CHARLESTON — The candidate filing period for the 2024 primary elections began Monday, the same day campaign finance reports were due for the final three months of 2023, showing which candidates had the most money going into their primary races.

Statewide pre-candidates had until the end of the day Monday to file their 2023 fourth quarter campaign finance reports with the West Virginia Secretary of State covering October, November, and December.

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 funds 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 Republican primary for governor, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey outraised all of his major opponents, but Huntington businessman Chris Miller still has the most cash-on-hand thanks to loans to his campaign.

Morrisey raised $564,709 for the quarter, bringing his election-year-to-date contributions to $2.5 million and his available cash-on-hand to $1.8 million. Some of those funds came from $29,000 transferred from Morrisey’s 2020 re-election campaign for Attorney General. Morrisey also provided his campaign a $30,000 loan during the quarter, bringing his loans to $132,000.

“West Virginians know that I’m the only candidate in the race who will hit the ground running and continue delivering conservative victories on Day 1 as governor,” Morrisey said in a statement Monday. “The outpouring of support my campaign has received is an honor.”

According to the Morrisey campaign, it received a total of 20,626 contributions mostly through small-dollar donations, with the average donation being $24.77. Morrisey also is supported by a political action committee, Black Bear PAC, which has former Morrisey attorney general campaign manager Scott Will as a senior adviser.

Black Bear PAC has $3.8 million in cash-on-hand according to a mid-year report filed July 31 with the Federal Election Commission covering the period between January and June. Political action committees are only required to semi-annually file FEC campaign finance reports during non-election years, with the year-end 2023 report due Jan. 31 and monthly reports due beginning Feb. 20. During the mid-year 2023 period, Black Bear raised $2.1 million mostly from an infusion of cash from the conservative Club for Growth.

Coming in second in fundraising for the GOP primary for governor was Moore Capito, a former Kanawha County delegate. He raised $270,371 for the quarter, bringing his election-year-to-date contributions to $1.6 million. Capito has $1.2 million in cash-on-hand going into the first quarter of 2024. Capito, the former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee before resigning from the House of Delegates in December to focus on the campaign, is the son of U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va.

Miller, with multiple businesses spanning from automobiles to cattle, raised $123,481 for the quarter, with $1.3 million in election-year-to-date contributions. He has more than $3.7 million in cash-on-hand, more than any other candidate for governor. Miller took out another $100,000 loan during the quarter, bringing his total loans to $3 million. He is the son of U.S. Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va.

“I am deeply humbled and grateful for the consistent support our campaign has received,” Miller said Monday. “Our continued success reflects the shared belief in our vision for West Virginia, a vision of economic and population growth, accountable leadership, and a government that treats its citizens like customers. Together, we can take on the good old boys network in Charleston and build a brighter future for our great state.”

Secretary of State Mac Warner, who was the first to officially file his GOP primary candidate paperwork Monday for the May 14 ballot, raised $57,882 for the quarter and $453,748 election-year-to-date, leaving him with $164,536 in cash-on-hand.

Martinsburg resident Rashida Yost raised $16,050 for the quarter, $28,991 election-year-to-date, and has $12,706 in cash-on-hand.

No other pre-candidates reported raising money during the quarter or election-year-to-date.

Huntington Mayor Steve Williams announced in the fall he would seek the Democratic nomination for governor in 2024, filing his official candidacy paperwork Monday. During the quarter he raised $4,265, raising $8.530 election-year-to-date, and has $3,328 in cash-on-hand.

In Republican race for Attorney General, State Auditor J.B. McCuskey raised $103,350 for the quarter, with $901,008 raised election-year-to-date, some of that carried over from when his started off as a GOP candidate for governor. McCuskey has $526,036 in cash-on-hand. State Sen. Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, raised $13,426 for the quarter, $81,873 election-year-to-date, and has $119,850 in cash-on-hand. He took out a $3,105 loan during the quarter, bringing his loan total to $65,106.

Fundraising for the Republican primary for secretary of state was dominated by former House Minority Leader Doug Skaff and state Economic Development Authority Executive Director Kris Warner.

Skaff, who entered the race in October after switching from the Democratic Party to the Republican Party following his resignation from the House of Delegates in August, raised $62,100 during the quarter and election-year-to-date. After donating $250,000 to his campaign, Skaff has $302,554 in cash-on-hand.

Kris Warner, the brother of Secretary of State Mac Warner and a former chairman of the state Republican Party, raised $15,200 for the quarter and election-year-to-date after entering the race in December. That leaves Warner with $14,397 in cash-on-hand.

Former Morgan County commissioner and lawmaker Ken Reed raised $3,290 for the quarter for his GOP race for secretary of state and $9,235 election-year-to-date. Thanks to a $200,000 loan, Reed has $265,874 in cash-on-hand. Putnam County Clerk Brian Wood raised $680 for the quarter, $6,530 election-year-to-date, and has $31,944 in cash-on-hand thanks to a $30,000 loan to his campaign.

In the Republican primary for state auditor, House Majority Leader Eric Householder, R-Berkeley, raised $36,577 for the quarter, $161,778 election-year-to-date, and has $137,101 in cash-on-hand. His closest competitor, former Nicholas County delegate Caleb Hanna, raised $21,140 for the quarter, $101,708 election-year-to-date, and has $131,835 in cash-on-hand thanks to a $50,000 loan to his campaign. Jefferson County Commissioner Tricia Jackson raised $372 for the quarter and $4,855 election-year-to-date, leaving her with $983 in cash-on-hand.

Larry Pack, the interim cabinet secretary for the state Department of Revenue, raised $154,662 for the quarter for his Republican race for state treasurer. Pack, a former senior advisor to Gov. Jim Justice and a former Kanawha County lawmaker, has $390,330 election-year-to-date and $575,512 in cash-on-hand due to a $300,000 loan to his campaign. His only competitor to date, Hardy County resident Steven Schetrom, raised no money during the quarter and only has $1,576 in cash-on-hand.

State Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt raised $12,517 during the quarter for his Republican re-election campaign, raising $169,830 to date and leaving him with $141,339. The only other Republican candidate who raised money during the quarter was Roy Ramey, who raised $2,304 and $18,433 election-year-to-date. Ramey, who lost to Leonhardt in the 2020 by more than. 26 points, has $7,124 in cash-on-hand.

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Wood County Filings

PARKERSBURG – During the second day of filing to run for elected office in Wood County a number of people filed to run in the May 14 primary in West Virginia.

Those filing to run for Wood County offices included:

* David Blair Couch, Republican, Wood County Commission District B

* Robert E. Mercer, Wood County Board of Education Magisterial District B (This is a non-partisan race)

* Roger Conley, Republican, Wood County Commission District B.

Candidates can file to run for office through Jan. 27.

Jan. 27 is a Saturday and personnel will be available at the Clerk’s Office from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. that day. Candidates can file by mail as long as the paperwork being sent in is postmarked by Jan. 27.