Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle received significant support from Gainesville and Northeast Georgia in his first financial disclosure on his bid for governor in 2010.
Cagle’s campaign said Friday it had raised $1.5 million, with $1 million of the total in the weeks following the Dec. 2 runoff for the U.S. Senate.
"We began this work as an early exploratory effort and have been overwhelmed and humbled by the response to that first step," Cagle said in a statement released by the campaign. "This disclosure is just a start, but it puts us on a strong position."
Cagle disclosed total funds raised of $1,276,991 on his December 31 report. Since then, the campaign said it has received additional funds, putting total fund-raising past the $1.5 million mark.
The 42-year-old Hall County native had a number of supporters who contributed the maximum of $5,900 to his gubernatorial campaign.
Cagle’s campaign for lieutenant governor contributed $5,900 to the campaign for governor. A Cagle owned company, Casey Cagle Properties Inc., donated $5,896.
Jack Chapman, a Gainesville opthalmologist and immediate past president of the Medical Association of Georgia, contributed $5,900 for the primary and the general election for a total of $11,800
Larry Cherry of Gainesville, owner of Lakeside Plumbing gave $5,900. His wife, Patsy, contributed $5,000.
Mike Cottrell, a Dahlonega civic leader and philanthropist, and his wife, Lynn, each contributed $5,900.
Cagle’s largest block of support came from the campaign, business and family of state Sen. Eugene "Chip" Pearson, R-Dawsonville.
Pearson’s state Senate campaign contributed $5,900.
He, along with his wife, father, mother, brother and sister-in-law contributed a total of $35,100.
The Pearsons’ company, Paramont Grading, contributed $2,000. Pearson was chairman of Cagle’s campaign for lieutenant governor.
PPI Inc., a Gainesville corporation headed by businessman Dallas Gay, contributed $5,000.
United Community Bank of Blairsville was also a $5,000 contributor to Cagle.
Gwinnett Businessman Virgil Williams, who holds the lease on Lake Lanier Islands Resort, contributed $5,900 to Cagle through his Williams Companies State Political Fund. His wife, Sara, also contributed $5,900 to Cagle.
The only other Republican in the race, Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine has raised just over $1 million and has $870,000 on hand.
Oxendine has a number of major financial contributors with ties to Hall County.
The largest of them are companies headed by civic leader James A. "Jim" Walters.
Two of Walters’ enterprises, Walters Acceptance Corp. and Walters Management Corp., each contributed $5,000 to Oxendine.
An executive with Walters Management, Darla Eden, contributed $5,000, as did Walters’ son-in-law, Raleigh Robinson. Robinson’s company, Robinson Group Management of Sylvester, also contributed $5,000.
Walters primary business is small loan companies, which are regulated by Oxendine.
David Poythress, the only announced Democrat in the race, has raised $304,000.
His only Hall County contributions were $2,000 from Michael Seely of Gainesville and $200 from Larry Padrick of Oakwood.
The election for governor will not take place until 2010. Both Cagle and Oxendine are prohibited from accepting campaign contributions while the legislature is in session.