By Shannon McCaffrey / Special

Friday was a dollar deadline in the race for Georgia governor as the crowded field of candidates faced a key hurdle: demonstrating they can raise enough cash to go the distance.

With nearly all candidates reporting their fundraising totals late Friday night, state Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine appeared to be the money leader, but part of that total was a $250,000 loan to his campaign.

The Duluth Republican reported $2.96 million total for the race. Some $1.5 million of that was raised in the last six months but $250,000 of that was a personal line of credit from Brand Banking Co. in Lawrenceville, Ga. He has $2.2 million left in the bank.

Former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes has taken in $2.7 million in his comeback bid. Barnes only entered the race in July. Oxendine has been running for governor for almost two years. Like Oxendine, Barnes has $2.2 million on hand.

Former state Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson reported bringing in $726,362 for the reporting period. That brings the Savannah Republican to $1.7 million total for the campaign with $1.3 million left in the bank.

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal, meanwhile, saw his early fundraising success slow. He raised $608,438 in the last six months of 2009, half of what he’d been able to raise in the early part of last year.

The Gainesville Republican has taken in $1.8 million since getting into the race. But he’s already spent half of that. He has $940,275 left in the bank. And Deal, like Oxendine, is funding part of his campaign on credit. He took out a $250,000 loan in the first half of 2009.

Former Secretary of State Karen Handel took in $515,794 in the reporting period for a total of $946,972 overall. She has $439,990 on hand.

HONEY, CAN YOU SPARE A DIME?

State Rep. Austin Scott of Tifton raised $222,564 in the last six months of 2009, for a total of $403,184. He has $159,082 left. State Sen. Jeff Chapman of Brunswick has raised $70,090 and had $17,833 in the bank.

On the Democratic side, former Georgia National Guard Commander David Poythress raked in $202,758 in the last six months, $50,000 of which was a loan he made to his campaign. He has raised $663,265 overall and has $389,991 on hand. House Minority Leader DuBose Porter took in $127,737 for the repoorting period. He’s amassed $373,437 total and has $303,807 still in the bank.

Attorney General Thurbert Baker’s disclosure was not yet available by press time.

The reporting period covers July through December 2009.

The fundraising numbers are considered a key test of viability in the high-stakes race to succeed Sonny Perdue in the governor’s mansion. But the numbers aren’t always a sure test; Perdue beat Barnes in 2002, despite Barnes’ overwhelming financial advantage.

Oxendine, Baker, Porter, Scott and Chapman are all barred from accepting contributions during the legislative session, which begins Monday. That’s because they are still in elected office. Handel and Johnson have each left office to focus full time on their gubernatorial bids, freeing them to raise funds over the next few months.