By TODD STACY, Alabama Daily News
Campaign finance reports for the 2nd Quarter show a competitive contest in the GOP primary and incumbent Sen. Doug Jones building his reelection war chest.
| Candidate | Raised in Q2 | Spent in Q2 | Loans | Cash on Hand |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Doug Jones | $2,006,226 | $841,602 | $0 | $4,259,540 |
| Bradley Byrne | $685,635 | $290,269 | $0 | $2,439,905 |
| Tommy Tuberville | $421,251 | $78,710 | $1M | $1,342,541 |
| John Merrill | $217,561 | $399 | $0 | $217,162 |
| Roy Moore | $16,963 | $739 | $0 | $16,224 |
| Arnold Mooney | $298,313 | $6,364 | $0 | $291,948 |
| Stanley Adair | $134,431 | $132,824 | $0 | $1,606 |
Jones added an impressive $2 million to his campaign account that now shows the Democratic senator with more than $4.2 million cash on hand. Jones has the advantage of not needing to spend much of that money until after primary season, but will need every resource available to fight off the eventual GOP nominee.
Congressman Bradley Byrne was again the top GOP fundraiser with $685,635 taken in. However, with the only fully operational campaign in the race, he’s also spending more than the others at $290,269 this quarter alone. His cash on hand tops the GOP field at $2,439,905.
Byrne’s affiliated committees, BYRNEPAC and Team Byrne, raised and contributed half of his campaign’s total. They also retain their own accounts at $42,548 and $38,666, respectively, which can be contributed or spent promoting the candidate. Byrne’s combined fundraising for the quarter was $754,966.
Former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville raised $421,251, but more significantly, loaned his campaign $1 million. That shows the coach is willing to leverage some of his own personal wealth. Whether he’s willing to spend it remains to be seen.
Secretary of State John Merrill took in $217,561, which is impressive for only having been in the race a few weeks. State Rep. Arnold Mooney was also impressive at $298,313 raised. However, campaign reports show both Merrill and Mooney maxed out with donors for contributions for multiple elections, meaning not all of the funds they raised can actually be spent in the GOP primary.
Former Chief Justice Roy Moore was the big disappointment, raising only $16,963. Moore has never depended on huge financial resources to win campaigns, but that small number could be indicative of a campaign still reeling from President Donald Trump’s insistence that Republicans nominate someone else earlier in the summer.