral Group ($250); Chief Solutions, Inc. ($1,000); WM Millard Choate, Choate Construction Co. ($1,000); Convest Development Companies ($2,400); Richard Courts II, Chairman, Atlantic Investment Company ($1,000); Richard Courts IV, Vice President, Carter ($250); Gerald Daws, CEO, Republic Property Company ($1,000); Dillard and Galloway ($500); Jeffery Dingle, Vice President, Delon Hampton Association ($250); Daniel DuPree, Vice President, Cousins Properties ($2,400); Charles Easley, Vice President, Lowe’s ($1,000); Valerie Edwards, Principal, the Integral Group ($250); Edward Ellis, Consultant, URS Corp. ($1,000); Thad Ellis, Vice President, Cousins Properties ($1,000); Randy Evans, Eastdill Realty ($500); Terri Ewing ($250); Andrwe Feiler, Executive, Metro Developers ($1,000); Glenn Paul Friedman, Executive Assistant, ACCP ($211); FS 360 LLC ($500); Gajjar Engineering Systems ($1,200); Douglas Garges, Real Estate Broker, Cummings, Hussley, and Maddox ($500); Lawrence Gellerstedt, Vice President, Cousins Properties ($1,000); George Johnson Properties ($1,000); Andrew Ghertner, Executive Vice President, Cushman and Wakefield ($2,300); Renee Glover, Executive, Atlanta Housing Authority ($300); Goode Van Slyke Architecture ($250); Herbert Greene, Urban Suburban ($1,500); Samuel Gude, Executive Vice President, Skanska USA ($200); William Halter, Architect, Helmuth Obada Casabaum ($250); HDR PAC ($500); Hillsman, Inc. ($250); Holder Construction Co. ($1,000); Douglas Hooker, Vice President, PBS&J ($250); Brad Horner, Real Estate Broker, Caldwell Banker ($250); Cecilia Houston-Torrence, FHLBank Atlanta ($250); Gerald Hudgins ($500); Huntingwood Points Apartments ($250); Craig Bond Jones, Cousins Properties ($1,480); Jordan, Jones, and Goulding ($2,250); Juneau Construction Company ($1,000); Timothy Kemper, Executive, Harold Dawson Company ($500); Richard Kennedy, Vice President, Parsons Brinckerhoff ($200); Phillip Khayat ($250); KPK Commercial ($500); David Lanier, Trammell Crow Company ($250); Brian Leary, AIG Global Real Estate ($200); Vince Leccese, Red Door Realty Group ($500); Legacy Property Group ($2,000); Kenneth Lewis, CFO, Urban Suburban ($500); T.M. Lowe, Lowe Engineers ($1,000); McKenney’s Mechanical Contractors and Engineers ($1,000); Katherine Molyson, Development Manager, Cousins Properties ($500); Beverlyn Moore, Crescent City Bidco ($750); Eddie Moore, CEO, Imani Environmental Group ($2,000); E. Lee Morris, Executive Vice President, Stevens and Wilkinson ($250); David Nelson, Real Estate Executive, Cousins Properties ($500); Dara Nicholson, Executive, Cousins Properties ($1,000); North American Pipeliner Management ($500); John Charles Olderman, Executive, Cousins Properties ($250); Ashwin Patel, Manager, Alpha Insulation ($250); Charlotte Patel, Division Manager, Alpha Insulation ($250); Robert Elliott Paul , Eagle Granite Company ($200); Janis Perkins, Property Manager, JANA Inc. ($200); Egbert Perry, President and CEO, Integral Group ($1,250); Eric Pinckney, Vice President, the Integral Group ($125); Mitchell Powell, CFO, the Integral Group ($250); Gary Price, Coldwell Banker ($1,250); Thomas Raney, General Contractor, RJ Griffin and Company ($1,250); Reeves Ditching and Contracting ($500); Reynolds Inliner LLC ($1,200); James Rhoden, Futren Corporation ($1,000); Craig Robinson, TrammelCrow ($1,000); James Rooker, Rooker and Associates ($1,000), Karen See, Senior VP, HOK ($300); RD Sharma, Premium Investment ($250); John Shlesinger, Vice Chairman, CBRE ($2,400); Siverman Construction Program ($500); Bradford Smith, Coldwell Banker ($250); Southeast Capital Partners Inc. ($1,000); Jack Sprott, Executive Director, McPherson Planning LRA ($500); Stephens Rock and Dirt ($2,400); Michael Stephens, John Stephens Inc. ($2,400); Mitchell Stephens, John Stephens Inc. ($2,400); James Stephenson, Yancey Bros. Co. ($1,000); Stevens & Wilkinson Stang & Newdow, Inc. ($250); Tayani Suma, Development, ANDP ($125); Surber Barber Choate and Hartlein Architects ($250); Tensor Consulting Group LLC ($300); Terracon ($500); the Circle Group LLC ($1,000); David Todd Jr., Managing Director, Newmark Southern Region ($500); Michael Tompkins, Executive, LeCraw ($1,000); Urban Suburban Inc. ($2,000); Ray Uttenhove, SRS Real Estate Partners ($1,000); Robert Voyles, Founder, Seven Oaks Company ($500); WHI Inc. ($2,400); Vance White, Director of Business Development, Beck Group ($1,200); Eric Wilbon, Executive Vice President, the Integral Group ($250); Sean Wilson, HOK ($500); Lashawndra Woods, Infrasite Management ($150); Steven Yenser, Senior Vice President, Cousins Properties ($1,000); and Eric Zimmerman, Managing Director, Eastdil Secured ($1,000).
