“After being turned down by at least ten potential candidates, national Democrats have finally found someone to prop up their flailing 2016 prospects in Georgia – self-funder Jim Barksdale.
“Barksdale’s financial support for Georgia Democrats and President Obama demonstrates his unwavering support for failed liberal policies and his willingness to carry on Obama’s failed legacy long after a new President is elected.” – NRSC spokeswoman Alleigh Marré
BACKGROUND:
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Democratic Party Officials Recruited Ed Tarver To Run For Senate. “The search to find a Democratic challenger to U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson has turned toward a moderate black Democrat from Augusta who has spent the last six years atop the U.S. Attorney’s office in south Georgia. Ed Tarver, a former state senator who is now U.S. attorney in Savannah, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he is considering a challenge to the two-term Republican. ‘I am thinking about it but I haven’t done anything about it yet,’ said Tarver, who said he was recently contacted by party officials about a run.” (Greg Bluestein, “Democrat Ed Tarver eyes a potential Senate bid,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 1/16/16)
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Democrats Failed To Recruit Rev. Raphael Warnock. “The Rev. Raphael Warnock said Friday he has decided not to challenge Sen. Johnny Isakson in next year’s election, sending Democrats scrambling to find another contender to run against the Republican. Warnock, who pastors Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic Atlanta church, had for months openly contemplated a campaign for the seat. He met with state Democratic leaders, prepared his church members for the possibility of a run and landed a speaking role at the party’s signature event. … Warnock’s decision means Democrats will have to resume their search to find another contender to run against Isakson, a two-term incumbent who recently announced he had Parkinson’s disease. Democrats saw Warnock, 46, as an outsider who could have helped excite the state’s black electorate with a wholehearted embrace of President Barack Obama’s initiatives. Several other potential candidates ruled themselves out, and several Democratic leaders rallied around him.” (Greg Bluestein, “Pastor Of MLK’s Church Will Not Run For Georgia Senate Seat,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/2/15)
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The DSCC Attempted, And Failed, To Recruit State Rep. Stacey Evans. “The path for the Rev. Raphael Warnock to launch a Democratic Senate bid just got a little clearer. State Rep. Stacey Evans, a Smyrna Democrat considered a rising star in her party, said she turned down overtures from leaders to challenge Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson. Evans said in an interview she was ‘sitting here minding my own business’ when she got a call from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee over the summer urging her to consider a run. She talked with her husband, consulted with advisers and trekked to Washington to talk with Montana Sen. Jon Tester, the campaign chair.” (Greg Bluestein, “Scouted For Senate Run, Stacey Evans Decides To Stay In Georgia House,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 8/25/15)
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Democrats Reached Out To Former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, State Rep. Scott Holcomb And The Head Of The Georgia School Board Association, Valarie Wilson. “Now that he’s ruled himself out, party leaders have reopened their conversations with another round of potential recruits. Among the names being floated are former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, state Rep. Scott Holcomb and Valarie Wilson, the head of the Georgia School Board Association and a former superintendent candidate.” (Greg Bluestein, “Pastor Of MLK’s Church Will Not Run For Georgia Senate Seat,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/2/15)
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Jason Carter And Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed Had No Interest In Running. “Others, including former state Sen. Jason Carter, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Evans, have indicated no interest.” (Greg Bluestein, “Pastor Of MLK’s Church Will Not Run For Georgia Senate Seat,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/2/15)
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Democrats Also Failed To Recruit House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams And Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow. “After some leading Democrats passed on next year’s Senate contest — state House Minority Leader Stacey Abrams, state Rep. Stacey Evans and former U.S. Rep. John Barrow were among those scouted for a run — Democratic operatives shifted their focus to Warnock.” (Greg Bluestein, “Pastor Of MLK’s Church Will Not Run For Georgia Senate Seat,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 10/2/15)
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In September 2008, Barksdale Contributed $1,000 To The Obama Victory Fund. (Obama Victory Fund, Amended October 2008 Monthly Report, Filed 12/9/08, p. 610)
- Barksdale Put An “Impeach Bush” Sticker On His Car. “Jim’s first public outcry was placing a John Kerry campaign sign on the lawn. He stuck an ‘Impeach Bush’ sticker on his car but felt compelled to tear it off when conservative clients paid a visit at work.” (Moni Basu, “Anti-War Signs ‘Pinprick The Silence,’” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/18/08)