State Rep. Houston Gaines (R-Athens) is sitting on one of the biggest war chests in the state at $908,344, according to the most recent campaign finance disclosures filed with the Georgia Ethics Commission. He raised a total of $617,059 for the last election cycle and spent $152,100 in defeating Democratic challenger Andrew Ferguson, who raised just $22,613 and spent $17,863.
In the first two weeks of January alone, Gaines—who despite his youth holds the top leadership positions of caucus vice chair and vice chair of the powerful House Appropriations Committee—raised more than $27,000, primarily from business groups. State lawmakers are prohibited from raising funds while the legislature is in session.
State Sen. Bill Cowsert (R-Athens) has a formidable checkbook of his own. He is currently sitting on $343,310 after raising $140,975 for his 2024 campaign and spending $100,635. Gareth Fenley, Cowsert’s Democratic opponent last year, raised less than $10,000.
Gaines is widely viewed as a rising star in the GOP, while Cowsert is also frequently mentioned in connection with higher offices like Georgia attorney general, a position that will be open in 2026 because Chris Carr is running for governor. Such substantial resources would come in handy.
Gaines and Cowsert aren’t the only local politicians capable of raising big bucks. Kalki Yalamanchili spent nearly half a million dollars unseating former district attorney Deborah Gonzalez in November.
Yalamanchili, who ran as an independent, raised $531,058 and spent $493,528, with much of it going toward consultants—$355,611 to Athens-based Classic City Campaigns and $60,274 to Texas-based Vanguard Field Strategies. That money paid for advertising, mailers and legal fees, among other services.
Meanwhile, Gonzalez raised just $103,274 but also left a significant amount of money on the table. The Democrat spent $65,926, leaving her with a cash balance of $37,347 at the end of the race. She also loaned $30,000 personally to her campaign, which could be paid back using the balance.
Yalamanchili was elected in part because of Gonzalez’s problems hiring and retaining staff, and he recently told Oconee County Democrats that his office’s 35 funded positions are all filled, according to Lee Becker at Oconee County Observations.
Those positions include 14 assistant district attorneys, nine victims’ advocates, six investigators, three administrative staffers, two legal assistants and a community outreach director. But Yalamanchili also said that Gonzalez neglected to reapply for a federal Violence Against Women Act grant, and that COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act funding has run out, costing him 10 positions. He told Becker he will ask for three additional ADAs and three investigators in budget talks with ACC and Oconee County this spring.
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