MORGANTOWN — The incumbents or front-runners in three local state Senate races were all heading to November with significant financial advantages over their challengers. The challengers in two of those races had to win competitive primaries to earn their shots.
The races are the 2nd, 13th and 14th districts. The figures cited here come from the candidates’ Primary Reports, covering April 1-May 24, and Second Quarter Reports, covering May 25-June 30. The next report to be filed will cover July 1-Sept. 30.
2nd District
The district covers all of five counties and parts of four others, including portions of Monongalia and Marion.
GOP incumbent Mike Maroney held off primary challenger Elijah Dean to seek re-election in November. Maroney tallied 7,964 votes (61.36%) to Dean’s 5,016 votes (38.64%). Maroney trailed Dean in Marion and Mon counties, 157-812 votes in Marion, 610-789 in Mon.
On the Democrat side, Josh Gary edged out Carla Jones in a fairly close race. Gary received 5,770 votes (51.3%) to Jones’ 5,478 votes (48.7%). Gary tallied fewer votes than Jones in both Marion and Mon: 164-1,105 in Marion, 324-1,455 in Mon.
Republicans
Maroney entered the primary period with nothing in his campaign account but transferred $3,876.48 from his 2016 account and raised $30,400. He spent $10,850.40, including reimbursing himself $200 for his filing fee.
In the second quarter, he raised another $5,400 and spent nothing, leaving a balance of $28,826.08 to head into the next reporting period. His totals for the year to date were $39,676.48 raised and $10,850.40 spent.
Dean was always well behind in cash. He opened the primary period with $170.62 and raised $1,750, including $200 from himself to his campaign account. He spent $1,733.57.
For the second quarter, he brought in just in $200, with $100 of that from himself. He spent $333.86 leaving a balance of $53.19. His totals were $4,559.60 raised and $4,335.79 spent.
Democrats
While the vote was close, Gary was way ahead in money.
He opened the primary with $9,572.08 and raised $8,450. He spent $16,535.63. In the second quarter he raised $3,391.05 and spent $1,049.77, leaving a balance of $3,827.73, only 13% of Maroney’s war chest.
The primary took a big chunk of his funds. His totals were $29,281.05 raised, $25,453.32 spent.
Jones opened with $4,808.36 and raised jut $331.83. She spent $2,943.06. For the second quarter, she raised nothing and spent $1,503.25, leaving a balance of $693.88. Her totals were $6,957.14 raised, $5,456.78 spent.
13th District
This is an open seat but longtime Marion County Democrat Delegate Mike Caputo is considered the front-runner to succeed incumbent Minority Leader Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, who is retiring from office.
Republican Rebecca Polis won the primary over John Provins to face Caputo, who has a far bigger campaign account.
Caputo opened with $40,189.28 and raised $29,375. With no primary challenger, he spent just $1,071. He also took it easy in the second quarter, raising another $8,275 and spending nothing.
That left him a balance of $76,758.96. His totals were $87,296.45 raised and $10,537.49 spent.
Polis tallied 4,275 votes (58.05%) to Provins’ 3,089 (41.95%). The district spans the centers of Mon and Marion Counties along the interstate corridors and Polis won in both counties.
Polis entered the primary with $12,878.24 and brought in $3,161. She also provided two loans to her campaign account totaling $1,000. She had also previously lent her account $200.
She spent $9,152.69. In the second quarter she raised $3,730 and spent $2,421.52,leaving a balance of $9,185.13, about 12% of Caputo’s (an apparent transcription error on that report causes an even lower balance to appear). Her totals were $16,391.27 raised and $14,845.26.
Provins opened with just $5.41 and raised only $482.09, including $407.09 from himself. He spent $240.70.
In the second quarter he raised nothing but spent $227.50 and gave a $19.30 donation to charity to zero out account. His totals were $2,722.09 raised and $2,716.68 spent.
14th District
This district covers all of five counties, including Preston, plus parts of three, including Mon.
Republican incumbent Randy Smith will face Democrat challenger David Childers. Neither had a primary opponent.
Smith opened with $55,482.22 and raised $8,900. He spent $4,305.96.
In the second quarter, he raised just $200 and spent only $572.76, leaving an account balance of $59,703.50. His totals were $81,905.44 raised and $22,629.47 spent.
Childers opened with just $75 and raised $566.66. He spent nothing. In the second quarter he raised another $50 and again spent nothing, leaving a balance of $691.66 — a hair over 1% of Smith’s account.
Childers’ totals were $691.66 raised, nothing spent.
Tweet @dbeardtdp
