MORGANTOWN — In one area House of Delegates race, the challenger has spent more than $20,000 compared to less than $200 for the incumbent.
In three of the other races, the incumbents had bigger campaign war chests than their opponents leading into the final weeks of the general election.
And in the fifth, the newcomer challenger held a slight edge over the incumbent.
The lopsided race, in terms of money, is for the 53rd District, where incumbent Republican Buck Jennings faces Democrat Cory Chase and Libertarian Austin Zuchowski.
Figures come from their First-General finance reports, covering the period of May 21 through Sept. 23.
Jennings opened the period with $1,063.50. He brought in a single donation of $250 and spent just $8, all on bank service fees.
That left him with a balance of $1,305.50 going into the next period.
His totals for the season are $1,450 raised and $144.50 spent.
In contrast, Chase opened with $14,766.79. He raised $17,869.67 in contributions; $11,928.92 of that were donations from himself to his campaign committee.
He also raised $1,005 at a Davis fundraiser and $240.54 in-kind.
Chase spent $16,654.25 — all paid back to himself in the form of reimbursements. That left him a balance of $16,987.21, along with $102.80 in unpaid bills.
Accounting for an error in carrying forward some balances from an earlier report, his totals for the season are $38,263.63 raised and $22,919.24 spent.
Zuchowski has not filed any financial reports with the secretary of state.
Here, also, is a look at reports for the 5th, 49th, 50th and 52nd districts.
5th District
Incumbent Democrat Dave Pethtel faces Republican Phillip Wiley.
Pethtel opened the period with $14,058.55. He raised $16,785 and spent $3,774.22, leaving a balance of $27,070.12.
His totals for the season are $32,570 raised and $5,500.67 spent.
Wiley opened with $615 and raised $1,550. He lent his campaign $2,000 and spent $2,767, leaving a balance of $1,397.45.
His totals are $2,550 raised, not counting the loan, and $3,152.55 spent.
49th District
Incumbent Republican Amy Summers faces Democrat George Allen Abel.
Summers opened with $5,342.28 and raised $6,600 in contributions, $3,080 at a Charleston fundraiser and $340.70 in-kind.
She spent $1,487.53, leaving a balance of $13,834.75.
Her totals are $15,712.98 raised and $1,537.53 spent.
Abel raised far less but spent about the same amount. He opened with $463.92 and raised $4,363.40.
He spent $1,037.84, leaving a balance of $3,789.48.
His totals are $5,563.40 raised and $1,773.92 spent.
50th District
The three seats are held by incumbent Democrats Mike Caputo and Linda Longstreth and Republican Guy Ward. They face Democrat Michael Angelucci, Republican Phil Mallow and unaffiliated Jon Dodds.
Caputo opened with $22,530.26 and raised $11,850. He spent $2,670.70, leaving a balance of $31,709.56.
His totals are $32,660 raised and $10,950.44 spent.
Longstreth opened with $17,148.77 and raised $6,300. She spent $1,196.20, leaving a balance of $21,532.57.
Her totals are $25,749.74 raised and $4,217.17 spent.
Angelucci has a bigger campaign chest than Ward but spent a bit less through the reporting period.
Angelucci opened with $9,804.95 and raised $3,900. He spent $1,082.24, leaving a balance of $12,622.71.
His totals are $12,533 raised, plus a $5,000 loan from himself to his campaign and $3,580.29 spent.
Ward opened with $4,073.23 and raised $8,200. He spent $4,833.32, leaving a balance of $7,439.91.
His totals are $13,137.68 raised and $5,697.77 spent.
Mallow started the period with $1,782.92 and raised $1,710. He spent $1,351.85, leaving $2,087.07.
His totals are $3,860 raised and $1,772.93 spent.
Dodds raised very little but spent nearly all of it.
He opened with $63.25 and gave his campaign $1,396.88. He spent $1,424.49, leaving $35.64 going into the next period.
His totals are $1,551.88 raised and $1,521.99 spent.
52nd District
Incumbent Republican Terri Sypolt faces Democrat Gary Knotts. No Democrats ran in the primary, when Sypolt defeated her teacher union-backed GOP opponent. Knotts’ candidacy was officially recognized Aug. 16.
Sypolt opened with $2,700. She raised $1,800 and spent $1,450.16, leaving a balance $3,050.19.
Her totals are $5,594.31 plus a $2,000 loan from herself to her campaign, and $4,544.12 spent.
Knotts, starting the period with no prior balance, raised $7,400 and spent $3,191.06, leaving $4,208.98 for the next period.
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