Voters going to the polls in Oconee County on Tuesday, as well as those who already have participated in early voting, most likely have seen campaign signs around the county for Kalki Yalamanchili.
The signs say Yalamanchili is running for district attorney, though voters, when they see the ballot, do not find his name anywhere on it.
Yalamanchili is in the midst of a petition drive to get his name on the ballot in November as an Independent.
Incumbent Deborah Gonzalez’s name is on the Democratic Primary ballot for Tuesday’s election, where she is unopposed for re-election.
Signs for Gonzalez are hard to find in the county.
The campaign finance reports that Yalamanchili and Gonzalez filed early this month offer the explanation for the discrepancy.
In the three months ending on April 30, Yalamanchili raised $199,266 in campaign contributions and spent $55,229.
Almost all of Yalamanchili’s reported spending during that period went to Classic City Campaigns ($41,475), Defined Campaigns LLC of Athens ($6,053), and Anedot ($3,816), an online fundraising firm out of New Orleans.
Gonzalez, during that same February to April period, raised $33,816 and spent just $15,011, or about a fourth of what Yalamanchili spent.
Gonzalez reported spending $6,546 for consultants, $2,000 for a campaign manager, and $600 for buttons and wristbands.
Yalamanchili Campaign Contributions
Yalamanchili carried over $168,597 from the reporting period ending on Jan. 31, 2024, with his first reported contribution dated Oct. 4 of 2023, when he loaned his campaign $2,045 and he received a contribution of $250 from Angela Pope and $500 from the law office of Brian V. Patterson.
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| Yalamanchili And Gonzalez Democratic Candidate Forum 4/18/2024 |
Patterson, a Democrat and former Chief Assistant District Attorney for the Western Judicial Circuit, lost to Gonzalez in the District Attorney race in 2020.
In the April 30 report, Yalamanchili reported receiving 19 contributions of $3,300–the maximum amount allowed by state law–in the Feb. 1 to April 30 period.
Eight of those were from Texas, with five of them from someone with the last name Yalamanchili.
Another of those 19 contributions of $3,300 was from New York, with the remainder having an Athens or Oconee County address.
The District Attorney Office serves Athens-Clarke County and Oconee County through the Western Judicial Circuit.
Archie Crenshaw, Chad Keller, and Joseph Ulm, from Oconee County, each contributed $3,300.
The Committee to Elect Judge H. Patrick Haggard, who is on the May 21 nonpartisan ballot for reelection as Superior Court Judge for the Western Judicial District, contributed $500.
Gonzalez Campaign Contributions
Gonzalez carried over $44,015 from the campaign period ending on Jan. 31, 2024.
Her only significant contribution during the Feb. 1 to April 30 period was a loan she made to her campaign of $30,000.
The largest contribution recorded by Gonzalez was $1,032 from Dan Castan of Atlanta.
All of Gonzalez’s contributions in the April 30 filing are from Georgia.
Rep. Houston Gaines, who has led criticism of Gonzalez’s performance as District Attorney, has accused Gonzalez of receiving funding from George Soros, the American businessman and philanthropist who has donated money to liberal causes.
No campaign filing by Gonzalez going back to Jan. 1 of 2022 lists contributions from Soros or any organization or person obviously linked to him.
1 comment:
Victoria Cruz
George Soros knows better than to allow contributions in his name. Such contributions are always hidden in some innocuous-sounding name of a PAC like, but certainly not limited to Open Society Foundarions, New America, Move On, Tides Foundation. Or she could be using the new favorite method of donations that unpopular candidates of both parties use "Smurfing". If you don't know about his, please research it. Governor Brian Kemp and DA Fani Willis are fans.
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