ZACHARY: Money sheds light on Georgia GOP

Published 9:00 am Sunday, February 13, 2022

By Staff reports

Money talks.

Money talks the loudest when it comes to politics.

And, if you listen to the money, Gov. Brian Kemp may not be in political trouble after all.

Kemp found himself in the crosshairs of a swath of fellow Republicans after he refused to bend to pressure to overturn President Joe Biden’s Georgia victory in the 2020 election.

Consequently, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue was tapped to unseat his fellow Republican in this year’s gubernatorial primary. 

The conventional wisdom has been that Perdue would give Kemp a run for his money.

It is Kemp, however, who is running far ahead in the money race.

According to Capitol Beat, with less than four months to go before the May 24 Republican primary, Gov. Kemp has raised a whopping $19.3 million.

That war chest dwarfs Perdue’s $1.1 million, which is being reported by The Hill.

High profile Democrat challenger Stacey Abrams has raised $9.3 million, Capitol Beat reported.

Fundraising by the other nominal candidates will, most likely, not even move the needle.

This primary will be the most high profile test of which faction in the Republican Party has the reins of the GOP leading up to midterm elections.

Kemp and fellow traditional Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger did not buy into election conspiracy theories, refused to overturn the duly certified election and appear to be no worse for the wear. In fact, it may very well be they have garnered cache among more traditional conservatives across the state, at least the ones with money to donate to campaigns.

Kemp and Raffensperger clearly demonstrate being a loyal Republican and being loyal to election conspiracy theories are not the same thing.

This huge fundraising disparity between Kemp and Perdue is telling and may be an indication many in the party hope to return to more traditional Republican values, standards, traditions and positions. 

Money talks and right now the good money in the Republican Primary seems to be on Gov. Brian Kemp.

Jim Zachary is the editor of the Valdosta Daily Times, CNHI’s director of newsroom training and development and president emeritus of the Georgia First Amendment Foundation.