Donors able to give more in some Georgia elections

Ethics commission raises maximum contribution limits.

For big-money donors in Georgia, political campaigns will get a little more expensive next year.

The state ethics commission — formally known as the Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission — raised the maximum campaign contribution limits by up to $1,000 for donors to most statewide candidates who make it to the general election and up to an extra $500 in legislative contests.

That won’t affect the average political donor. But thousands of lobbyists, industry associations, businesses, individuals and political action committees donate as much money as they can each election cycle to leading candidates.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier this year state leaders, lawmakers, their caucus political action committees and parties raised about $1.5 million in the days leading up to the 2019 legislative session, and many of