MORGANTOWN – The recent party switch of former House of Delegates Minority Leader Doug Skaff has brought new attention to the race for the Republican nomination for secretary of state.
Skaff, of Kanawha County, stepped down from his House leadership post in August, resigned from the House in September and announced his switch to the Republican Party on Oct. 12, when he also announced his candidacy for secretary of state.
He joins the May primary race against three Republicans who’d already announced they’re seeking the GOP nomination: Delegate Chris Pritt, also Kanawha; Ken Reed, a former Berkeley County delegate; and Brian Wood, Putnam County clerk.
Here is a look at their campaign finances, from the candidates’ Third Quarter campaign finance reports covering the period July 1-Sept. 30.
We also take a look here at the fundraising for the U.S House of Representatives District 2 seat, now held by Republican Alex Mooney, who is vying with Gov. Jim Justice for the GOP nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Joe Manchin.
Secretary of State
Skaff, as a newly declared Republican and statewide office seeker, has no filings with the secretary of state’s office. His prior filings as a House Democrat aren’t accessible.
Pritt opened the third quarter with $8,184.61 and raised $14,147.99 in individual contributions. He spent $894.10, leaving a balance of $21,438.50.
His totals for the election year to date are $22,372.99 raised and $934.39 spent.
Reed opened with $66,132.65. He raised $4,625 in individual contributions and $1,000 transferred from another former delegate’s account. He spent $4,223.23, leaving a balance of $67,534.32.
The bulk of Reed’s campaign account comes from two prior loans from himself to his campaign: $6,823.36 and $60,000. His totals to date, excluding the loans, are $5,945 raised and $5,233.96 spent.
Wood opened with $26,449.60 and raised $5,780 in individual contributions. He also received $50 in-kind. He spent $889.72, leaving a balance of $31,339.88.
As with Reed, the bulk of Wood’s campaign funds comes from three loans from himself to his campaign: $1,000, $9,000 and $20,000. His year-to-date totals, excluding the loans, are $5,850 raised and $4,460.12 spent.
House District 2
The Federal Election Commission shows four Republicans vying for the nomination, and one so-far unopposed Democrat. Numbers come from their October Quarterly reports.
The Republicans are state Treasurer Riley Moore; Joe Early, of Bridgeport, a retired Army veteran working in the cybersecurity industry; Nate Cain, of Berkeley County, also an Army veteran and cybersecurity contractor; and Alex Gaaserud, of Elkins, who works in the e-commerce third party logistics industry.
The Democrat is Steven Wendelin, of Hardy County, a retired U.S. Navy officer.
Moore leads the fundraising pack, opening the period with $440,781.07. He raised $87,801.33 in individual contributions and $58,750 from PACS, along with $13,000 in transfers from other committees.
His operating expenditures were $101,715.67, leaving a balance of $492,966.73. His year-to-date totals were $628,059.03 raised and $134,942.30 spent.
Early opened with $85,186.41. He raised $7,189.16 in individual contributions and $6,910.75 from himself to his campaign. His account also includes an $80,000 loan from himself to his campaign.
Early’s operating expenditures were $19,154.89, leaving a balance of $80,131.43. His year-to-date columns contain errors and don’t accurately present the totals.
Cain opened with $788.95. He raised $27,715.43: $17,834.85 in individual contributions and $9,880.58 from himself to his campaign. His operating expenditures were $26,406.10, leaving a balance of $2,098.28.
His year-to-date totals were $61,934.53, including $21,513.21 from himself; and $59,836.25 spent.
Gaaserud’s reports contain several errors. He reports nothing raised on spent this period, with an account balance of $10.86. He reports $8,000 in total loans, with $5,000 of that from himself to his campaign and $3,000 from a Charleston political strategy group. He also donated $1,700 to his campaign in January.
His year-to-date totals were $10,400 raised – including the loans – and $10,389.14 spent.
Wendelin has no financial reports on file with the FEC.
Email: dbeard@dominionpost.com
