Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr disclosed Monday that he raised $1.25 million for his 2026 gubernatorial campaign from February through June, maintaining his fundraising momentum as the only major Republican candidate in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Brian Kemp. The haul brings Carr's total fundraising to nearly $3.5 million since announcing his bid in November, positioning him as an early front-runner in what promises to be a contested primary battle.
Carr announced the fundraising totals to The Associated Press on Monday, though official reports with the state Ethics Commission are not due until Tuesday1. The attorney general raised $2.2 million in his initial fundraising period from November through mid-January but was barred from collecting donations during the legislative session from mid-January through March1.
The latest figures narrowly outpace the two leading Democratic candidates, who each reported raising about $1.1 million in their early fundraising efforts1. Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she loaned her campaign $200,000 and collected $900,000 from donors, while state Sen. Jason Esteves reported raising $1.1 million primarily from donors1.
"That kind of energy can't be bought — it's earned, and we're ready to deliver," Carr said in a statement1.
Carr's early entry into the race stems partly from the financial advantages his potential Republican rivals possess. Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, whose family has made a fortune in the gas station business, is expected to announce his gubernatorial bid in the coming weeks1. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who sold an engineering company, could also mount a primary challenge1.
Jones has been operating a leadership committee that raised $1.7 million, though legal questions remain about whether those funds can be used in a Republican primary2. A federal judge ruled in 2022 that then-Gov. Brian Kemp couldn't spend leadership committee money against challenger David Perdue in their GOP primary2.
The Republican primary could be complicated by President Donald Trump's involvement. Jones has maintained closer ties to Trump, while the former president backed unsuccessful primary challengers to both Carr and Raffensperger in 20221. Trump's displeasure with Carr stems from the attorney general's refusal to support attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia1.
Georgia has seen titanic gubernatorial battles between Republican Brian Kemp and Democrat Stacey Abrams in 2018 and 2022, with Abrams losing both races1. No Democrat has won the governor's mansion since Roy Barnes in 19981.
