Midtown Gives Mayor Kasim Reed nearly $70k for 2013 Election

Midtown can't wait to donate to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's re-election campaign.

This year alone, Midtown residents and businesses have donated nearly $70,000 for a contest that won't happen until 2013.

Nationwide, about $640,000 rolled into Reed's campaign fund in the first six months of 2011, according to the latest disclosure filed with the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. 

The Midtown donations include businesses and individuals.

A cluster of lobbyist and lawyer donations from the big office towers at 14th and West Peachtree streets hints at who watches politics most closely and where their offices are. One major donor, Peachtree Government Affairs, sits on that corner and has given $1500. And so do the lobbying and law firms of , and . Among them, donations so far total $2,750.

The is pitching in, with a $1,700 in-kind donation. That generally means a donation of goods or services, but the disclosure doesn't offer special details. And a restaurant boss has served up $1,000 in cash.

Georgia's campaign finance law requires candidates to itemize every donation that totals more than $100. All smaller donations can be lumped together. Reed's lump of such little donations comes to about $3,000.

This year's donations bring Reed's campaign fund up to $3.4 million dollars.

Nearly one out of every five Reed campaign dollars this year come from out of state: people, law firms and companies have sent that much. And many of those donations are clustered around Washington, D.C.

But if Reed ever thinks of trying for a job up there, the Washington money does no immediate good.  All the donations are sent to a Reed 2013 mayoral campaign. State law bars the money from any other race that Reed may join, though the monies can be sent to the Democratic Party, or to a PAC to parcel out to other candidates.

Reed's receipts are split about 60-40 between individual people and businesses or organizations.  Each one's donations are capped at $2,500. Though CEOs and the like who love the mayor can and often do donate the maximum both individually and via their company. 

Reed must file a disclosure for the second half of 2011 in early 2012.

The top Midtown donors were (each donated $2,500):

• Jeffrey O. Bramlett, 1201 West Peachtree Street, Bondurant, Mixson and Elmore, LLP
• Willie H. Burks, 1201 Peachtree Street, Resurgens Risk Management
• Carter Development Services, 171 17th Street                 
• Correctional Medical Associates Inc., 201 17th Street
• Philip I. Kent, 75 Beverly Road, Turner Broadcasting
• Sonnia F. Khalil, 84 Spring Lake Place, Homemaker
• D. Kimbrough King Jr., 75 5th Street, Kim King Associates, LLC
• Donata R. Major, 275 13th Street, Concessions International
• Melissa Mullinax, 533 St Charles Avenue, Percussion Campaigns
• Resurgens Risk Management, 400 Colony Square Heliport                 
• Riddle and Schwartz, 771 Spring Street                 
• Sylvia E. Russell, 275 13th Street, AT&T Georgia
• Scott Taylor, 171 17th Street, Carter USA
• Thrasher Trucking LLC, 1500 Marietta Road                 
• Ronald E. Willis, 1251 Marietta Boulevard, Information Requested by Reed campaign