Monday, July 12, 2010

Huckaby Raises Nearly 5 Times Combined Total of Other Candidates in Oconee County House Race

Big Loans Part of Story

Hank Huckaby, one of three Republicans running to replace retiring Bob Smith in the Georgia House of Representatives, has raised $95,507 for his campaign so far, which is nearly five times what the other two candidates have raised together.

More than half of the amount of money Huckaby raised came from a loan of $50,000 that he made to the campaign, but he raised $39,050 in contributions of more than $100 and $6,457 in contributions of $100 or less.

Kirk Shook from Crawford in Oglethorpe County raised $14,304, with $5,000 of that coming from two loans he made to his campaign. He raised $5,450 from contributions of more than $100 and $3,854 from contributions of $100 or less.

Tommy Malcom raised $5,824 for his campaign, but $4,624 came from a loan he made to his campaign. He raised $500 in contributions of more than $100 and $700 in contributions of $100 or less.

Huckaby, Malcom and Shook will meet in the July 20 Republican primary. If no one gets a majority, the two top candidates will meet in the August 10 runoff.

The winner of that contest will then face off against Democrat Suzy Compere of Bostwick in Morgan County, who is running unopposed in the July 20 Democratic primary.

As of the June 30 filing deadline, Compere had not raised or spent any money in her campaign, according to her finance report.

Huckaby has spent $34,457, leaving him his $50,000 loan and another $11,050 to spend.

Shook has spent $6,454, leaving him his loan of $5,000 and another $2,850 to spend.

Malcom has spent $4,624, which is the amount of his loan. He had $1,200 left to spend on June 30.

Huckaby received $2,400–the maximum amount allowed for a primary for the state General Assembly–from Claire Frazier of Mineral Bluff, Adolphus Frazier of Mineral Bluff and WMG enterprises of Athens. He received $2,000 from Donald Leeburn of McDonough.

Huckaby received contributions of $1,000 from 10 donors, one of whom was former Gov. Zell Miller.

Shook received his largest contribution of $2,000 from American Federation for Children in Arlington, Va.

Malcom’s only contribution of more than $100 was $500 from Marvin Green of Bishop.

The campaign statements were due on July 8 and covered the period through June 30. They were filed electronically and are available for viewing on the web site of the State Ethics Commission.

Huckaby’s figure is just slightly higher than the amount of money Smith reported having raised at the end of his last campaign in 2008, when he was unopposed in both the primary and the general election.

As of Friday, 641 persons had voted in Oconee County using the early procedures. That was up from 414 a week earlier.

Carole Amos, administrative assistant at the Oconee County Board of Elections and Registration, told me at the end of the day today that another 55 people voted at the Watkinsville office of the Board of Elections today.

Starting this week–the sixth of early voting--a second voting location is operating at the Civic Center. Amos did not have a figure for voting today at that site.

In July of 2008, when 6,989 persons voted in Oconee County, 90 percent voted in the Republican primary. Four earlier, when 6,130 persons voted, 88 percent voted in the Republican primary.

In 2006, however, when 4,245 persons voted in Oconee County, only 65 percent voted in the Republican primary.

This is the first year when local Board of Commissioner and Board of Education races will be held at the same time as the major state races, rather than with the national presidential contest.

The 113th District is spread across four counties, with Oconee County making up 58 percent of the district by population, Clarke making up 24 percent, Olgethorpe 12 percent, and Morgan 6 percent.

All of Oconee County is part of the 113th, while none of the other three counties falls only in the 113th District.

Huckaby and Malcom are from Oconee County.