ATLANTA — There's some surprising news in one of Georgia’s most-watched congressional races. A Democratic challenger to Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene out-fundraised her during the first quarter of this year.
Federal Election Commission disclosures indicate Democrats around the country are donating money to try to beat Rep. Greene. She blew past Republican and Democratic challengers to win a seat in Congress in 2020.
For her re-election effort, Greene has raised more than $8.25 million dollars – among the most raised by incumbent members of Congress, according to Politico.
In the first three months of this year, Greene raised $1.07 million. Yet, Marcus Flowers, a Democrat challenging Greene, raised more than twice that $2.4 million.
"She has a national profile and this is the other side of having a national profile -- that she’ll attract supporters but also opponents from all over the country as well," said Dr. Nathan Price, a political scientist at the University of North Georgia.
Republican strategist Brian Robinson said Greene’s newly-redrawn northwest Georgia congressional district is still solidly Republican.
"It’s a massive waste of money for Democratic donors," he said.
Greene’s $8 million-plus raised so far is still $1 million more than Flowers has raised. Likewise, Greene has about 50% more cash in the bank than Flowers has.
Because Greene has angered Democrats nationally, Flowers appears to be the beneficiary.
"Democrats just feel better going to some web site and donating five to $10,000 and saying they were against her," Robinson said.
Robinson and Price said Democrats nationwide would get a lot more bang for their buck by donating to races in competitive congressional districts instead of Georgia’s 14th district, which Donald Trump won handily in 2020.