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Mooney outraises Manchin

Senator still has $10M war chest

CHARLESTON — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin has not announced his intent to seek re-election for a third term, but U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney has outraised Manchin for the second quarter in a row.

Yet, Manchin has nearly $10 million in the bank if he chooses to remain in the U.S. Senate.

U.S. Rep. Carol Miller has a clear money advantage in her 1st Congressional District re-election effort, staving off a challenge from a former delegate and convicted Jan. 6 rioter. And State Treasurer Riley Moore leads his Republican opponents to succeed Mooney in the 2nd Congressional District.

Friday was the deadline for members of the Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, and congressional candidates to file their April quarterly campaign finance reports covering fundraising between the beginning of January and the end of March.

Mooney, R-W.Va., raised $383,244 during the three-month period while Manchin, D-W.Va., raised $237,724. Republican challenger Christopher Rose raised $1,939.

Mooney, who announced his 2024 candidacy for Senate in November shortly after securing his election to the recently redistricted 2nd Congressional District, also out-raised Manchin during the previous quarter. Between October and December 2022, Mooney raised $317,290 compared to Manchin’s haul of $160,030 during the same quarter.

Despite trailing in the quarterly donations, Manchin maintains a sizable campaign account. Manchin’s election year-to-date donations were $8.7 million and his available cash-on-hand is $9.7 million. Mooney’s election year-to-date donations were $700,533 and his cash-on-hand was $1.3 million. Rose only has $2,962 in cash-on-hand.

Manchin has said in multiple interviews that he has no plans to announce his intentions until the end of 2023. There has also been speculation about Manchin mounting a third-party race for president in 2024 through No Labels, a political group that encourages bipartisan solutions to national problems.

Mooney has been endorsed by the conservative Club for Growth and the Senate Conservatives Fund founded by former senator and former Heritage Foundation President Jim DeMint.

Both groups plan to spend money to support Mooney and go after possible opponents. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., also has endorsed Mooney.

Gov. Jim Justice has expressed interest in entering the Republican primary for Senate, teasing an announcement since late last year. Justice is being actively recruited by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his Senate Leadership Fund.

A February poll conducted by the Terrance Group and paid for by the Senate Leadership Fund showed Justice defeating Manchin 52% to 42% with just 5% undecided. But internal polling released by the Mooney campaign last week shows Mooney beating Justice 45% to 41% when voters are informed of some of Justice’s actions as governor with 14% undecided.

In the 2nd Congressional District, Moore has a significant financial lead over potential GOP candidates. Moore raised $141,781 for the quarter and $278,463 election year-to-date. That leaves Moore with $258,677 in cash-on-hand.

Moore, the grandson of the late Republican Gov. Arch Moore and nephew of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., announced his intentions to succeed Mooney in the 2nd Congressional District late last year. He defeated long-time Democratic State Treasurer John Purdue in 2020.

Other 2nd District candidates raising money included Dennis (Nate) Cain raised $11,533 for the quarter and $15,002 election year-to-date, leaving him with $549 in cash-on-hand. Alexander Gaaserud raised $600 for the quarter and $5,400 election year-to-date, leaving him with $70.86 in cash-on-hand. Gasserud also loaned his campaign $1,700. No reports were available for Joseph Earley.

In the 1st Congressional District, U.S. Rep. Carol Miller raised $140,438 for the quarter, while Republican opponent Derrick Evans raised $15,596 between January and March and also election year-to-date. Miller’s election year-to-date contributions were $143,963, leaving her with $177,763 in cash-on-hand. Evans has $10,157 in cash-on-hand.

Miller represented the 3rd Congressional District for two terms. After the state dropped from three to two districts after the 2020 U.S. Census, Miller won election to the new 1st District covering the southern half of the state.

Evans was elected to the House of Delegates in 2020 as a Republican representing Wayne County. But he resigned before taking office after he was arrested for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former president Donald Trump to stop the certification of the 2020 election for U.S. President Joe Biden.

Evans, who recorded himself breaking into the Capitol with fellow rioters, pleaded guilty to a felony count of civil disorder and was sentenced to three months in jail. But despite expressing remorse for his actions in court, Evans has since backed away from his earlier remorse. According to his campaign website, Evans still believes the 2020 presidential election was stolen.

Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentinel.com.

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