Atlanta Progressive News

(APN) ATLANTA — Earlier this month, candidates for Mayor and City Council of Atlanta turned in their final campaign disclosure reports before the November 3 election.

Three of the top four candidates for mayor have raised over $1 million each but the money is not there like it was four years ago when Mayor Shirley Franklin had already raised well over $2 million by this same point in her reelection bid.

This latest donation period, which lasted from July 1 to September 30, 2009, showed most of the candidates carving out a certain donor niche. Meanwhile, some high profile donors decided to hedge their bets this period and donate to multiple candidates.

For example, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank donated $2,000 to Mary Norwood, Kasim Reed, and Lisa Borders. Atlanta Hawks head coach Michael Woodson donated $2,400 to Borders and Reed. The Better Community Political Action Committee, the PAC for the Buckhead Coalition, sent Norwood $1,344 and $528 to Borders and Reed.

Atlanta Progressive News obtained the reports and analyzed them for some general trends and high-profile donors to each of the candidates.

KASIM REED

Reed pulled in $446,087.09 for the period, the most of any candidate, and has raised $1,411,613.59 to date.

But because he has struggled to gain name recognition, Reed also spent more than anyone else: $669,149.09, leaving him $213,124.44 on hand.

As was the case last quarter, Reed benefited from copious donations from out-of-state interests. Out of 625 total donations, 120 of them came from out of state, more than all the other candidates combined.

The law firm Holland & Knight LLP, where Reed is a partner, pitched in too. Reed received 31 donations from the firm and its employees for a total of $14,625.

Notable donations include: Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young ($2,000); AFSCME ($2,400); Amalgamated Transit Union Local 732 ($1,000); Marvin Arrington Jr. ($500); Atlanta-North Georgia Labor Council ($1,200); Erin Alexandria Brown, finance manager, Aaron Watson for City Council Campaign ($101); Janine M. Brown, labor liaison, United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta ($250); Candice L. Byrd, director, City of Atlanta Office of the Public Defender ($100); International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers ($2,400); International Union of Painters and Allied Trades ($2,400); Tami Jackson, senior manager U.S. government relations, Coca-Cola ($500); Laborers International Union of North America ($1,200); Sidney A. Ribeau, president of Howard University ($1,000); State Rep. Valencia Seay ($50); former State Rep. Robbin Shipp ($101); State Rep. Pat Gardner ($1,000); Maggie Garrett, formerly of Georgia ACLU, currently Americans United for Separation of Church and State ($100); Scott Holcomb, former Secretary of State candidate ($101); and Noel Khalil, Columbia Residential, development partner with Atlanta Housing Authority whose company owed money to former HUD Secretary ($1,000).

LISA BORDERS

Borders raised $402,502.50 during the same period. Since officially reentering the race in April, Borders has brought her total to $1,140,210.83.

But like Reed, Borders spent more money than came in: $452,472.06, leaving her with $233,786.27. The City Council President is trying to elbow her way into a potential runoff with Norwood but is trying to fight off a late-surging Reed.

If there was any doubt before, Borders solidified her standing with corporate Atlanta this period. Big names like Coca-Cola, Home Depot, Delta Airlines, Georgia Power, and its parent operation, The Southern Company, account for many of her 664 donations.

Former employer and real estate giant Cousins Properties appears seven times on Borders’s report, earning her $4,400, including a $1,400 donation from Senior Vice President Larry Gellerstadt.

Other notable donations include: State Rep. Stacey Abrams ($25); Luz Borrero, deputy COO of Atlanta ($100); Paul Bowers, CFO Southern Company ($500); Rosalind G. Brewer, president southeast operations, Wal-Mart Stores ($1,400); John F. Brock III chairman and CEO Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. ($1,000); Kelly R. Cafarelli, executive director Home Depot Foundation ($250); Steven Cahillane, president North America Business Coca-Cola Enterprises ($1,000); Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc. ($1,000); Evern D. Cooper-Epps, president UPS Foundation ($1,500); Calvin Darden, chairman Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. ($1,000); William W. Douglas III, CFO Coca-Cola Enterprises ($1,000); John Downs, Jr., senior vice president of public affairs and communications for Coca-Cola Enterprises ($1,000); John Fox, CEO Emory Healthcare, Inc. ($500); Julie Francis, vice president of sales and marketing, Coca-Cola Enterprises ($300); Michael Garrett, president and CEO Georgia Power ($500); Rita K. Houston, director global marketing Coca-Cola ($250); George Jenkins, Jr., senior assistant ADA Fulton County ($250); Sgt. Scott Kreher, Atlanta police union head ($150); John Maupin, president Morehouse School of Medicine ($2,400); Charles H. McTier, chairman Woodruff Foundation ($500); C.J. Moreland, director Coca-Cola Enterprises ($250); Kathleen Barksdale Pattillo, Atlanta Board of Education ($2,150); David Ratcliffe, president Southern Company ($1,000); Joe Rogers, CEO Waffle House ($1,000); Former Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, Georgia Supreme Court ($1,000); Suzanne Sitherwood, president Atlanta Gas Light ($600); Beverly Tatum, president Spelman College ($300); Carol B. Tome, executive vice president Home Depot ($2,400); the Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor Ebenezer Baptist Church ($500); Maria Balais, staffer for Aaron Watson for Council ($250); and Glen Paul Freedman, Borders staff member and former partner of Allen Thornell ($100).

