Daniels posts sizeable fundraising lead in CD2 race

Federal campaign finance reports dropped Wednesday, and the documents showed Anthony Daniels with a big fundraising lead in the 12-candidate field for the Democratic primary in Alabama’s 2nd congressional district. 

Daniels collected more than $217,000 in the cycle, with none of the money coming from a personal loan from the candidate to the campaign. In second place was Shomari Figures, with $203,000, but with $25,000 of that total coming in the form of a loan Figures made to his campaign. 

State Sen. Merika Coleman and state Rep. Jeremy Gray were the only other candidates to eclipse six figures in fundraising. Coleman loaned her campaign $50,000 and landed at $112,000, while Gray finished the cycle with just over $104,000. 

State Rep. Napoleon Bracy, who has polled well, raised a total of just under $65,000, with $20,000 of that coming in the form of a loan. 

On the Republican side, at least on paper, former state Sen. Dick Brewbaker held a big lead, with more than $340,000 collected during the cycle. But $300,000 of that came in the form of a loan Brewbaker gave to his campaign. 

It was a similar case for attorney Caroleene Dobson, who took in around $60,000 in contributions from individuals and PACs, but was boosted to over $300,000 in total contributions  by a $250,000 loan she made to her campaign. 

The top individual fundraiser, though, was state Sen. Greg Albritton, who grabbed nearly $65,000 in individual contributions and ended the cycle with just over $126,000, after loaning his campaign $50,000. 

It should also be noted that the three Democrats who raised the most money in the cycle – Daniels, Figures and Gray – trounced their Republican counterparts in a district that is supposed to be almost evenly split, and a district that ALGOP leadership has publicly stated is in play.