If this were a race about donor name recognition, then Borders would be head and shoulders above the competition. Her donor list at times reads like the who’s who of the Atlanta business community.
Notable donors include: Julius S. Abdur-Rahim, assistant coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings ($1,000); E. Thomas Andrews, president of Saint Joseph’s Mercy Care Services ($200); Thomas Bishop, Senior Vice President for Georgia Power ($500); James R. Blackwell, president of Asia Pacific Exploration and Production for Chevron ($2,400); Arthur Blank, owner of the Atlanta Falcons ($500); Rebecca Blalock, CIO for The Southern Company ($500); Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Georgia ($1,000); Rosalind G. Brewer, President of Southeast Operations for Wal-Mart ($1,000); Mickey A. Brown, Executive Vice President of Georgia Power ($750); Pete Correll, chairman of the GMHC and Atlanta Equity Investors ($1,400); Delta Airlines PAC ($500); Curley Dossman Jr, President of Georgia Pacific ($1,000); Walter G. Ehmer, President and COO of Waffle House ($1,000); Michael Garrett, President and CEO of Georgia Power ($1,000); Matt Gove, Senior Vice President of Grady Health System and campaign advisor ($1,200); James Hannan, CEO of Georgia Pacific ($1,000); Evelyn Lowery, wife of Joseph Lowery ($500); Donna Orender, President of the WNBA ($2,400); Barbara Payne, Executive Director, Fulton County Taxpayers Foundation ($1,250); Joe Rogers, CEO of Waffle House and GMHC member ($1,000); Suzanne Sitherwood, President of Atlanta Gas Light ($1000), and former State Sen. Sam Zamarripa ($1,000).
Donations like these have helped Borders raise $773,502.76 for the campaign as of June 30.
MARY NORWOOD
Unlike Reed and Borders, Norwood relied more on small donations this previous period.
Norwood received 951 contributions for a total of $313,526.44 for the period. This includes 658 donations of under $250 and 23 of $5. It also includes $6,275 in in-kind contributions.
She spent $131,623.95, mostly on campaign staff and equipment. No personal loans and a small debt left Norwood with a sturdy $490,019.44 on hand as of the last filing.
Norwood received donations from noted progressives including Carl Hartrampf, Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless ($100); William Bozarth, Executive Director of Common Cause Georgia ($50); Eleanor Rayton, President, Palmer House senior highrise ($15); and Prof. Hans Klein, Georgia Tech University ($50).
Notable donations include: Georgia Better Government Fund ($2,000); Theodore M. Hutcheson Jr., Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Airtran Airways, ($1,000); Robert Loudermilk, President and CEO of Aaron, Inc. ($2,400); Delta Airlines PAC ($500); Xernona Clayton Brady, Director of the Trumpet Awards ($200); Thomas D. Hills, CFO for State of Georgia ($100); Carl Sanders, chairman emeritus at Troutman Sanders ($400); and Troutman Sanders LLP ($1000).
