With the six candidates for
Republican candidates - incumbent Aaron Varner, Ed Hutter and Susette Monk - far outpaced Democrats in fundraising for the race, together raising $73,946.
In comparison the three Democrats running for chairman - Kathy Morgan, Emmett Denby and Hubert White, together raised $41,649, with White raising the lion's share of funding ($31,849).
White, Monk and Varner spent the most of their own money on their campaigns out of the six candidates with White lending himself $25,549, Monk lending hersef $15,000 and Varner contributing $10,028 of his own money to his reelection campaign. Varner also took out a $20,000 loan from the Bank of North Georgia for the primary campaign.
The six candidates have spent $77,574 so far this primary season, with the three Republicans outspending the three Democrats, $43,739 to $33,835.
Campaign contribution disclosure reports only include individual contributions and expenditures greater than $101.
Hutter, a developer, had the widest campaign contribution network. Approximately 33 percent of campaign contributions to his campaign were from small donors (figure based on his second contribution disclosure report). Retirees and construction company owners were the most highly represented professions of his large donor network. So far he has raised $14,565 and spent $13,545.
Morgan, a banker, raised $6,475 and spent $4,195. Small donors (donating less than $101) made up 27 percent of her total campaign contributions. Contributions from retirees and real estate developers formed the base of her large donor network.
Small donors contributed 9 percent of Varner's total campaign contributions. Of the $40,056 available to spend on his primary campaign, he spent only half - $20,090. Business owners and retirees were represented more than any other profession in his large donor network.
Monk made a $10,000 loan to her campaign the week before the primary. Approximately 3 percent of her total campaign contributions came from small donors. Family members, retirees and business owners made up the bulk of her large donor base. Without the last minute loan, Monk would have been in the red. According to her June 30 discloure report, her expenditures have outpaced her contributions - $9,904 to $9,325.
Though White, the owner of several housing companies, came in second place out of the five candidates in terms of fundraising, small donors made up a tiny portion of his campaign network (2 percent). Contributions from property managers and car dealership owners made up the large majority of his large donor network. In total White raised $31,849 and has spent $26,643.
Denby, a teacher, raised and spent the least of the five candidates. Campaign contributions totaled $3,325 ($3,000 from a loan). Of that amount, he spent $2,997.
Signs and mailers were the top campaign expenditures for the candidates with $19,746 in total spent on signs and $29,801 spent on mailers. While the Democrats favored large yard signs, spending $12,116 on them, direct mailings were the campaign method of choice for Varner and Hutter, who together spent $17,037 on them. Monk invested heavily in a campaign Web site, spending $3,540.
Changes made to the online article incorporate Susette Monk's campaign disclosure report.
