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POLITICAL LEDGER

Fitch gets serious opponent; Bomgar rolling in campaign cash

Geoff Pender
The Clarion-Ledger

Incumbent Republican State Treasurer Lynn Fitch has drawn a serious opponent, with lawyer David McRae of Ridgeland announcing a run for the post.

State Treasurer Lynn Fitch closed the program in fall 2012, saying she was worried about a funding shortfall.

McRae is grandson of the founder of the McRae's department store chain.

McRae's hiring of Justin Brasell, who ran Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' campaign, has many political observers wondering if Reeves has helped draft a challenger against Fitch.

Alan Lange at Y'allpolitics called McRae's announcement "a bolt of lightning that no one expected." He noted that Fitch's campaign coffers -- at last report -- were anemic with only about $59,000. But new reports are due this week, and Lange noted that both Fitch and McRae could likely "self fund" major campaigns.

In his announcement Tuesday, McRae sounded more like a candidate for auditor or attorney general than Treasurer. He said he is "outraged at the corruption in our state government" and that "We need a reformer from outside government to come in and clean up this mess."

Meanwhile, businessman Joel Bomgar, in his first foray into politics, has raised an eye popping amount of campaign money for the Madison County-Ridgeland House post being vacated by longtime Rep. Rita Martinson, who is not seeking re-election.

Joel Bomgar is running for House District 58

Bomgar is reporting this week that he has raised $235,000, and has more than $209,000 cash on hand. That's for a House seat, this far out from elections.