How much did she raise for her campaign? What about Jackson? Are there any PACS behind them?

The money gap in this race is one of the most striking features of the entire 2026 cycle. Rick Jackson has raised and spent at a scale that has no precedent in Georgia history, while Bottoms has scraped together a fraction of that and is relying on allies and grassroots organization to close the distance.

What Bottoms has raised

Democratic strategist Fred Hicks noted that her more than $5.7 million in fundraising since entering the race is more than most gubernatorial candidates have raised historically, but nowhere near enough to match Jackson on the airwaves. She has been bolstered by more than $1.6 million from the Democratic Governors Association, the national PAC that backs Democratic gubernatorial nominees.

What Jackson has raised and spent

This is where the numbers get staggering. Jackson shattered records in Georgia by pumping more than $108 million of his own money into his campaign for governor, spending roughly three-quarters of it, more than $83 million, on television and cable advertising alone. That was all before the general election matchup against Bottoms began. Altogether, Jackson has raised or given his campaign more than $118 million, spending nearly all of it, with $4.3 million left as of the end of July.

After winning the primary, he opened the door to outside money for the first time. He received roughly $13 million in donations after the runoff, with the largest single chunk being a $10 million contribution from the Republican Governors Association. He also created what Georgia law calls a "leadership committee," a special entity that certain candidates can use to raise limitless amounts of money, called For All Georgians Inc., which contributed $5 million to his campaign.

Before he even entered the governor's race, Jackson gave $1 million to Make America Great Again Inc., the super PAC that acts as President Donald Trump's political organization.

The outside spending gap

The PAC picture tells the sharpest version of the story. An AdImpact analysis shows pro-Jackson groups have spent or reserved nearly $76 million in airtime ahead of the general election, compared with about $8 million for Bottoms and her allies. Her campaign itself has just $42,000 reserved for traditional TV ads.

Bottoms' team is pushing back on the idea that the money gap is fatal. Her campaign manager Tharon Johnson told HuffPost: "Rick Jackson blowing through hundreds of millions of dollars isn't a sign of his strength, it's proof of his desperation. Despite his constant presence on every television station and social media app, he's tied with Mayor Bottoms because she knows this race won't be won with sound bites."

The polls back the argument, at least partly. A roughly 20-to-1 money advantage has bought Jackson a lead of only 2 to 3 points with 25 days to go.