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GOP candidates for West Virginia governor report summer fundraising haul

CHARLESTON — Republican candidates for governor of West Virginia ended the summer raising money for their campaigns in preparation for the 2024 primary election season beginning in January.

Tuesday marked the deadline to file 2023 third quarter campaign finance reports covering July, August and September with the West Virginia Secretary of State. All candidates, pre-candidates and elected officials are required to file quarterly campaign finance reports.

The reports include donations for the three-month period, election year-to-date donations, cash-on-hand, which includes the total available to the candidates for use in the primary and potential general election contests after expenses, and any loans made by the candidates to their campaigns.

In the GOP primary race to succeed Republican Gov. Jim Justice, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey led the pack in donations for the third quarter, raising $560,512 between July and September, nearly 100% more than his closest primary competitor.

Morrisey was one of the last major candidates to announce for governor, holding events across the state in April. Despite only being able to raise money for two quarters when other candidates have been fundraising longer, Morrisey raised more than $1.8 million year-to-date and has more than $1.5 million in cash-on-hand heading into the final quarter of 2023.

“I’m the only proven conservative in this race who has an unmatched record of delivering victories on the most important challenges facing West Virginians,” Morrisey said in a statement Tuesday night. “I’m grateful for the overwhelming support from fellow West Virginians, and I will continue fighting for you so that West Virginia is the best place to work, live and raise a family when I’m governor.”

According to his third quarter campaign finance report, Morrisey loaned his campaign an additional $42,000, bringing total outstanding loans to $102,000. Morrisey also transferred $100,000 from his 2020 attorney general campaign finance account to his governor campaign. According to his third quarter report for his 2020 attorney general re-election, Morrisey had $201,163 in cash-on-hand remaining in that account.

A joint fundraising committee connected to Morrisey also brought in additional dollars. According to an October quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission Tuesday, Team Morrisey raised $438,212 for the three-month quarter between July and September, bringing its calendar year-to-date total to more than $1.1 million. Team Morrisey ended the quarter with $19,933 in cash-on-hand.

Team Morrisey was formed in 2019 and registered with the elections commission and the Secretary of State. The joint fundraising committee allows for unlimited donations, though transfers from the committee to a candidate cannot exceed those donation limits.

Team Morrisey allows individuals and political action committees to write large checks, with donations distributed to Morrisey’s campaign for governor: to retire campaign debt from Morrisey’s 2012 and 2016 campaigns for attorney general; the Blue and Gold Fund, connected to Massachusetts-based Red Curve Solutions, a campaign finance consulting firm used by Morrisey; and the Upshur County Republican Executive Committee.

According to the elections commission report, Team Morrisey transferred $194,372 to the Morrisey campaign for governor, with $186,985 of that going into the Republican primary and $7,387 going toward the general election.

Among other Republicans for governor, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Moore Capito came in second in donations for the quarter, raising $282,517 for the previous three months. He raised more than $1.3 million since entering the race in November 2022.

Capito, the son of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., and grandson of the late Republican governor Arch Moore, is heading into the fourth quarter with more than $1.1 million in cash-on-hand.

Huntington businessman Chris Miller came in third in fundraising among the Republican candidates for governor but remains the best funded candidate overall. Miller raised $267,015 for the third quarter and more than $1.2 million election year-to-date. Miller – the son of U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va. – has more than $3.3 million in cash-on-hand, buoyed by the $2.9 million he loaned his campaign.

“It’s clear that our message of making our state great again resonates with West Virginia’s hardworking families, and I am grateful for the growing support we’ve received,” Miller said in a statement Tuesday. “West Virginians are ready for a leader who will maximize our state’s incredible potential and build a government that treats its taxpayers like customers.”

Secretary of State Mac Warner came in fourth in fundraising, performing worse in the third quarter than he did in the second quarter. Warner raised $69,446 for the third quarter, a nearly 29% decrease in campaign donations between the third and second quarters when he raised $97,466 between April and June. Warner’s election year-to-date donations since entering the race in January were $395,866, leaving him with $209,512 in cash-on-hand.

Other Republican candidates either reported no donations for the third quarter or did not file a report. Martinsburg resident Rashida Yost raised no money for the quarter, but has raised $12,941 election year-to-date and has $3,099 in cash-on-hand. Bluefield resident Edwin Vanover and Gandeeville resident Terri Bradshaw did not file reports. Harman resident Roy Springfield Sr. is a new Republican pre-candidate who filed his paperwork on Oct. 2.

The candidate filing period in West Virginia begins Jan. 8 and ends Jan. 27 with March 26 the deadline for write-in candidates. The primary election is on May 14 and early voting is May 1 through May 11 except Sundays.

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

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