Write-in leads in contributions for the period
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PARKERSBURG - A write-in candidate for the House of Delegates led campaign contributions for the reporting period for both District 12 and the legislative candidates in Wood County, according to the latest campaign financial disclosures filed with the West Virginia secretary of state.
Republican Vernon Criss reported contributions of $12,132 between July 1 and Sept. 30, his third quarter 2026 campaign finance report said. Third-quarter reports covering from July 1 to Sept. 30 were due Oct. 7.
Criss was defeated By Charles Hartzog, supported by Gov. Patrick Morrisey, in the May primary election for the Republican Party nomination for the 12th District. Criss attributed the loss to unaffiliated voters not being able vote in a Republican primary in West Virginia, the first time since 1986.
Four people are running in the 12th District, Criss, Hartzog, Democrat Dennis Rempel and Libertarian Steve Smith. Hartzog, Rempel and Smith are on the ballot in November.
Rempel has raised 7,731 in contributions for the reporting period, Smith raised $2,500 and Hartzog didn't receive contributions in the reporting period.
Criss said he hasn’t asked for contributions.
"I've done it unsolicited," Criss, a businessman and chairman of the House Finance Committee, said.
The contributions are appreciated and perhaps a little surprising, but people are concerned going into the general election, Criss said.
"Most of it has been from the business community around the state and people who obviously are not supporters of Morrisey," Criss said.
The amount Criss reported in the latest disclosure was significantly less than in the previous reports for this year and the primary election, Hartzog said. Criss reported $32,300 in the 1st quarter report from Jan. 1 to March 31, $30,555 for the primary election report from April 1 to April 26 and zero for the second quarter from April 27 to June 30.
It's not surprising, however, Criss is able to raise contributions, Hartzog said. He is well-known in the community, Hartzog said.
Hartzog has been campaigning door-to-door, walking from house-to-house in the district. Few do it and few residents have had a candidate come to their door who will listen to what they have to say, he said.
"That speaks a lot," Hartzog said.
Rempel also has been knocking on doors, more than 2,000 so far, he said.
"Vernon has been in politics for a long time, so I'm not surprised at the number of big donors he has," Rempel said. "I'm also not surprised by the support we've gained so quickly."
The difficult part is asking for money, he said.
"I've knocked on over 2,000 doors this cycle and I've listened to folks telling me how their budget is tighter than ever before," Rempel said. "Affordability is one of the reasons I ran in the first place. And it's something I will work on in the Legislature."
Money is a part of politics and getting the message out is expensive, Rempel said.
"However, calling folks, stopping at their homes and putting out signs goes a long way," he said. "My family and I have been putting in the work to help our community understand why I am the best option to support them, and that message is sticking; regardless of how much money we have in the campaign account."
Criss is a "known quantity" among contributors because of his years in office and position in the Legislature, Smith said. Criss was first elected to the House in 1987, served until 1990, then returned and won the election in 2016.
"It's not surprising (Criss) would be able to raise money," Smith said.
Smith knows what it's like to run as a write-in. He ran as a write-in for Parkersburg City Council against Melvin Smith and lost to him in the primary election, then decided to run as a write-in candidate in the general election.
It was not easy, he said.
"From that experience, I've learned it's an uphill slog," Smith, who is self-financing his campaign, said.