The article below relies on campaign finance data from the September 30, 2024 reporting period. Reports are submitted within a 7-day grace period to the county elections office and published on a statewide campaign finance portal. The data was not published by the Bulloch County Board of Elections until 10/29/24, hence the delay in the publishing of this data.
Fundraising in the race for County Commission in District 2C in Bulloch County is largely the same, with the candidates nearly neck-and-neck on spending as well.
Democrat Leonard “Len” Fatica and Republican Nick Newkirk, who will face off at the polls in less than one week, had only a $1,011.31 difference in dollars raised between the two of them at the end of the September 30 reporting period.
Fatica, who led in contributions, was outspent by Newkirk by roughly $960, though Newkirk’s fundraising efforts financed a three-way primary in May and a runoff election in June. Fatica was unopposed in the Democratic primary in May. As a result, the majority of Newkirk’s spending was reported in April and June reporting periods, while Fatica’s expenditures have increased exponentially since August.
Fatica also loaned himself $4,500 on top of his raised contributions.
Note: The totals in the charts below were computed using the data on Fatica’s campaign disclosure. His ‘contributions’ as listed are equal $10,536.16. Fatica’s ‘face sheet’ for the disclosure, however, lists a total of $10,559.99 in contributions. The chart below reflects the campaign expenditures as they appear on the document and the actual total, not the total reported by Fatica.
| Contributions | Expenditures | Personal Loans to Campaign | Contributions + Person Loans | Cash on Hand as of 9/30/24 | |
| Len Fatica | $10,536.16 | $8,314.13 | $4,500 | $15,036.16 | $6,745.86 |
| Nick Newkirk | $9,524.85 | $9274.97 | — | $9,524.85 | $249.88 |
| (difference) | $1,011.31 | $960.84 | $4,500 | $5,511.31 | $6,495.98 |
Fatica
Note: Fatica’s campaign contributions and expenditures date back to the beginning of 2024 because Fatica initially filed an affidavit attesting that he did not plan to collect more than $2,500 in contributions and did not plan to spend more than $2,500. That affidavit was signed March 4, 2024. Candidates can still collect contributions, but must file for the respective reporting period once they reach the $2,500 threshold. For expenditures, Fatica reached that threshold on September 13, 2024 (in the September 30, 2024 reporting period). For contributions, Fatica reached that threshold August 2, 2024, also in the September 30, 2024 reporting period. As such, he has only one campaign finance disclosure filed.
| DONOR | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE | OCCUPATION |
| Jessica Orvis | Statesboro, GA | $96.07 | 4/17/24 | Professor – Georgia Southern |
| Bruce McLean | Statesboro, GA | $100.00 | 6/21/24 | Retired |
| Tom Lambie | Statesboro, GA | $25.00 | 7/21/24 | Retired |
| Kathleen Fatica | Broomfield, CO | $96.07 | 7/18/24 | Practice Administrator |
| Matthew illegible. | Statesboro, GA | $96.07 | 7/21/24 | EMC |
| Brandon Goldberg | Atlanta, GA | $96.07 | 7/26/24 | Attorney |
| Al Rush | Erie, PA | $96.07 | 7/27/24 | Retired |
| Anthony Fatica | Erie, PA | $96.07 | 7/28/24 | |
| George Pratt | Statesboro, GA | $192.37 | 7/29/24 | Retired |
| Robert Bell | Statesboro, GA | $1,500.00 | 8/2/24 | |
| Lucinda Chance | Statesboro, GA | $200.00 | 8/13/24 | Retired |
| Lane Van Tassell | Statesboro, GA | $100.00 | 8/26/24 | Retired |
| Michael Classens | Statesboro, GA | $250.00 | 8/26/24 | Attorney |
| Stephen Pennington | Statesboro, GA | $2,750.00 | 8/29/24 | CEO – EGRMC |
