MORGANTOWN – Five Republicans are vying for their party’s nomination to succeed Rep. Alex Mooney in West Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District seat. They will face off in the May 14 primary election.
One Democrat has no primary opposition and will face the GOP winner in November.
Here is a look at their campaign finances from their April Quarterly reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Republicans
Riley Moore
State Treasurer Riley Moore – nephew of Sen. Shelley Moore Capito and grandson of the late Gov. Arch Moore – leads the fundraising pack.
He opened the reporting period with an account balance of $506,678.21. He raised $89,152.23 in individual contributions and $84,700 from PACs. He reported operating expenditures of $101,612.87, leaving a balance of $584,867.57.
Moore’s year-to-date totals are $900,148.32 raised and $34,905.75 spent. He receipts include $660,748.32 from individual contributions and $250,700 from PACs, along with $43,700 in transfers from other committees.
Sorted by state, his top contributions come from: West Virginia, $281,007.40; Ohio and Pennsylvania, both more than $40,000; Virginia $28,200; Texas $18,444.50; and Maryland and New York, both more than $6,000.
Moore is also the only one of the five Republicans whose campaign received support from an independent expenditure – advertising by a PAC on his behalf: Americans for Prosperity Action, $20,000.
Chris “Mookie” Walker
Chris “Mookie” Walker is a retired Air Force brigadier general from Martinsburg. He entered the race in January.
New to the race, he opened the period with a $0 account balance, but quickly built a war chest.
He reported $452,857.56 in individual contributions, including $1,000 from himself. He also lent his campaign $70,000.
Walker reported $186,065.30 in operating expenditures, leaving a balance of $342,812.42.
The FEC hasn’t yet sorted the data in his 137 page report in order to tank contributions by state.
Joe Early
Joe Early, of Bridgeport, is a retired Army First Sergeant who now works in cybersecurity engineering.
He opened the period with $65,493.06 and raised $39,888.33 in individual contributions. He reported $60,821.19 in operating expenditures, leaving a balance of $48,145.20.
His year-to-date totals are $111,502.42 raised, including $13,877.32 from himself, and $147,312.83 spent. He lent his campaign $80,000.
His top contributions come from West Virginia, at $15,548.15, with Texas a distant second at $2,000.
Nate Cain
Nate Cain, of Hedgesville, is also an Army veteran working in cybersecurity engineering.
He opened with $2,723.10 and received $28,962.56 in individual contributions, including $4,168.55 from himself. He also reported a $500 transfer from another committee.
His operating expenditures $22,163.11, leaving a balance of $9,772.55.
His year-to-date totals were $114,533.43 raised, including $30,647.45 from himself, and $105,010.88 spent.
Ranked by state, his top contributions came from West Virginia, $18,912,64; California, Florida and Maryland $3,000 or more from each; and Oregon, Virginia and North Carolina, $2,000 or more each,
Alex Gaaserud
Alex Gaaserud, of Elkins, is a businessman working in the e-commerce third party logistics industry.
He opened with $10.86 and raised nothing this period. He reported $1,545 inoperating expenditures, leaving a balance of $115.86.
Year-to-date, he raised $5,400 and spent $11,934.14. He lists $9,650 debts, including $6,650 loans from himself to his campaign.
Democrat
Steven Wendelin
Steven Wendelin is a retired U.S. Navy officer living in Hardy County.
He opened with $5,474.33 and raised $3,791.25: $3,541.25 in individual contributions plus $250 from the Morgan County Democratic Executive Committee. He reported $4,590.13 in operating expenditures, leaving a balance of $4,675.45.
Year-to-date, his totals are $11,471.25 raised, including $67 from himself, and $6,795.80 spent.
Ranked by state, his top contributions come from California, $4,750; Maryland, $2,505; Connecticut, $1,000; New York $1,000.
Email: dbeard@dominionpost.com
