Perdue trailing Kemp in early fundraising in Georgia governor race

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) is opening up an early fundraising lead over former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.) in the Peach State’s hostile GOP gubernatorial primary. 

Kemp, who won office in 2018, raised more than $7.4 million between July 1 and Jan. 31 and has more than $12.7 million in the bank. Perdue, who only entered the race in early December, raised $1.1 million by Jan. 31, his campaign said in a statement. The amount Perdue has in the bank was not immediately available.

Both candidates looked to tout their own fundraising, casting themselves as the candidate with the most momentum in what has already shaped up to be a bitter nominating contest.

“While Perdue raised an embarrassing $1 million during his first two months in the race, the Kemp for Governor campaign raised $2.5 million in the same time period. Kemp for Governor now has over fourteen times the cash on hand compared to former Senator Perdue’s campaign — $870,000 to over $12.7 million,” Kemp spokesperson Cody Hall said in a statement. 

Meanwhile, Perdue’s campaign said it is confident in its position given its fundraising and endorsement from former President Trump.

“As the only Trump-endorsed candidate in this race, David Perdue has the message, the momentum, and the grassroots network to win in May and defeat Stacey Abrams in November,” the campaign said. “While Brian Kemp collects checks from lobbyists and special interest groups, David Perdue is traveling around the state and connecting with thousands of everyday Georgians.”

Perdue’s fundraising gap could be narrowed after a federal judge issued an order barring Kemp from spending money from a special leadership committee during the primary. Such bodies, created through a 2020 bill signed into law by Kemp, allow the governor and legislative leaders to raise unlimited amounts of money, including during a legislative session when incumbents are prohibited from collecting money for their personal campaign accounts. Perdue had sued, alleging the law gave Kemp an unfair advantage

The GOP primary is dividing largely over arguments about the 2020 election.

Kemp shot down Trump’s requests to overturn President Biden’s victory in Georgia in 2020, making him a top target of Trump’s orbit and coalescing support among the former president’s allies around Perdue, whom Trump encouraged to run.

Perdue lost his Senate seat in early 2021 in a runoff to now-Sen. Jon Ossoff (D).

Both Kemp and Perdue trailed Stacey Abrams, a voting rights activist and likely Democratic gubernatorial nominee, in fundraising. Abrams hauled in more than $9.25 million since her Dec. 1 announcement and has $7.2 million in the bank, her campaign said last week.