| John Daily | Statesboro, GA | $1,500.00 | 8/30/24 | Retired |
| Jack Conner | Statesboro, GA | $500.00 | 9/9/24 | Realtor |
| Fred Richter | Statesboro, GA | $500.00 | 9/12/24 | No info listed |
| Michael McMenamin | Arlington, VA | $192.37 | 9/15/24 | Attorney |
| William Herring | Statesboro, GA | $750.00 | 3/14/24 | Retired |
| Lucinda Chance | Statesboro, GA | $200.00 | 3/14/24 | Retired |
| Patrick Novotny | Statesboro, GA | $200.00 | 3/30/24 | Professor – Georgia Southern |
| John Daily | Statesboro, GA | $1,000.00 | 9/30/24 | Retired |
| EXPENDITURES | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE |
| Check Order | no info listed | $38.03 | 12/21/24 |
| Haleah Young – headshot photo | Statesboro, GA | $50 | 2/21/24 |
| Kayla Glover – website design | Brooklet, GA | $200 | 3/22/24 |
| Lilly Pad Printing – Campaign card | no info listed | $124.20 | 8/12/24 |
| Good Guys Sign – Yard Signs | Tampa, FL | $361.00 | 8/14/24 |
| Good Guys Sign – Yard Signs | Tampa, FL | $322.90 | 8/14/24 |
| Bulloch County Dems – Gala Ticket | Statesboro, GA | $75 | 8/30/24 |
| Foundry Broadcasting – Radio Ads | Statesboro, GA | $500 | 8/15/24 |
| Billboard Rental | Savannah, GA | $2,250 | 9/13/24 |
| Billboard Rental – Sapp Outdoors | Statesboro, GA | $1,500.00 | 9/30/24 |
| Billboard Rental – Sapp Outdoors | Statesboro, GA | $1,625 | 9/30/24 |
| Foundry Broadcasting – Radio Ads | Statesboro, GA | $540.00 | 9/25/24 |
| Upswell Marketing – Online | Marietta, GA | $500 | 9/18/24 |
| Shepard Graphic – 4×4 signs | Brooklet, GA | $228 | 9/10/24 |
| $8,314.13 |
Newkirk
September 30 Report
| DONOR | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE | OCCUPATION |
| Greg Helmly | Brooklet | $500 | 9/1/24 | No info listed |
| EXPENDITURES | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE |
| Bulloch Rec Department – Building Rental Meet & Greet | $150.00 | 9/22/24 | |
| Nick Newkirk – reimbursement for 4×4 sign purchase | $347.05 | 9/5/24 |
April 30 & June 30 Report (as previously reported)
| DONOR | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE | OCCUPATION |
| B-Hill Farm | Statesboro | $500 | 3/25/24 | farmer |
| Alex Grovenstein | Statesboro | $200 | 3/26/24 | not listed |
| David Bennett for County Commission | Brooklet | $500 | 6/4/24 | candidate committee |
| Sandra & Gregory Helmly | Brooklet | $500 | 4/25/24 | |
| William & Sandra Futch | Brooklet | $400 | 6/3/24 | |
| Ray Davis | Brooklet | $249 | 6/4/24 | |
| Davis & Sons Joint Venture | Brooklet | $249 | 6/4/24 | |
| Cassandra Mikell | Statesboro | $249 | 5/29/24 | |
| Nick Newkirk | Statesboro | $2,000 | various | |
| Marty Clay | Statesboro | $450 | 6/12/24 | |
| Sue Christian | Brooklet | $500 | 5/16/24 | |
| Southeast Oil | Statesboro | $250 | 5/17/24 | |
| Sue Christian | Brooklet | $500 | 6/1/24 | |
| donations <$100 | $2,402.85 | various | ||
| TOTAL | $8,949.85 |
| EXPENDITURES | LOCATION | AMOUNT | DATE |
| Statesboro Herald (newspaper ad) | Statesboro | $875 | 6/6/24 |
| Foundry Broadcasting LLC (radio Ad for Primary + Primary Runoff) | Hinesville | $1,100 | 5/14/24 |
| Southern Key Realty (Billboard) | Brooklet | $700 | 5/24/24 |
| Megan Hopkins (Billboard Design) | Statesboro | $150 | 5/24/24 |
| Bulloch Action Coaltiion (Mailer) | Statesboro | $750 | 5/4/24 |
| Lowes (signs) | Statesboro | $184.18 | 4/2/24 |
| Catalyst Promotion (signs, magnets, tshirts) | Statesboro | $2,846.72 | |
| City of Brooklet (Rental for meet&greet) | Brooklet | $150 | 5/7/24 |
| Just Sun LLC (Internet Ad +Ad design) | $400 | ||
| Nick Newkirk (Meta Facebook ads) | $780.00 | ||
| Nick Newkirk (yard signs) | Statesboro | $842.02 | |
| TOTAL | $8,777.92 |
