West Virginia Political Capital: Candidates for U.S. Senate, governor, statewide offices report campaign donations
CHARLESTON — With early voting in West Virginia underway for another six days and election day just over a week away, federal and statewide candidates reported their donations for most of the month of October.
The Federal Election Commission requires candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives to file a pre-general election campaign finance report showing donations and expenses between Oct. 1 and Oct. 16. The deadline for the report was Oct. 24.
In the Senate race, fundraising remained competitive for the third reporting period in a row between Republican Gov. Jim Justice and former Democratic Wheeling mayor Glenn Elliott, though Justice has 150% more cash-on-hand in the final days of the race.
Justice raised $86,293 for the reporting period and more than $3.2 million for the election cycle-to-date, leaving the two-term governor with more than $1.1 million in cash-on-hand. Justice filed a 48-hour notice Saturday for contributions/loans received, reporting an additional $45,200 in donations made by the Oct. 24 reporting deadline, but not included on the pre-general report.
Elliott was only around $11,000 behind Justice’s fundraising over the 16-day period. Elliott raised $75,275 for the reporting period and $759,876 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $153,102 in cash-on-hand. Elliott also filed a 48-hour notice, reporting an additional $2,000 donation.
The West Virginia Secretary of State’s Office requires statewide candidates, legislative candidates and judicial candidates to file a general election report showing donations made between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20. The deadline for the report was Oct. 25.
In the race for governor, Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey raised $223,696 for the 20-day reporting period and more than $6.8 million election year-to-date, leaving him with more than $1.3 million in cash-on-hand. Morrisey also reduced his loan debt from $99,000 in the previous quarter to $39,000.
Morrisey’s Democratic opponent, three-term Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, raised $19,485 for the reporting period and $254,521 election year-to-date, leaving him with $156,426 in cash-on-hand. Both Morrisey and Williams will face off in a debate Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Fairmont State University on WV MetroNews. The winner of the race on Nov. 5 will succeed Justice.
For the 2nd Congressional District, State Treasurer Riley Moore raised $31,125 for the reporting period and more than $1.3 million election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $90,440 in cash-on-hand with $80,427 in campaign debts and loans. According to the Washington Reporter, Moore has donated more than $400,000 to other Republican U.S. House candidates and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
In contrast, Moore’s Democratic challenger, retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Steven Wendelin, raised $1,065 for the reporting period and $31,131 election cycle-to-date, leaving him with $2,732 in cash-on-hand. The winner of the 2nd Congressional District contest will succeed Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., who lost in the May GOP primary contest for the Senate to Justice.
In the 1st Congressional District, incumbent Rep. Carol Miller, R-W.Va., raised $42,454 for the reporting period and more than $1.5 million election cycle-to-date, leaving her with $238,864 in cash-on-hand and $417,993 in loans and debts. Miller is in her third two-year term in the House since being elected in 2018.
Independent 1st District House candidate Wes Holden, who previously worked as a staff member for former Democratic U.S. senator and governor Jay Rockefeller, raised $2,270 for the period and $36,295 election cycle-to-date. However, Holden was underwater by more than $11,000 in cash-on-hand and he reported $8,679 in outstanding loans and debts. Democratic candidate Chris Bob Reed has not filed any reports with the FEC.
In the remaining Board of Public Works races, Republican state Economic Development Authority Director Kris Warner raised $24,603 during the reporting period for the race to succeed his brother, Secretary of State Mac Warner, who lost the May primary for the GOP nomination for governor to Morrisey.
Kris Warner’s election year-to-date donations were $182,268, leaving him with $30,534 in cash-on-hand and $3,860 in loans/debts. His Democratic opponent, South Charleston attorney Thornton Cooper, raised $2,468 for the period and $24,822 election year-to-date, leaving him with $10,864 in cash-on-hand. But nearly 80% of Cooper’s $2,468 came from himself.
In the race for state auditor, State Sen. Mark Hunt, R-Kanawha, raised $25,257 for the reporting period and $96,003 election year-to-date, leaving him with $22,476 in cash-on-hand. Democratic opponent Mary Ann Claytor, a former employee of the State Auditor’s Office under former state auditor Glen Gainer, raised $4,654 during the period and $35,269 election year-to-date, leaving her with $6,275 in cash-on-hand.
The winner of the contest for state auditor will succeed current two-term State Auditor J.B. McCuskey, who is running as the Republican candidate for attorney general to succeed Morrisey, who has been in the office for three terms.
There was no general election report filed for McCuskey on the Secretary of State’s Campaign Finance Reporting System as of Sunday. But according to his third quarter campaign finance report covering July through September, McCuskey had raised $313,468 over the three-month period and more than $1.4 million election year-to-date, with $203,069 in cash-on-hand as of the end of September.
Democratic attorney general candidate Teresa Toriseva, a Wheeling attorney and vice chair of the West Virginia Democratic Party, raised $853 between Oct. 1 and Oct. 20, and raised $47,799 election year-to-date. But after expenditures, Toriseva was underwater by $946 in cash-on-hand.
Republican Agriculture Commissioner Kent Leonhardt, seeking his third and final four-year term, raised $2,210 for the period and $268,178 election year-to-date, leaving him with $55,904 in cash-on-hand. Tucker county farmer and retired educator Deborah Stiles raised $2,200 for the period and $9,511 election year-to-date, leaving her with $1,490 in cash-on-hand and $8,025 in loans/debts.
Despite not having a Democratic challenger on the ballot, Department of Revenue Cabinet Secretary Larry Pack is building a war chest as he campaigns to succeed Moore as state treasurer. Pack raised $75,371 for the period and $482,501 election year-to-date, leaving him with $604,302 in cash-on-hand. Pack also increased his loan debt from $300,000 to more than $1.1 million after taking out an additional $500,000 loan on Oct. 7 and a $325,000 loan on Oct. 16.
Early voting continues this week at county courthouses and designated satellite locations during regular business hours and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Wednesday is the deadline to submit applications for absentee ballots. Polls will open again on election day on Nov. 5 from 6:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Steven Allen Adams can be reached at sadams@newsandsentiel.com.