District 5 Commissioner Dexter Fisher has hauled over $119,000 in donations throughout his mayoral campaign cycle, out in front of the other candidates by nearly $100,000. Fisher has spent $28,702 and had $90,458 on hand as of January 31, according to his most recent fundraising report.
Fisher’s 2026 report lists Vanessa Akins, owner of the Akins Ford car dealership, as his largest donor in January. She gave his campaign $2,500.
Several developers, landlords and business leaders donated to his campaign last year, including Zaxby’s CEO Zachary McElroy; local construction company CEO Quaison Payne, John and Susan Barrett Barrett Club Properties; The Leaven Group, which unsuccessfully tried to redevelop Georgia Square Mall; and RAC Properties of Athens, Inc. They each donated the maximum amount of $3,300.
District 7 Commissioner John Culpepper also donated nearly $250 to Fisher’s campaign in 2025.
Tim Denson has received the next largest amount of donations at $20,567. He has spent $13,191 and has $7,375 on hand as of January 31. District 1 Commissioner Patrick Davenport, District 2 Commissioner Melissa Link and District 8 Commissioner Carol Myers all donated to Denson’s campaign. Link gave $60 this cycle and $125 in 2025. Davenport donated $25 in 2025. Myers gave $100 in 2025.
Shelby Branch, chair of the Athens-Clarke County Democratic Committee, has made several small donations to Denson’s campaign throughout the election cycle. Several former state candidates and elected officials have also donated, including Richard Winfield, University of Georgia philosophy professor and former candidate for U.S. Senate, and Jonathan Wallace, former State House Representative for District 119.
The largest donations made to Denson’s campaign were listed on his 2025 report. He received two $1,000 donations from Rock Nobster Records and a $1,000 donation from University of Georgia Associate Professor of Law Matthew Hall, who sits on the ACC Planning Commission.
UPDATE 3/21/26: The owner of Rock Nobster Records, Jimmy Bryant, has recently been charged with statutory rape and sex trafficking, among other offenses. In light of these serious allegations, Denson has donated the $2,000 he received from Rock Nobster to the nonprofit organizations DIVAS Who Win, The Cottage and Project Safe.
Last year, Mara Zúñiga was mostly self-financing, but her fundraising has significantly improved as of late. In fact, she is the biggest fundraiser during the January reporting period of all mayoral candidates, including Fisher.
Zúñiga still trails Denson with $17,365 in total contributions, but she is catching up quickly. She has spent $5,347 and has $12,017 on hand. Payne also donated to Zúñiga’s campaign, giving $1,500 — about half of what he gave Fisher. Kris Kendrick, owner of the Oconee Communications Company, also gave $1,500.
LaKeisha Gantt has raised $15,435 so far, spending $6,834 and having $8,601 left on hand, according to her financial reports. Laura Iyer, director of the Southern Sustainability Institute, donated $1,000 to Gantt’s campaign. Former District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez gave Gantt $230.
As of a week ago, Sharon Miller had not yet submitted a financial report for her campaign, which is a bit unusual for a mayoral candidate at this point in the election cycle. By state law, candidates are required to report any donations they receive. Without campaign funds, it is extremely unlikely that any candidate could win a countywide election.
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