A little more than a month before West Virginia’s primary election candidates for governor are tallying their resources to get out their closing pitches.
There are plenty of voters still assessing the field. A recent Nexstar/Emerson College poll showed 28.9 percent of voters are undecided in the Republican primary race for governor.
Fundraising is one measure of campaign support. But as the race enters the home stretch, fundraising is also a demonstration of which campaigns have the resources to work on retaining support and potentially attracting some of those undecided voters.
The most recent financial reports cover the period from Jan. 1 to March 31. The reports were due Monday and have been trickling onto the secretary of state’s campaign finance reporting system.
West Virginia’s primary election is May 14. The early voting period for the primary election starts on Wednesday, May 1, and ends on Saturday, May 11.
Patrick Morrisey, the three-term Republican attorney general, reported having $1,676,258.43 on hand at the conclusion of the period.
The Morrisey campaign reported $873,952.23 in contributions and $1,058,434.08 in expenditures. The campaign had $1,831,905.23 on hand when the period first started.
In addition to several fundraisers, the Morrisey campaign reported dozens and dozens of small-dollar donors — some as little as one to five dollars, all adding up.
Chris Miller, a Republican candidate for governor who runs a network of businesses including his family’s auto dealerships, reported having $1,217,849 on hand.
His campaign raised $161,025.17 during the quarter and spent a whopping $2.7 million. The Miller campaign had entered the quarter with about $3.7 million on hand.
Miller has loaned his own campaign a little more than $3 million. Miller is the son of incumbent Congresswoman Carol Miller, who represents districts in southern West Virginia. His grandfather was longtime Ohio congressman Samuel Devine.
Moore Capito, former House Judiciary chairman has a little over a million dollars — $1,077,185 — on hand for the Republican gubernatorial run, according to his filing from the first quarter.
During the filing period, Capito raised $329,938 and spent $454,977. His campaign came into the filing period with $1.2 million already on hand.
Capito is the son of U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and grandson of Arch Moore, a three-term governor. One of Capito’s biggest fundraisers was at the Charleston home of his mother and father, where his campaign pulled in a little more than $39,000.
Mac Warner, the two-term secretary of state, has $192,529 on hand as he runs in the Republican primary for governor.
His campaign report from the first few months of this year reflects raising $72,286.58 and spending $41,378.25.
Warner’s campaign had $161,620.85 on hand when the quarterly reporting period started.
Rashida Yost, a Republican candidate from Martinsburg, reported having $12,705 on hand at the end of the quarter. She didn’t report any new fundraising or expenditures, so that’s the same amount her campaign had when the period began.
A top Democratic candidate, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, reported having $21,158.87 on hand at the end of the filing period.
The period’s fundraising for Williams amounted to $17,830.96. His campaign only reported spending $78.50. The Williams campaign began the reporting period with $3,327.