Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, a Democrat, speaks at a gubernatorial forum hosted by the Tennessee Business Roundtable in Nashville, Tenn., on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)NASHVILLE - Former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean reported raising $1.23 million and personally putting another $207,000 into his Democratic bid for governor during the last half of 2017.
Dean's disclosure, filed Wednesday with the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance, shows that after spending about $640,000 on campaign-related expenses, Dean had $1.8 million in the bank as of Jan. 15.
Dean campaign manager Courtney Wheeler said in a statement that it's proof a Democrat can be competitive in Tennessee.
"Something we hear all the time on the campaign trail is 'Karl would make a great governor, but as a Democrat, can he be competitive when up against a Republican in the general election?' Our latest fundraising totals show the definitive answer to that question is absolutely yes," Wheeler said.
She said Tennesseans "want a get-it-done governor - not an ideologue - who will focus on the issues that really matter to families: good public schools, jobs, and access to affordable health care. And that's what Karl Dean is about."
House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, presides over the House on the opening day of the legislative session Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2018, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)Dean's wife, Anne Davis, joined him in contributing the additional $207,000.
Two Republican candidates, state House Speaker Beth Harwell and Williamson County businessman Bill Lee, issued news releases boasting of their fundraising totals but neither posted their disclosure on the state campaign finance website nor was willing to provide a copy to the Times Free Press before news deadlines.
Candidates had until midnight Wednesday to file the reports covering the period from July 1 to Jan. 15.
Harwell said in her release that her report will show "more than $5 million" in cash on hand in her governor's campaign account.
In a statement, Harwell said, "We are positioned to be successful in getting our pro-conservative message out to Tennesseans statewide. This initial financial report is indicative of that goal, and I am excited about and proud of our efforts."
The speaker's fundraiser, Rachel Barrett, said in an email response to Times Free Press inquiries that "only funds in the Harwell for Governor account will be included in the more than $5 million report."
Gubernatorial candidates Republican Beth Harwell, Democrat Craig Fitzhugh, Democrat Karl Dean, Republican Bill Lee and Republican Randy Boyd answer questions from moderators David Plazas and Rory Johnston during the Gubernatorial Forum on Education at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018. (George Walker IV / The Tennessean via AP, Pool)There was a filing from the speaker's separate Harwell PAC that showed a $23,600 transfer last July to her gubernatorial campaign account. Barrett said that was the maximum the PAC could give to the campaign.
Lee's campaign also declined to provide a copy of its latest disclosure before filing it. The campaign said in its news release Lee raised more than $900,000 in the second half of 2017 for his effort and matched that with his own money to end the reporting period with more than $3.7 million in cash on hand.
In a news release, the Williamson County businessman called it "truly humbling to see the overwhelming level of enthusiasm we have received."
The other two major GOP hopefuls, U.S. Rep. Diane Black, R-Tenn., and Knoxville businessman and former state economic commissioner Randy Boyd, had not filed by press time. Nor did they issue news releases touting selected aspects of their figures.
Both candidates are multi-millionaires, as is Lee. Last June, Boyd loaned his campaign $1.375 million. Boyd early on put $2 million of his own money into his effort. He announced earlier this week he has ads going up on broadcast and cable Thursday with an estimated $300,000 buy.
On Wednesday, Democratic candidate Craig Fitzhugh of Ripley, the state House minority leader, filed his disclosure showing he raised $304,000 while making a personal $500,000 loan.
"It came from a lot of different sources, small donations," the West Tennessee banker said Wednesday morning after filing his disclosure Tuesday with state regulators. "So I was very, very happy with that."
"I think we can work our plan," he added.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.