In the contest to raise cash among Republican candidates vying to be the next governor of Georgia, Gainesville’s Nathan Deal suddenly is in the lead.

For the most recent reporting period, spanning Jan. 1 to June 30, Deal raised $980,000 in contributions, his campaign announced Tuesday ahead of required filings with the State Ethics Commission. With a $250,000 bank loan to his campaign, Deal has $1.14 million cash on hand, his campaign said.

Deal announced his candidacy for governor on May 1 and the money was raised in 60 days.

During the same fundraising period, state Sen. Eric Johnson came in a close second with $962,000 in contributions and cash on hand of $913,000. The Johnson campaign did not take out loans.

State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine, who in recent polls was considered the early front-runner for the nomination, raised $420,000 since the last reporting period, according to an e-mail sent to supporters.

Oxendine has been campaigning for governor since last year and already had a net balance of $870,345 on hand as of Dec. 31, though he later returned $120,000 of questionable donations.

It was not clear Tuesday how much cash Oxendine had on hand.

Secretary of State Karen Handel announced on her Web site that she had raised $430,000 for her run for governor in less than three months.

Deal said in a statement e-mailed to supporters that, "Whether we like it or not, financial strength is often the measure of a campaign’s success."

"A well-run and competitive campaign will require millions of dollars to reach Georgia voters," Deal said.

Johnson said in a statement on his Web site that his campaign was able to exceed its expectations and fundraising goals in the first two months.

"Even in these challenging economic times, Georgians are investing confidently in our campaign and in our state’s future," Johnson said.

Democratic candidate for governor David Poythress announced his campaign has raised $460,000, while another Democratic hopeful, Dubose Porter, reported raising $230,000.

Former Gov. Roy Barnes, considered a front-runner for the Democratic nomination, has not officially launched his campaign and was not required to file a report.

The candidates had until midnight Tuesday to file their disclosures with the state electronically.