Sleeper was his own largest contributor
When it comes to fund-raising, Jim Whitehead is leading the competition.
Based on campaign contribution disclosure reports, which were due Thursday to the Columbia County Board of Elections office, Whitehead, an Evans Republican running for the state's 24th Senate District, has raised the most of all Columbia County candidates seeking an office in the Nov. 2 general election.
From June 30 to Sept. 30, he collected $62,105. Leading up to the primary campaign in which he defeated Republican incumbent Joey Brush, Whitehead raised $61,721.
Since the primary, Whitehead's Democratic opponent, Chuck Pardue, of Martinez, has received $10,806 in contributions, according to his disclosure report.
Concerning expenditures, Whitehead's campaign has spent $65,478 since the primary, but Whitehead still has a balance on hand of $24,500 with the help of funds left over from his prior campaign against Brush.
Whitehead's top contributor was himself in the amount of $15,000. Otherwise, his top contributors included Four Seasons Securities Inc., the David Shafer Senate Committee, the Georgia Republican Senate Trust in Loganville, Johnson for Senate, Smile PAC and Michael D. Tomberlin, all of which made contributions of $2,000.
Whitehead spent the most money on advertising with Firehouse Consulting, LLC in Evans, paying the company $54,052.
According to his disclosure report, Pardue has spent $10,081 since the primary, the greatest expenditure for yard signs and wire frames, labels, pens and bumper stickers for a total of $4,646. Pardue's top contributor was himself at a total of $6,856. Otherwise, his top contributor was the Civil Justice PAC Inc. in Atlanta at $2,000.
Of the four candidates running for a seat on the Columbia County School Board, District 5 candidate Michael Sleeper raised the most money with himself as his largest contributor.
He has raised $9,225 with $6,000 coming from his own wallet. Sleeper's next largest contributor is the Coalition for Good Government with $1,000.
Sleeper's opponent, LouAnne Grove, has raised $4,154 in monetary donations and received $115 in pictures from Fitz-Simms Photography. Her largest contributor is Harold Mays, of Augusta, who donated $2,000. Also contributing to Grove's campaign were Columbia County commissioners Diane Ford, $500, and Steve Brown, $101.
Grove has donated only $303 to her own campaign.
Like Sleeper, District 2 school board candidate Donnie Porter is his own largest contributor. Of the $4,322 in monetary donations to Porter's campaign, $3,622 came from himself, spread out in six different donations, according to Board of Elections records.
His largest campaign contributor, aside from himself, is Betty Porter, of Augusta, for $500. He also received $500 in in-kind contributions from Mark O'Tyson Photography.
Wayne Bridges, the District 2 incumbent, has raised the least amount of money of all other school board candidates. He has raised $1,900, with his largest contributions at $250 each from Anilo Gonzalez, of Odessa, Fla., and Bill Hill, of Martinez.
State Senate District 24 candidate Jim Whitehead has raised $62,105.