The race for West Virginia’s next governor is still early, but candidates are raising money to spread their messages.
The deadline for quarterly campaign finance reports was Friday, and it shows a vigorous fundraising period. The incumbent governor, Jim Justice, is up against a term limit and running for U.S. Senate so the governor’s race is very competitive.
Fundraising numbers don’t necessarily show the favorites in the general election, but they do demonstrate levels of support and the resources that candidates have to promote their campaigns.
The current attorney general, Patrick Morrisey, now running for governor, reported raising $1.3 million in the most recent quarterly fundraising period. Morrisey, a Republican, also reported a loan of $60,000 on his 443-page filing.
Morrisey reported spending of $294,386 so far and had $1,084,305 cash still on hand.
Morrisey’s campaign, in a news release, noted that about a quarter of the period’s fundraising — $289,000 — represented West Virginia money.
In a statement distributed by his campaign, Morrisey emphasized the sheer amount his campaign raised and reported during the period. The Morrisey campaign characterized its haul as “$800,000 higher than his perceived nearest competitor in the race.”
Morrisey stated, “While I’m pleased with our campaign’s strong fundraising numbers, the most important point is that I have consistently delivered for the people of West Virginia, and I will continue to do so as Governor.”
Moore Capito, currently the House Judiciary chairman, reported $288,329 in contributions during the period. Capito, the Republican son of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, has raised a little more than a million dollars overall and has spent about $124,000 so he has a little more than $948,000 on hand.
Capito’s campaign emphasized the overall, $1 million raised over the early months of the political season.
“The continued success with fundraising gives us the resources needed to win the election by highlighting my conservative record and vision to take West Virginia to the next level,” Capito stated in a release distributed by his campaign.
According to a recent poll sponsored by the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Morrisey and Capito appear just about even.
The poll shows Morrisey at 31 percent and Capito at 30 percent. Other candidates were farther behind in the poll.
“What we are paying attention to are those campaign finance reports that are due,” said Brian Dayton, vice president of policy and advocacy for the West Virginia Chamber. “There’s a lot of time in this race for things to move.”
He continued, “Candidates with the resources they invest, use them correctly, can start to alter the race.”
The current auditor, J.B. McCuskey, reported that his campaign for governor brought in $120,374 in contributions over the period.
McCuskey, a Republican, reported that his campaign has brought in $648,233 overall, spending $236,247. So he has $412,082 on hand.
Secretary of State Mac Warner, also a candidate for governor, reported raising a little more than $96,000 during the reporting period.
Warner, a Republican, reported raising more than $324,689 overall so far, spent more than $125,313 — leaving $194,509 cash on hand.
Auto dealer Chris Miller, another candidate for governor, has more than $3 million in funds — but his most recent filing didn’t pop up right away. Much of the war chest for Miller, the Republican son of incumbent Congresswoman Carol Miller, has come from big loans to his own campaign.
Miller’s campaign put out a news release describing total fundraising of more than $3.8 million over the course of the campaign. That included $316,182 raised this quarter.
Of the total, about $3.5 million is still left to spend, the Miller campaign indicated.
Rashida Yost, a Republican candidate for governor from Martinsburg, raised $8,100 during the period. Yost has $8,593 on hand overall.
Marshall Wilson, a former delegate now running for governor under the America Coming Together party, reports $915 on hand.
Several candidates for governor have not reported raising any money.