MARY NORWOOD

Norwood pulled in a healthy $312,739.77, giving her $1,334,132.21 to date. She only spent $182,164.99, leaving her $624,594.24 cash on hand, more than any other candidate. This should put her in good shape in a possible runoff against Reed or Borders.

The 1051 donations came in small packages, with many ranging from $50 to $200. An impressive 143 donations are $25 or less.

Other notable donations: W. Craig Barrs, senior vice president for external affairs, Georgia Power ($250); Allan Vigil, owner, Allan Vigil Ford ($500); William T. Wright, vice president, Georgia Power ($250); H.J. Russell Co. ($1,000) and owner Herman J. Russell ($1,300); Atlanta Professional Firefighters ($2,400); Belinda Brady, corporate director, Coca-Cola Enterprises ($850); C.B. Harreld, executive vice president, Georgia Power ($250); Kevin Fletcher, vice president, Georgia Power ($250); Daniel J. Whitner, Jr., Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority board member and private practice dentist ($200); Robert C. Loudermilk, Sr., president, Aaron Rents, Inc. ($1,000); George S. Head, business manager, Plumbers and Pipefitters Union ($2,400); Massell Commercial Real Estate, headed by Steve Massell, son of former Atlanta Mayor Sam Massell ($150); Judge T. Jackson Bedford, Fulton County Superior Court ($200); Marvin Cosgray, president and CEO, Buckhead Community Bank ($1,000); Dwanda L. Farmer, candidate for Post 1 At-Large ($25); State Rep. Ralph A. Long ($500); Tom Coffin, former arborist for the City of Atlanta ($50); J. Mack Robinson, president, Delta Life Insurance, and notable philanthropist ($1,000); John A. Williams, founder, Post Properties ($500); Judge Jerry Baxter, Georgia Superior Court ($500); Douglas Ivester, former chairman, Coca-Cola Company ($500); the Atlanta Hotel Council ($2,000); David Hanna, CompuCredit ($500); Frank Hanna, CompuCredit ($500); Prof. Hans Klein, Georgia Tech ($280); George Pilkington, senior advocate ($10); Herbert Eber, neighborhood activist ($50); Dianne Olansky, midtown neighborhood leader ($100); and Barbara Long, Buckhead neighborhood leader ($500).

JESSE SPIKES

Spikes has run a respectable campaign, offering an alternative to voters wary of City Hall insiders, but has struggled to gain name recognition.

He raised $45,725 in cash and took out three loans totaling $71,000 for a total of $120,172.45 for the period. Spikes has raised $596,091.28 to date but that includes $250,000 in loans last period as well.

Like most of his opponents, Spikes spent more than he brought in: $275,635.17, leaving him only $44,708.50 cash on hand.

Attorneys from McKenna, Long, & Aldridge LLP, where Spikes is a partner, pitched in 17 times this period for a total of $7,525.

There was one other notable donation: $200 from Clayton County Commissioner Gail Hambrick.

CORRECTION: Previously, this article reported that Maggie Garrett, Scott Holcomb, Noel Khalil, and Pat Gardner had donated to Borders; in fact, they had donated to Reed. The article has been updated to reflect this information.

About the author:

Jonathan Springston is a Senior Staff Writer for Atlanta Progressive News and is reachable at jonathan@atlantaprogressivenews.com.

Revised syndication policy:

Our syndication policy was updated June 2007. For more information on how to syndicate Atlanta Progressive News content, please visit: http://www.atlantaprogressivenews.com/extras/syndicate.html