Real estate and developer contributions include Norma Johnson ($100); Armin Maier, Armin Maier and Associates ($500); Robert Beauchamp ($350); Brown Realty Advisors ($1,000); William Cocke, Cocke Finkelstein ($500); Cocke Finkelstein ($500); Eliot Arnovitz ($250); Gerald Daws, Republic ($1,000); Robert Kent, Infrastructure Monitoring Systems ($2,400); Stanley King, SL King & Associates ($250); Charles La Mon ($250); MWH-KHAFRA, Inc. ($500); Thomas Aderhold, Aderhold Properties ($2,000); James Hamilton ($200); Island Point Gateway LLC ($1,000); David Munford, Freddie Mac ($100); Spire Development ($600); Charles Ackerman, Ackerman and Co. ($1,000); Stuart Alston, Carter ($250); Hal Barry, Barry Companies ($500); Brand Partners LP ($2000); Brown and Caldwell ($500); Howard Carson ($250); Robert Grisby, Newmark Knight Frank ($1,000); Chiteka Jackson ($200); Forde Kay, Jenny Pruitt ($100); Jennifer Marks, Jenny Pruitt ($1,000); John Paulin ($25); Alice Pettway, Harry Norman ($50); Elisabeth Rogers, Harry Norman ($300); George Robrig, Cartel Properties ($200); William Viehman, Perkins & Will ($200); John Zumwalt, PBS&J Consulting ($2,400); Beaumont Allen ($1,200); James Caswell, PC Management Co. ($1,200); Island Point Gateway ($1,200); Mark Lethbridge, Arcadis ($500); Matthew Bertram, Prudential ($500); Jones, Jones, & Goulding ($1,000); Greg Harris, Garney Construction ($1,000); Roberta Foley, Harry Norman ($300); Jay Ashtiani, United Consulting ($100); Refik Elibay, Jordan, Jones, & Goulding ($100); Renee Glover, Director of the Atlanta Housing Authority ($300); Donald Hill, United Consultants ($500); Russell Leake, Cisco Systems ($200); Player and Company ($2,000); Christopher Roberds, United Consulting ($500); United Property Management Group ($2,000); George Olmstead Inc. ($500); Sam Thomas, City Properties ($1,000); Randall Akin, Harry Norman ($100); William Mobley ($1,000); Kelly Jordan, Point Center Corp. ($300); Wiley Ansley ($300); Sandtown Center LLC ($500); Shea Campbell, Brown Realty Advisors ($50); Harper and Company ($100); Willis Dobss ($200); Brent Sobol, Toro Properties Group ($2,000); William Wiggins ($250); Joel Smithson, Smithson Real Estate ($1,000); Bluegrass Property Ownership LLC ($150); Edward Easterlin, the Wesley Company ($1,000); Edwin Hartwell, Newmark Knight Frank ($100); Anne Hasset ($300); EJ Perry, the Integral Group ($500); SG Bayne Group ($500); Scott Boze, Boze Capital ($250); Edward Boze, Boze Capital ($250); Thena Norman ($500); Normandy Village Apartments, LLC ($500); and Carole Simmons, Century 21 ($500).
Norwood has been on the campaign trail for over two years, either officially or unofficially, and had raised $1,048,543.44 as of June 30, more than any of her rivals. But with Reed and Borders making their fundraising prowess known, Norwood will have to work extra hard to keep up.
JESSE SPIKES
During the period ending June 30, Spikes took out two loans, one for $100,000 and another for $150,000 to go along with the $40,975 he raised through contributions.
Spikes, a partner with the Atlanta law firm McKenna, Long, & Aldridge LLP, remains a dark horse contender in this race and the two substantial loans show he is in it for the long haul.
He spent $219,705.36, including a $10,000 media buy through Strother Strategies and $35,608.52 to D.C.-based Feldman Group for polling.
Though no well-known names appear on his record, Spikes received a significant boost from McKenna. The firm’s PAC kicked in $2,000 and 12 different McKenna colleagues donated for a total of $6,575.
Spikes’s headfirst dive into the race has left him with significantly more debt than his rivals. At the beginning of April, Spikes had $11,863.38 in debt. Add to that the $250,000 in loans and a deferred $8,940.22 payment for legal expenses, Spikes had a total debt as of $268,403.60.
Nevertheless, Spikes has raised an impressive $475,918.83 for his campaign as of June 30 (counting the $250,000 in loans) and has $200,671.30 on hand, a respectable amount that should keep him competitive.
GLENN THOMAS
Thomas only received one donation: $150 from a Dr. Frank Glover. To supplement that, Thomas took out a $12,115.23 loan, leaving him with $16,669.45 in total debt.
The former APD budget director only had $713.73 on hand but he spent $12,925.23 for the period and has spent $21,622.72 for his entire campaign.
All told, Thomas has raised $22,336.45 for his campaign. Thomas is full of positive energy and worthy ideas but will his money troubles derail his campaign before the rest of Atlanta has a chance to learn about him?
About the author:
Matthew Cardinale is the News Editor for Atlanta Progressive News and is reachable at matthew@atlantaprogressivenews.com. Jonathan Springston is a Senior Staff Writer for Atlanta Progressive News and is reachable at jonathan@atlantaprogressivenews.com.
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