West Virginia Dem candidates spend little as summer campaigns kick off

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The first campaign finance reports since May’s primary election were filed this week, showing that Republicans in nearly all contested state-level races are vastly outspending and outraising their Democratic opponents.

The reports cover a two-month period between April 29 and June 30, meaning they include about two weeks of information before the May 14 primary, which was uncontested for many Democrats.

Governor

In the race for governor, Republican candidate and current Attorney General Patrick Morrisey currently has about $1.1 million cash-on-hand, compared to the nearly $53,000 held by his Democratic opponent, Huntington Mayor Steve Williams.

In the second quarter of the year alone, Morrisey raised nearly $1.7 million — which makes up about 32% of the total $5.3 million his campaign has raised this year-to-date.

The largest expenditures made by the Morrisey campaign over May and June went toward placed media, where the campaign spent about $1.2 million on seven different buys from three separate companies. That’s nearly four times what the campaign spent in all other categories combined — travel expenses, mailers, paid campaign staff and more — over the same period.

Williams — who raised about $46,000 in May and June and who has raised nearly $82,000 in contributions to-date — reported nearly $23,600 in spending during the second quarter of the year on just four line items: three ad buys, costing about $22,000, and one fundraising expense that totaled nearly $1,500. Williams’ spending this quarter accounts for more than 92% of his spending to date, according to the reports.

Attorney general

For the attorney general race, Republican candidate and current state Auditor J.B. McCuskey has about $21,000 cash-on-hand, having so far spent a majority of the $1.1 million collected this election cycle.

McCuskey’s spending through May and June totaled nearly $297,000, with a majority of that — $210,000 — going to advertising, with nine different expenses paid to several different companies both locally and nationally.

Attorney Teresa Toriseva, McCuskey’s Democratic opponent for the seat, reported having about $1,600 available to spend after the end of the year’s second quarter. To date, her campaign has raised about $37,000.

During the second quarter of the year, Toriseva spent about $6,000 on 11 expenditures. Most of that money — more than $5,000 — was paid to her campaign manager, Steve McElroy ($2,000 in salary, about $2,700 in travel expenses and $345 in reimbursements for campaign expenses).

Secretary of state

Kris Warner, who is running as a Republican for the Secretary of State seat currently held by his brother, Mac Warner, has so far raised nearly $146,000 for his campaign. According to the most recent reports , he has about $6,700 cash-on-hand having spent around $138,000 on the campaign so far.

Over May and June, Kris Warner raised nearly $36,000 in contributions while spending about $51,000. That spending went, as with most Republican candidates, largely to ad buys and media totaling around $42,000 during the second quarter of 2024.

On the Democratic side, candidate Thornton Cooper has raised about $16,000 to date, with $4,000 coming in over the last two months. Cooper has around $14,000 available to spend through the campaign, according to reports.

Over the second quarter of the year, Cooper spent $153 — $15 in bank service fees and $138 on travel expenses.

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